Gaylord Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Gaylord Building
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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The Gaylord Building
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | Lockport, Illinois |
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| Built | 1838 |
| Architect | Erastus and William Newton |
| Part of | Lockport Historic District (ID75000676) |
| Added to NRHP | May 12, 1975 |
The Gaylord Building was built in 1838 in Lockport, Illinois. It was very important for building the Illinois and Michigan Canal. This historic building is listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places. It is also one of 29 special historic sites cared for by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The building is made of yellow limestone, a common stone in northern Illinois. In 1859, a three-story addition was built in a different style. The building later needed a lot of repairs. A big effort to fix and save it started in 1983. This project became a great example for saving other historic places.
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Building the Canal and the Gaylord Building
The Illinois and Michigan Canal was a huge project. It started in 1836 and finished in 1848. This canal was 96 miles (154 km) long. It connected the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico through the Port of New Orleans. This also linked to the Atlantic Ocean through the Port of New York.
Lockport was a good spot for the canal's main office. It was about one-third of the way from Chicago to LaSalle, Illinois. The canal builders used Lockport for planning and storing supplies.
Building the canal was hard at first. It was tough to get enough supplies and workers. Most things had to come from the East Coast. In the 1830s, areas outside of big cities like Chicago were mostly wilderness. Lockport didn't have a large enough warehouse. So, the canal leaders decided to build one.
The Gaylord Building was made from yellow limestone. This stone was easy to find in Illinois, sometimes right under the ground. Some people say the stone for the building came from the canal digging itself. The building was finished between May and September 1838. It cost about $4,014.29, which was a lot of money back then.
The Building as a Warehouse
When the canal was finished in 1848, the building was no longer needed for canal supplies. The Canal Board of Trustees first rented it out, then sold it. Over the years, it had many owners. For a long time in the mid-1800s, it was owned by George Gaylord. He was a well-known merchant in Lockport.
In 1859, a new part was added to the building. This addition looked very different from the original part. The Gaylord Building was used for many things over time. It was a warehouse, a machine shop, a metal factory, and a printing place. Later, a third story was added to the original part, and it became a plumbing supply warehouse.
Saving and Restoring the Building
In 1983, Gaylord Donnelley became interested in the building. He was George Gaylord's grandson and a very successful businessman. He started a company called The Gaylord Lockport Company. For four years, he spent $2.8 million to fix the old building. He made it beautiful again. This included removing the third story and making the roof look like it did in 1859.
Around the same time, people wanted to create a special area called a Heritage Corridor. This corridor would help tell the story of the I&M Canal. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed a law to create it. In 1987, the Gaylord Building opened to the public. It had a restaurant called Public Landing and a museum about the canal. President Reagan even gave Mr. Donnelley an award for saving the building. The project became a great example for how to save old buildings and give them new uses.
What You Can Do There Today
The National Trust for Historic Preservation owns the Gaylord Building. A group called the Gaylord Building Historic Site manages it. It is part of the Lockport National Historic District. The building is a central place for learning about the canal. You can find exhibits, tours, and programs there.
On the second floor, you can visit Gallery Seven. This gallery shows art from local, national, and international artists. After that, you can enjoy a meal at the Public Landing Restaurant. You can eat inside or on the patio. A walking trail runs past the building along the old canal path. This trail leads visitors to other historic parts of Lockport. This includes the Norton Building, which is home to the Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery.
