The Old Main, also known as the Livingston C. Lord Administration Building, is the oldest building at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. Construction on the building began in 1896 and was completed in 1899.
Architect George H. Miller designed the building, which has a medieval style resembling a castle. The building features a central tower, multiple turrets, and a crenellated roof line. It is one of five medieval buildings built at Illinois' public universities under Illinois Governor John Peter Altgeld's administrations; the buildings are collectively known as Altgeld's castles.
Altgeld was a German native who favored Gothic Revival architecture. The governor had a great liking for medieval castles and insisted new state construction during his term in office be inspired by them. Other Altgeld castles can be found at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Northern Illinois University at DeKalb, and Illinois State University at Normal. EIU and ISU are the only schools where the "castle" is not named after Governor Altgeld.
The Old Main originally housed all of the offices and classrooms for Eastern Illinois, its library, auditorium, and gymnasium. It was the only building on campus until 1909, when Pemberton Hall opened. The building is now used mainly as an administrative building, though it still contains some classrooms.
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
Sources:
Old Main (Eastern Illinois University), Wikipedia
Altgeld's Castles, Wikipedia
Tags: Charleston Seat Coles County East Central Illinois Illinois IL Eastern Illinois University EIU Architecture Architect George H. Miller Architectural Style Gothic Revival Old Main a.k.a. Livingston C. Lord Administration Building Altgeld's Castle Governor John Altgeld National Register of Historic Places NRHP Reference # 81000214 Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
The Old Main, also known as the Livingston C. Lord Administration Building, is the oldest building at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. Construction on the building began in 1896 and was completed in 1899.
Architect George H. Miller designed the building, which has a medieval style resembling a castle. The building features a central tower, multiple turrets, and a crenellated roof line. It is one of five medieval buildings built at Illinois' public universities under Illinois Governor John Peter Altgeld's administrations; the buildings are collectively known as Altgeld's castles.
Altgeld was a German native who favored Gothic Revival architecture. The governor had a great liking for medieval castles and insisted new state construction during his term in office be inspired by them. Other Altgeld castles can be found at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Northern Illinois University at DeKalb, and Illinois State University at Normal. EIU and ISU are the only schools where the "castle" is not named after Governor Altgeld.
The Old Main originally housed all of the offices and classrooms for Eastern Illinois, its library, auditorium, and gymnasium. It was the only building on campus until 1909, when Pemberton Hall opened. The building is now used mainly as an administrative building, though it still contains some classrooms.
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
Sources:
Old Main (Eastern Illinois University), Wikipedia
Altgeld's Castles, Wikipedia
Tags: Charleston Seat Coles County East Central Illinois Illinois IL Eastern Illinois University EIU Architecture Architect George H. Miller Architectural Style Gothic Revival Old Main a.k.a. Livingston C. Lord Administration Building Altgeld's Castle Governor John Altgeld National Register of Historic Places NRHP Reference # 81000214 Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Explore #44 on July 18, 2023
The Old Main, also known as the Livingston C. Lord Administration Building, is the oldest building at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. Construction on the building began in 1896 and was completed in 1899.
Architect George H. Miller designed the building, which has a medieval style resembling a castle. The building features a central tower, multiple turrets, and a crenellated roof line. It is one of five medieval buildings built at Illinois' public universities under Illinois Governor John Peter Altgeld's administrations; the buildings are collectively known as Altgeld's castles.
Altgeld was a German native who favored Gothic Revival architecture. The governor had a great liking for medieval castles and insisted new state construction during his term in office be inspired by them. Other Altgeld castles can be found at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Northern Illinois University at DeKalb, and Illinois State University at Normal. EIU and ISU are the only schools where the "castle" is not named after Governor Altgeld.
The Old Main originally housed all of the offices and classrooms for Eastern Illinois, its library, auditorium, and gymnasium. It was the only building on campus until 1909, when Pemberton Hall opened. The building is now used mainly as an administrative building, though it still contains some classrooms.
