Mount Carroll Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Mount Carroll Historic District
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Market Street in downtown Mount Carroll.
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | Mount Carroll, Carroll County, Illinois, USA |
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| Area | 118 acres (48 ha) |
| Built | c. 1850-1924 |
| Architect | Various |
| NRHP reference No. | 80001340 |
| Added to NRHP | November 24, 1980 |
The Mount Carroll Historic District is a special area in Mount Carroll, a town in Carroll County, Illinois. This district is like a museum without walls! It's filled with old buildings and places that are important to history.
This historic district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). This means it's officially recognized by the United States government for its historical value. It's one of six important historical spots in Carroll County.
The district was added to the National Register in 1980. One building inside it, the Carroll County Courthouse, was actually listed even earlier, in 1973.
The Mount Carroll Historic District has three main parts:
- The old downtown area, with the courthouse, library, and shops.
- A neighborhood with homes south of downtown.
- The original campus of Shimer College, which is now the Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies.
Most buildings in the downtown and residential areas were built before the year 1900. The Shimer College campus buildings are newer. They were built after a big fire in 1906, but most are still from before 1930.
Some other historic homes in Mount Carroll, like the Caroline Mark House and Nathaniel Halderman House, are also listed on the National Register. However, they are not part of this specific district.
Contents
Exploring Mount Carroll's Historic Buildings
The Mount Carroll Historic District has 272 buildings and structures. Out of these, 81 are considered very important for their history or how they were built.
Many of these buildings are old shops and businesses in the downtown area. Some of them, like the A.N. Lichty Building and the Samuel J. Campbell Building, were built way back in 1865!
One important structure is the Galena Street Bridge. It was built by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company.
The Carroll County Courthouse
The Carroll County Courthouse is a key building in the district. It was built in 1858 by William B. Olmsted and Peter A. Nicholson. It's located at Market and Main streets.
Old Homes and Important People
Many old homes in the district belonged to important people. For example:
- The Glenview Hotel, built in 1886, is at Market and Clay.
- The Robert M.A. Hawk Residence was built around 1867. Robert M.A. Hawk was the only US Representative from Carroll County.
- The Uriah Green Residence was built in 1873.
- The S.J. Campbell Sr. Residence II was built in 1875.
- The B.H. and James S. Hallett Residence dates back to 1856.
- The Judge James Shaw Residence, built in 1889, was designed by Joseph Lyman Silsbee. James Shaw was a local politician who even served as Speaker of the House in Illinois.
- The David Emmert House, built in 1842, belonged to David Emmert. He helped found and was one of the first settlers of Mount Carroll.
The Carnegie Library
The Carnegie Library is another notable building. It was built in 1907 at Main and Rapp streets. Libraries like this were often funded by Andrew Carnegie, a famous businessman.
The Shimer College Campus
The former Shimer College campus is a big part of the historic district. It has 14 buildings, mostly built between 1903 and 1958. These buildings are mainly in the Georgian Revival style. They are arranged around a traditional college quadrangle, which is a courtyard surrounded by buildings.
Two buildings on the campus were built after 1960 and are not part of the historic district. These are the Karyn Kupcinet Playhouse and the New Men's Dorm. They are separated from the older campus by Jackson Street.
Since Shimer College moved away in 1978, the campus has been used by the Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies. This center teaches people how to preserve and restore old buildings. The buildings on the campus are used for classes, offices, and even places for students to stay. They also serve as examples for students to study and practice historic preservation.
Buildings on the Shimer College Campus
Here are some of the important buildings on the old Shimer College campus:
- Metcalf Hall: Built in 1907, this was the main administrative building.
- Dearborn Hall: Built in 1903, it was used for music.
- Campbell Library: Built in 1925, this was the college library.
- Hostetter Hall, Hathaway Hall, McKee Hall, and Bennett Hall: These were all dormitories, built between 1905 and 1909. McKee Hall is named after William Parker McKee.
- Gymnasium: Built in 1928, this was where students played sports.
- Tolman Hall (Science Hall): Built in 1913, this building was used for science classes.
- Howe Hall and Dezendorf Hall: These were dormitories built in 1957.
Most of these campus buildings were designed by an architect named C.A. Eckstrom.
Images for kids
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The historic Glenview Hotel.
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Metcalf Hall at Shimer College.
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Dearborn Hall, once the music building.
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The Campbell Library on the Shimer campus.
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Hostetter Hall, a former dormitory.
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Hathaway Hall, another dormitory.
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The Infirmary building.
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McKee Hall, a dormitory.
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Bennett Hall.
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The Gymnasium.
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Tolman Hall, the Science Hall.
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Howe Hall.
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The Steam Plant.
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Dezendorf Hall.
