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ci.galesburg.il.us
City of Galesburg
55 W. Tompkins Street
P.O. Box 1387
Galesburg, IL 61402-1387
309/343-4181
Historic Preservation
Galesburg has long been recognized for its rich history. Galesburg's roots as a religious-educational colony remain evident in Knox College, Illinois' fourth oldest college, but the major impetus for the community's development came with the introduction of the railroad.
The result is great architectural diversity, particularly among residential areas, ranging from a few pristine Greek Revival and picturesque Gothic Revival houses of the earlier settlers, to modest workers' houses and grand Queen Anne houses serving as evidence of the population boom brought by the railroad and the resulting commercial development.
On May 4, 1979, "The Historic Preservation Ordinance of the City of Galesburg" was approved, creating the Galesburg Landmark Commission and providing for the designation of local landmarks and historic preservation districts.
Galesburg National Register Historic District
In 1976, the Galesburg Historic District, roughly bounded by Berrien, Clark, Pearl, and Sanborn Streets, was listed in the National Register. The District contains 2 properties which are individually listed in the National Register, Old Main and Central Congregational Church. It also contains the locally designated Chambers Street District and 22 individual local landmarks.
As home of the fifth Lincoln-Douglas debate, Old Main at Knox College was among the first non-federally owned or operated buildings in the country to be recognized as a National Historic Landmark, a status which it received in 1935. On October 15, 1966, Old Main, as a National Historic Landmark, was also among the earliest buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places, which was begun in 1966.
This massive stone church is one of the best examples of Richardsonian Romanesque
architecture in Illinois. Designed by the local architect C. E. Gottschalk,
the church stands on the site of the Old First Church, which was built in
the 1840s by the original colonists' congregation. The cornerstone of the
structure was laid in 1897, and the building was completed in December 1898
at a cost of $75,000. Of particular interest is the beautifully detailed
rose window over the triple arched entry. The church was listed individually
on the National Register of Historic Places on September 30, 1976.
Chambers Street Local Historic District
North Chambers Street was one of Galesburg's first planned developments as well as its first locally designated Historic District.
As the town prospered after the coming of the Santa Fe railroad in 1887, the citizens began building larger and grander houses. Many of the first of these houses can be seen on Chambers Street. Houses on the east side of the street were all designed by Galesburg's first professionally trained architect, William S. E. Wolf, who used many traits common to the Queen Anne style.
The "newest" home on the block was built in 1912. The Chambers
Street Historic District has many fine examples of architecture styles that
were popular during the turn of the century.