We saw some other interesting buildings in New Harmony, including the Working Man’s Institute, founded by William Maclure in 1838. The current building is from 1894 and is still open to the public. Besides serving as a library, it also contains a museum of artifacts from the earliest period of New Harmony, as well as…
Tag: Small Towns
Roofless Church, New Harmony, Indiana
I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan of Phillip Johnson. There’s that whole Nazi problem, and the fact that a lot of his work just isn’t that good. The General American Life Insurance Building (now Spire) in downtown St. Louis is pretty cool, though. But we discovered the Roofless Church at New Harmony, and it’s…
New Harmony, Indiana
New Harmony, Indiana, much like the Icarians in St. Louis and Nauvoo, was part of the wave of idealistic communities founded in the United States in the Nineteenth Century. Founded by George Rapp in 1814, the settlement was developed by Lutherans from Wurttemberg in what is now Germany. They didn’t last long and moved to…
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…
Elsah, Revisited
It has been almost twelve years since the last time I visited Elsah, so we took a quick look around. It is a sleepy little hamlet nowadays. I am always intrigued at the large number of stone houses, though there certainly are plenty of brick buildings, as well.
Champ
I am pleased to announce that I have achieved an accomplishment few if any other person has ever reached. I have photographed all the houses in a single image of an entire city. Welcome to Champ, whose residential neighborhood is reached by driving through what is essentially the parking lot of a large church. And…
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…