Rockford Historic Preservation Commission

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Built in 1847 in the Greek Revival style, this house is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Rockford and one of onl...
11/02/2018

Built in 1847 in the Greek Revival style, this house is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Rockford and one of only a few surviving cobblestone houses left in Illinois. This type of construction originated in New York when large numbers of British masons came to the area to build the Erie Canal. Using abundant stones left by glaciers, these craftsmen developed a remarkable folk art during a 30-year period. Located at 2127 Broadway

Early Rockford Photos: Castor Motors
10/10/2018

Early Rockford Photos: Castor Motors

712 East State Street- A unique Rockford structure, the Shumway Market was built in the 1920's and designed by Charles B...
10/10/2018

712 East State Street- A unique Rockford structure, the Shumway Market was built in the 1920's and designed by Charles Bradley. Its uniqueness stems partly from the purpose for which is was built-to serve as a public "comfort station" - and partly for its simple but elegant design. Its importance also lies in its connection to the Shumway Farmers Market that operated in the area behind since Robert Shumway donated the land to the City of Rockford for that purpose in 1904. Completely restored in 1987 by the Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, it currently houses the Rockford Area Arts Council.

Here are some really cool maps of Rockford from the early 1900's.
07/12/2018

Here are some really cool maps of Rockford from the early 1900's.

West Middle School, located at 1900 North Rockton Ave, was originally built as West High School in 1939 as a part of the...
04/10/2018

West Middle School, located at 1900 North Rockton Ave, was originally built as West High School in 1939 as a part of the WPA project which also resulted in the construction of East High School. Before West and East High School opened their doors, there was only one high school for the Rockford School District, Central High School, located at 201 South Madison. The single high school operated from 1884 until 1940, when the attendance grew too large for the building and the school district decided to establish two separate high schools. While the basic design was by Gilbert Johnson, Jesse Barloga designed the exterior façade in the Art Modeme style. Its local significance also lies in the fact that it was fully integrated from the time it first opened its door. West High School operated until 1989, when the district turned the building into West Middle School.

East High School, located on 2929 Charles Street, was also constructed in 1939 as a WPA project and opened the same year...
04/10/2018

East High School, located on 2929 Charles Street, was also constructed in 1939 as a WPA project and opened the same year as West High School in 1940. The exterior façade is also an excellent example of Art Modeme architecture and was designed by Willis Hubbard. Fun fact: according to a newspaper article from the Rockford Register Star May 11, 1939 edition, a huge iron and fused quartz meteor was discovered by excavating crews working on the northeast corner of the building site. The meteor had struck the ground with such force that it was buried more than 15 feet in the ground. It was unknown how long ago it had landed on Earth but there was no outward evidence remaining of the crater until the digging had occurred.

We did a little something different for January's meeting. HPC toured the Coronado Performing Arts Center. Thank you to ...
01/11/2018

We did a little something different for January's meeting. HPC toured the Coronado Performing Arts Center. Thank you to Beth Howard and Friends of the Coronado for taking the time out of your day to show us around. This building is truly remarkable! With modern amenities, it still retains its original 1920s charm and decor.
Designed by architect Frederick J, Klein and owned by Willard N. Van Matre, Jr., it cost $1.5 million to build this theatre. If you were to tear it down and rebuilt it, it would now cost around $150 million. Opening day was October 9, 1927 and this theatre has hosted legends such as, Frank Sinatra, the Marx Brothers, Tommy Dorsey, Louis Armstrong, George Gershwin, Bob Hope, Sammy Davis, Jr., Liberace, Phyllis Diller, Milton Berle and countless more.
What makes this theatre so special and unique is how well-preserved and ornate it is. There are Spanish and Italian-style buildings painted with great detail. A magical ceiling with moving stars and clouds that gives a feeling of an outdoor theatre. Restored red velvet chairs that seat up to 2,400 people. The Coronado also has one of only two remaining Grand Barton Theater Organs that features a unique dragon design.
In 1984, the Coronado closed the doors to movies due to decline in revenue, after 56 years in business. In 1997, Friends of the Coronado began raising money for the renovations. After raising $18.5 million to restore the building, the theatre was reborn in January, 2001 to its original grand style.
To see upcoming events and tours please go to http://www.coronadopac.org/
To help support and find out more about the Coronado, please visit https://www.friendsofthecoronado.org/

Our featured historic building this week is the Chick House. Constructed in 1857, it was originally called the Griggs Ho...
01/05/2018

Our featured historic building this week is the Chick House. Constructed in 1857, it was originally called the Griggs House. Thomas Chick, a former railroad engineer, bought the building in 1888 and renamed it the Chick House. It became a resident hotel, where you could stay overnight as well as long-term housing for boarders.The hotel room sizes ranged from 7'4 x 11'11 to two-room suites near the front of the building. The larger rooms featured river views. There were community bathrooms on each floor. Extensive plumbing renovations were done in 1928 to update the rooms. The widow of Thomas Chick sold the building and it became the Elms Hotel until 1951.
The Chick House is only one of three remaining pre-Civil War commercial building remaining in downtown Rockford and the only example of fully intact mid-19th century architecture. The architectural style of the building is a mixture of Greek Revival and Italianate.

01/05/2018

The 2018 meeting schedule for the Historic Preservation Committee is listed below. These meetings are open to everyone. If you would like to go in front of the board, please fill out the Certificate of Appropriateness on the link below:
https://rockfordil.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/COA-form-2018.pdf

Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of every month in Conference Room B on the second floor at 5:30 pm.
February 13, 2018
March 13, 2018
April 10, 2018
May 8, 2018
June 12, 2018
July 10, 2018
August 14, 2018
September 11, 2018
October 10, 2018 - Wednesday (Due to Columbus Day)
November 14, 2018 – Wednesday (Due to Veteran’s Day)
December 11, 2018

Address

Rockford, IL

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 12pm
Sunday 8am - 4pm

Telephone

+17793487447

Website

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