Hale Church in Peoria falls

I have just learned of the demise of the historic Hale Church in Peoria, Illinois. The church was damaged by a fire in 1999, causing an estimated $100,000, then purchased by the art community, Yaku, with the intention of creating an artist creative space. They soon realized the renovation necessary was beyond their capability and sold the building to another group with the intention of renovating the building as an event space. 

The church was completed in 1900 and named for abolitionist Asahel Hale and was built on the corner of High and Main Streets. It was home to several congregations over the years. Recent engineering study revealed severe damage to the truss structure and for joists due to the effects of the fire and water incursion as the building suffered prolonged exposure to the elements. 

This building has been on our watch list for some time as it is most likely an F. S. Allen design, and with its 1900 completion date, likely one of his last church projects. During his Streator days, Allen dabbled in church design,  commercial and public buildings, even industrial buildings, before settling on school design as his primary focus. 

These photos are courtesy of the Journal Star. 

Plano, Illinois School - F. S. Allen, architect

The Plano school opened in the late 1800s and initially housed the High School and Elementary School. Constructed of brick and stone, it survived until the mid 1950s.

Von Steuben School in Kankakee, Illinois

The Von Steuben School in Kankakee was one of Mr. Allen's most exuberant applications of the basic schoolhouse design. Here, the unique Allen Window design is executed in stone, rather than the often used iron casting. But the presence of the turret over the main entrance, along with other embellishments, were the idea of the local school board. 

This building was razed in the late 20th century over safety and capacity concerns, but the arch from the front of the building was saved and welcomes students to the new school building as it spans the sidewalk leading to the main entrance. 

Did you know - the Von Steuben School was named for Revolutionary War general Friedrich Wilhelm Von Steuben, the same man who is celebrated in the iconic parade scene in Ferris Beuller's Day Off.

Now Available

Available now, all 4 books!!

Seth's Historic Impressions Volume II, the second year of articles, is available through KDP as are Patrick Magosky books, Historic Impressions - Joliet the First 35 Years and Historic Impressions Shorewood. 

Schools by F. S. Allen book release

Historic Impressions and Casa Verde Publishing are proud to announce the release of Schools by F. S. Allen. Based on a 1901 advertising booklet, published by Allen himself, the book incorporates photos and illustrations from the original, digitally reproduced, alongside vintage postcards and period advertising from Allen suppliers. The images are set against a narrative of Allen's school architecture career, from 1884 in Streator, Illinois, through his time in Joliet and on to California. The story is told my Cean Magosky who grew up in the Allen home in Joliet and has met with and interviewed members of the Allen family, as well as researching his time in Illinois and California. 

Digital photography is courtesy of Don Ciesielski of Joliet, who lives in what is assumed to be an Allen designed home. His skill in photography and guidance in editing have allowed the original volume to remain in pristine condition. 

The book is available through Amazon Marketplace. A book launch is scheduled for Saturday, November 16, at the Joliet Historical Society Museum. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DKK1P6KM

At last?

As you may know, or have read in this blog, I have been working on getting Historic Impressions II ready for publication. Imagine my surprise at finding a fully sorted mockup on a disc in a forgotten box of stuff. The good news is that we have taken a huge step forward. A publisher has been selected and we're going to press very soon!!

Watch this site for more details!!!

Trenton, New Jersey Second High School

There are many challenges along the road of getting Mr. Allen his deserved recognition. One of them has been a bias that he was simply a regional school specialist. This lumps him in with a crowd of effective yet unimaginative designers of the late 1800s. To offset this bias, I present the Second High School from Trenton,  New Jersey. This is one of at least three east coast commissions Mr. Allen designed and, perhaps, his most notable. 

After quite a bit of wrangling about contractors and materials, Allen did not serve as general contractor for this project as he usually did. Still, his fee ended up being nearly $4800. The equivalent of nearly $150,000 in 2020 money. 

The detail above on the frieze in the auditorium speaks to the scope and detail of the project. 

Sadly, the building was razed in the 1960s due to growing enrollment and demand for a more modern building.