Name This Peoria Landmark

This is a test of the Historic Preservation Commission. The bloggers of your area in voluntary cooperation with the Federal, State and local authorities have developed this system to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. If this had been an actual emergency, this blog entry would have been followed by official information, news or instructions. This blog serves the Greater Peoria area. This concludes this test of the Historic Preservation Commission.

Soon to be voted as whether it should be granted historic landmark status. If yes, the city pisses off AMVETS, who want to sell it and move out to the old Penguin Tap in Peoria Heights. That will also piss off neighboring Riverside Community Church who is planning on buying the building so they may expand by tearing it down.

CJ Summers has been discussing this issue at length here, here, and here. He also took the time to acquire and retype part of the hand written application.

Built and dedicated in 1916, the United Duroc Bldg. is a Colonial Revival style with significant architectural features that meet criteria #4 and #6. Features include white enamel (glazed) brick and glazed terra cotta; there are elaborate decorative crowns above the dual entrances, fanlight-transom windows, terra cotta cornices, trabeated pilasters with triglyphs and gutta, Palladian windows.

Designed by WH Reeves and built by WM Allen, two key men involved in the design and construction of Peoria’s most notable buildings including Peoria’s City Hall, Spalding Institute, Glen Oak Park Pavilion, St. Augustine Manor, Peoria State Hospital, Mohammed Temple and many others.

The United Duroc building was also home to: the distinguished University Club, Battle Creek Baths and a Comptometer School and publishing company.

You can probably figure out my stance on the issue. With the uncertainly surrounding this building, I figured I’d better get a photo before it gets razed under the cover of darkness.

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 8th, 2008 at 11:03 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.