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
Sources:
Old Main (Eastern Illinois University), Wikipedia
Altgeld's Castles, Wikipedia
Tags: Charleston Seat Coles County East Central Illinois Illinois IL Eastern Illinois University EIU Architecture Architect George H. Miller Architectural Style Gothic Revival Old Main a.k.a. Livingston C. Lord Administration Building Altgeld's Castle Governor John Altgeld National Register of Historic Places NRHP Reference # 81000214 Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Explored In Explore Explore
The Coles County Courthouse in the eastern Illinois city of Charleston was built in 1898 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. The courthouse is located in a public square in central Charleston and houses most of Coles County administrative offices as well as its courts.
The building's exterior is faced in brown stone from the Embarras River, a 195-mile-long tributary of the Wabash River in southeastern Illinois. Bedford stone is used for several architectural details.
The corners of the building feature pavilions topped by pyramids, and a clock tower topped with a pyramid is situated atop the center of the courthouse. The four main entrances, located on each side of the building, feature an arcaded porch with recessed doors.
The courthouse was designed by Chicago architect C. W. Rapp. Prior to designing the Coles County Courthouse, C. W. designed Altgeld Hall at the University of Illinois (one of the five Altgeld’s Castles) and Wheeler Hall at Southern Illinois University.
Rapp was an independent practitioner until 1906, when he formed a partnership with his younger brother, George L. Rapp. The Rapp brothers were among a group of highly influential American theatre architects. The office designed over 400 theatres, including the Chicago Theatre (1921), Bismarck Hotel and Theatre (1926) and Oriental Theater (1926) in Chicago, and the Paramount Theaters in New York City (1926) and Aurora, Illinois (1931).
The Coles County Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. As of the 2020 census, the population of Coles County was 46,863. Charleston, the county seat, is also the home of Eastern Illinois University.
Sources:
Coles County Courthouse, Wikipedia
Coles County, Illinois, Wikipedia
Rapp & Rapp, Wikipedia
Tags: Charleston Seat Coles County East Central Illinois Illinois IL Courthouse Square Coles County Courthouse Architecture Architect C. W. Rappr Architectural Style Richardsonian Romanesque National Register of Historic Places NRHP Reference # 78001118 Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
A view of the historic Coles County Courthouse as seen looking toward the southwest from the historic square in the eastern Illinois city of Charleston. Built in 1898 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, the courthouse houses most of Coles County administrative offices as well as its courts.
The building's exterior is faced in brown stone from the Embarras River, a 195-mile-long tributary of the Wabash River in southeastern Illinois. Bedford stone is used for several architectural details.
The corners of the building feature pavilions topped by pyramids, and a clock tower topped with a pyramid is situated atop the center of the courthouse. The four main entrances, located on each side of the building, feature an arcaded porch with recessed doors.
The courthouse was designed by Chicago architect C. W. Rapp. Prior to designing the Coles County Courthouse, C. W. designed Altgeld Hall at the University of Illinois (one of the five Altgeld’s Castles) and Wheeler Hall at Southern Illinois University.
Rapp was an independent practitioner until 1906, when he formed a partnership with his younger brother, George L. Rapp. The Rapp brothers were among a group of highly influential American theatre architects. The office designed over 400 theatres, including the Chicago Theatre (1921), Bismarck Hotel and Theatre (1926) and Oriental Theater (1926) in Chicago, and the Paramount Theaters in New York City (1926) and Aurora, Illinois (1931).
The Coles County Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. As of the 2020 census, the population of Coles County was 46,863. Charleston, the county seat, is also the home of Eastern Illinois University.
Sources:
Coles County Courthouse, Wikipedia
Coles County, Illinois, Wikipedia
Rapp & Rapp, Wikipedia
Tags: Charleston Seat Coles County East Central Illinois Illinois IL Courthouse Square Coles County Courthouse Architecture Architect C. W. Rappr Architectural Style Richardsonian Romanesque National Register of Historic Places NRHP Reference # 78001118 Canon EOS 5D Mark IV