There’s some good news to report for a change, since it seems like it’s been a lot of bad news lately. A log cabin, that was literally stolen and thankfully recovered, has been rebuilt in the new Village Green Park in Wildwood a decade after its theft. The Essen Family were longtime settlers in West…
Tag: Early Vernacular
Grace Avenue Between Osceola Street and Taft Avenue
Crossing over Osceola Street, we’re immediately struck by the ages of the houses that we see. That’s because this is the Jones and Miltenberger Subdivision laid out in March 28, 1876. You might recognize the Eugene Miltenberger name if you follow my Lemp content; he along with two others owned and subdivided the land where…
Arlington Avenue Between Ashland and Natural Bridge Avenues, Wells-Goodfellow
I visited this block almost exactly two years ago in July of 2023, fascinated by the interesting mix of wood frame housing. It was totally abandoned back then, and it’s obviously stayed that way. At least one house has been demolished in those two years. Despite being right behind the Schnuck’s on Natural Bridge Avenue,…
Obear Avenue Between Kossuth and Lee Avenues
I came across this short block of Obear Avenue in the Fairgrounds neighborhood. It’s a good example of a street that has been battered by abandonment and demolition. But there are several houses left standing that are occupied.
Northeast Adams Street, Northeast Peoria, Late June 2026
The primaries for the 2026 midterm elections are coming up, so it’s time to see how Peoria is doing, and in particular, I like to look at Northeast Peoria. I drove up Northeast Adams Street, which is one-way to the northeast through much of downtown and northeast of the central business district, paired with Northeast…
Grafton, Jersey County, Illinois
Founded in 1832, Grafton is the oldest town in Jersey County. There were once large numbers of limestone quarries in the area very early on in the town’s history, and it reflects in the building materials of Grafton. Above is the Slaten LaMarsh House, dating from 1840 and the home of the first mayor of…
End of Spring 2026 Odds and Ends
It’s that time of year, so it’s time for odds and ends! Above is a spandrel from a storefront in downtown Belleville, looking suspiciously like something Louis Sullivan would design. Below is just another house we found while driving around town. Cleveland High School is looking really, really bad compared to earlier visits; I first…
Alabama Avenue Between Holly Hills Avenue and Iron Street
Crossing Holly Hills Avenue, we near the end of our trip up Alabama Avenue in Carondelet, as the interstate will stop us from proceeding further. There continues to be a mix of styles, showing the slow development of the neighborhood. This is the last house, at Iron Street, where the interstate cuts through and ends…
Alabama Avenue Between Haven Street and Holly Hills Avenue
Houses rapidly become much more ornate north of Haven Street. Houses are more typical of what you might see in Dutchtown or Gravois Park. It seems the flippers have arrived. There are more corner stores, as well, which were not common south of Loughborough Avenue. Perhaps what is the best way to describe the street…
Alabama Avenue Between Loughborough Avenue and Haven Street
Just like one block over on Vermont Avenue, like yesterday, the houses are older and brick on Alabama Avenue, and they’re quite nice. Even the houses look similar, such as the one below. This was clearly the more different part of Carondelet. There are still many working class houses. But brick predominates. Note the house…