Peoria (area) Landmark #296
During the pastorate of Father McGair, the parish again having outgrown the limits of the old frame church, the building of a new church was agitated. In 1889 both pastor and people, working together in harmony and with much zeal, soon obtained sufficient funds to enable them to lay the foundation, and in the summer of 1890 the new church was completed and dedicated.
Thanks, Tom.
Peoria Landmark #295
Msgem: Jubilee College
aka Jubilee College State Historic Site.
Jubilee College State Historic Site preserves a remnant of the school founded in 1839 by Philander Chase (1775-1852), the first Episcopal Bishop of Illinois. At one time, Jubilee College occupied a dozen or more structures on a 3,500-acre tract. The school included a theological seminary, a college, a classical preparatory school for boys, and a “seminary” for girls, as well as small farming operations.
The site’s centerpiece is an L-shaped building, the design of which was adapted from an Anglican chapel near London, England. Constructed between 1839 and 1844, the two-story native sandstone building housed the school’s chapel, classrooms, and dormitory space. Today the “restored” building’s chapel wing contains representations of an 1840s Episcopal chapel, a first-story chapel extension that served during the week as classroom space, and a second-floor dormitory room. The recreated schoolmaster’s office and library are located in the larger west wing, which also contains a video theatre and museum exhibits. In 1972 the Jubilee College site was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Jubilee Cemetery, which adjoins the site, is private property.
This might shock some of you, but this was the first time I had ever been out there. Dang – pretty darn cool place. I can’t wait to go back and take the tour.
*Photo courtesy of A. Janson
Peoria Landmark #294
Recently, teachers and students of the shuttered Richland Grade School (NTPL #99) have been sharing their memories of being a “River Rat,” which I have really been enjoying. The Richland Bottoms seems to be a very nice close knit community. A little town unto itself which used to have its own neighborhood school being brought back to life by memories of those who attended.
A comment got me curious though…
Our brother Larry helps take care of the mowing around the union hall and our side of the tunnel. It is still there but closed off at both ends. Red Butler still lives in his house across the street from the school. Soo many memories.
The tunnel? I inquired…
The highway extension for which the tunnel was built connected to the Cedar Street Bridge. It was to allow access to Richland School but what it accomplished was to ultimately close the school and leave the Richland area abandoned.
I drove around the neighborhood for a good twenty minutes looking for the school before I finally broke down and asked someone. Of course! It’s on the OTHER side of the Cedar Street bridge – hence the need for the tunnel to connect the neighborhood to the neighborhood school.
If you want to find it, it’s on Maple Street.
Thank you to the passerby for directing me back to the school and to the young man who showed me where the “Old Tunnel” is, as he called it.
(Josh & Scio – you have obviously been paying way too much attention.)
Peoria Landmark #293
Yes, this is the infamous basketball court that Alexis Khazzam built and then rebuilt. I understand the argument, but if you’ve even driven down this stretch of Beach Street, as I did when I found and took this photo, you know it is nothing more than a glorified alley.
If you have a library card you can look up the Journal Star archives; barring that, here’s some other reading material on the issue:
http://peoriachronicle.com/2006/07/11/dear-alexis-xxoo-love-phil/
http://peoriapundit.com/blogpeoria/2006/06/29/zone-defense-in-the-heights-leave-kids-in-the-lurch/