Grand Army of the Republic Hall (Aurora, Illinois) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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GAR Memorial Building
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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| Location | 23 East Downer Place Aurora, Illinois |
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| Built | 1877 |
| Architect | Joseph Mulvey |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 84001130 |
| Added to NRHP | August 23, 1984 |
The Grand Army of the Republic Hall is a special historic building. You can find it at 23 East Downer Place in Aurora, Illinois. This important building sits on Stolp Island in the United States.
Contents
A Place for Heroes: The GAR Hall's Story
Honoring Civil War Soldiers
Back in 1869, a group in Aurora called the Soldier's Monument Association formed. Their goal was to raise money. They wanted to build a monument to honor the brave soldiers. These soldiers had fought in the U.S. Civil War.
The group did a great job raising funds. Fred O. White, their secretary, had a new idea. He suggested building a special hall instead of just a monument. He had visited a similar building in Massachusetts. It was called Memorial Hall. He saw it was a useful place for meetings and a library.
Designing a Special Building
The Aurora building was planned to look much like the one in Massachusetts. However, the builders made a few changes. They decided not to use a granite roof or stained glass windows. Joseph Mulvey was chosen to design the building. This is the only building we know of that he designed.
A Central Spot on Stolp Island
The hall was built on Stolp Island. This small piece of land was seen as "neutral territory." It was a good spot because of some disagreements between the east and west sides of Aurora. Many public buildings were built there.
The GAR Hall was Aurora's only public library for many years. That changed in 1903. A new Carnegie library opened right across the street.
The Grand Army of the Republic Post
The hall was also the meeting place for the Aurora G.A.R. Post No. 20. The G.A.R. stands for Grand Army of the Republic. This was one of 779 such groups in Illinois. Any Union veteran who fought in the Civil War could join. The group continued to meet until 1947. That's when its last member, Daniel Augustus Wedge, passed away.
Saving a Landmark
In the 1960s, there were plans to tear down the Grand Army of the Republic Hall. But people in the community spoke up! They wanted to save the building. Their strong feelings made the city change its mind.
In 1963, a fundraising effort began. It helped pay to fix up the building. The hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It became part of the Stolp Island Historic District in 1986.
The Hall Today
Renovations were mostly finished by 2016. The hall then opened to the public. It is now known as "The Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Museum." You can visit the G.A.R. Memorial Museum every Saturday afternoon. It is open from Noon to 4 p.m.
Building Features
The building has a unique octagon shape. It was built using limestone from local quarries. This Gothic Revival style building is one and a half stories tall. Outside, there's a small area with an old cannon from 1851. There's also a bench and a flagpole. An addition was built on the south side in 1884. However, it was removed during the 1963 restoration work.
See also
- Grand Army of the Republic
- Grand Army of the Republic Hall (disambiguation)
- List of Registered Historic Places in Illinois
- Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
