Straddling the city of Peoria and suburb of Peoria Heights, Grandview Drive offers panoramic views of Lake Peoria, a widening of the Illinois River as its wends its way through the prairie, buffeted by bluffs to the west. Originally envisioned in 1894, construction began in 1903 and was completed several years later. Laid out like many scenic drives at the time, it was designed by Oscar F. Debuis, a protege of Frank Law Olmsted. It was later paved as the automobile rose in prominence.

As could be expected for the time period it was constructed, there is a prevalence of the Tudor Revival and Arts and Crafts architectural movements along the western side of the road. To the east is a sharp drop off.

There has been demolition to the original houses, and as can be seen below, others have been updated for the modern age with the addition of attached garages.

Also, one must be careful, as on previous visits I know for a fact that some of these Tudor Revival houses are actually only from the last twenty years, not from the 1920s!

But others look like they could have been built by students of Maritz and Young.

I’m pretty sure the house below is new.

I’m also suspicious of this house below. The continued desirability of the area, with a country club to the west, is obvious.

There are a couple of these very muscular Arts and Crafts houses.