Heading east on Fifth Street from Easton Street (named after Rufus Easton, the founder of Alton), we see some very early housing.
We then angle onto the diagonal Court Street, which mysteriously exists for only about three blocks.
We then hop onto Fourth Street as we head out of town. I really like this two-car garage below, tucked into the hillside.
Most of the houses are built high up on hills, no doubt because the street was graded down from the original topography of the land.
There’s even a ranch house thrown in.
And a church.
These duplexes are very, very old, and remind me of other cities in Illinois in their style.
The Turners’ Hall was destroyed by fire the evening of February 28, 2024.
This building is very, very old. It is Neo-Classical in style, and represents what many organizations’ buildings looked like around the Civil War. This is in fact the Turners’ Hall of Alton, built in 1867.
We’ll come back to Alton next year; it’s a fascinating city with more to discover.
Mike, our home, a 100 plus yr old behind the Repertoire Theatre, was on Hazel Ave. The only house on the hill. We moved in 1967. I was informed in the early 2000, the entire street was leveled, and apartment complexes were built…
Interesting, can you give me more directions about where this was?
Chris , thanks for your posts on Alton. It’s my hometown, and I have recently moved back here after living in St. Louis for 18 years. I live on the northern end of State street past the Alton catholic children’s home. There are a lot of historic buildings on the northern side as well, some from the civil war era
Thanks for the tip! I am definitely making many more trips back in the future.