I looked at the Mary Brown Center back in November of 2024, but this time we examined the building more closely. We noted cool little details such as downspouts that emptied into planters, which sadly were weed-choked, but I could imagine if planted with flowers must have looked great. Also, we examined the roof of…
Tag: Illinois
Birthplace of Blessed Fulton Sheen and Good News at The Pines, El Paso, Illinois
Update: Title updated to reflect Fulton Sheen’s Beatification in September of 2026. First of all, there’s great news for the old Elms Restaurant in El Paso, Illinois. I spotted two people working on the roof, so it seems its long-awaited rehabilitation has begun. I first looked at the historic house and restaurant back in July…
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…
Family Farm, Late June 2026
The corn is still relatively short at the family farm east of Peoria. It is prime firefly season, with thousands appearing when the sun sets.
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…
Two More Churches, Breese
There is a second Catholic church in Breese, St. Augustine’s, which is on the south side of town and surely was opened as the population surged. Constructed in a Lombard Romanesque Revival style, it again like many churches in the region, reminds me of the houses of worship I’ve seen in Milan, Italy. This church…
St. Dominic Roman Catholic Church and Cemetery, Breese
St. Dominic Roman Catholic Church is the massive first parish in Breese, Illinois. Founded in 1858, the current church is from 1867. It’s a massive church, expressed in the German Gothic Revival style with a central spire and two octagonal turrets flanking. The interior, which was closed when we visited, is most likely a typical…
Excel Bottling Company, Breese, Illinois
Found St. Louis arranged a tour for us of the Excel Bottling Co. in Breese, Illinois. It was quite the experience, and we had as our guide the owner of the company, Bill Meier. As a licensed bottler of Ski Soda, they actually still use a historic bottling line, which you can see below. However,…
Breese, Illinois
We went east to check out the small town of Breese, Illinois, which lies in Clinton County. The main historic commercial strip is along Second Street, interestingly. Did you know that Second Street is the most common street name in the United States? There is this nice bank building in the Beaux-Arts style, complete with…
St. Theresa of the Child Christ Roman Catholic Church, Belleville
We spotted this Mid-Century Modern church on our way out of Belleville, and stopped to take a closer look. Unfortunately, it was closed and locked, so we could not explore the interior. While the parish dates to 1926, this current building dates to 1967 and you can see photos of the interior at this link….