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� �F `�,�/D e t a t u r's (�,�; Construction of the Trensfer House began in�895,but was not completed , � In the years to come,the Transfer
<br /> ` � f J �-first Trensfer - � -= until February zi,t8q6. It was designed by architecWral mastermind W.W. " ,� i � e ouse would continue to exceed any ; � ' �' � '�'�'�_�-
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<br /> � � i � F House. Built bythe City Boyington. His most famous building is arguably Chicago's Landmark,the Chicago r� , l pectations the original builders j s� a\ i_,� t,li n,`
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<br /> 'fi °� Electric Railway Water Towe�and Pumping Station of North Michigan Avenue.Boy�ton chose the l could have ever dreamed. All electric � �� � l �
<br /> �� �> 4 Company, the small � street cars and interurbans that went
<br /> t � � � cs rectangular wooden _ t ���#t .� t . .�:. .. - i �. through Decatur had to utihze the�� � '
<br /> 3 � f ( ���;building was i8 by xo +'_c,�urt f�,• '��_� � �^�- �y¢q' �' .� � �� Transfer House and from a functional��;s � _ �
<br /> � F F • �� � �� �feet.Toavoidlosingthe ' � * � . , ���� standpoint,if a person was riding a ���� -
<br /> � —� , -�� ' __ .b.. �<.�ttj� -
<br /> = .�transfer location to the ! � � �-"�—'� — -"''�---, �f streetcar, they would be making a� ' � �' • ,,;,,
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<br /> .. ''- '��. nearby "New Square", "� - , �y ��'�'w-���-� stop at the Transfer House which � - ' �-
<br /> ;a ..,,,� . ', .,.�,�'� business leaders pulled .:,,,;,.;-..�'teEiiiiiLt�, ' _,._,µ_,.., � ��'i0�€ � made it a common meeting point. In �y;� .2���,j�
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<br /> ' '� � ��`" �" to ether to raise funds � 4 `�� "- * ��' > > a surve daimed that 6 t� '�
<br /> >a�,y. ' ,. .,� .- g __ _ 93� Y 9 C�un�} fli.toiy .Nu;oi�n�v} �-
<br /> �,pr"�° - and construct a more €;,!• rH[ , -------�-_ --
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<br /> ' ` , . �� -, � `""� prominent building. � ,' �- ���''[ptry ���^ ��. � , ' _�streetcars an hour passed through � . .
<br /> Lincoln Square business � ��'�'u���� � A'� _. . � Lincoln Square in addition to 8z
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<br /> owners were persuaded to pay a �{ �. .. . . �.��... T y . ,-„ �.-..__ .�Jr,interurbans a day for a total of 730 _ �� �i. -�--
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<br /> subscription and were then Romanesque Revival,which began in the mid t84ds and became the dominant style ��j.� r t � �r � cars per day. This high volume •
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<br /> rewardedwith an advertisement . used during the�85o's and i86o's for public buildings,churches,and commercial - '�� ��s'' � 1 ��� a°' .._.a-.��r-�- -, : 4 , , �q^,r,��oupled with the second story ;��.�"�. ���
<br /> of their business painted on the ;,^„, buildings.Key features to this style found on the Trensfer House are the massive •• �'!�1_ ..,_..� ��� �'' # � / "' -bandstand attracted multiple well � _ `
<br /> �"'�' �""`� � � - �� known s eakers. A few of the more �"'
<br /> ceiling of the structure. City "'"'T'TT . .., � limestone voussoirs arches and the use of limestone masonry with thin mortar � �. - � ����� __._ .., �.,. � � p _ -'
<br />� Council then matched the �" °'� � +x�� i���'"`��� 'oints. The octa onal sha e increases floor to wall s ace and rovides for a � �� — �'�"� �� ���r�- �r� prominent figures to do so were
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<br /> fundin totalin $3,080.8 `""�s'�'� �*y�y �` �
<br /> g B 4 , �,;� . bell-shaped roof and generous overhang. On the second level is a bandstand,an . '- � � � , Presidential Candidate, William
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<br /> ($x,83o,o00.0o in today's � wr��.-� �y� ;� � ������-<,� '--�.�� ideal and progressive feature used to hear public speeches and announcements,as � � �F' el� � ,�,,,. , �, � '� .� Jennings Bryan and Presdients, 1��. �• �F.f i„i,, .
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<br /> dollars 'ust $o. o under the . well as a source of entertainment-makin the Transfer House a vital art of the ' � �, w William Taft, Woodrow Wilson, and +� - tn : �
<br /> raised amount. , �-i � _ �Ji�t�< <i _ communit. r� �y'��Theodore Roosevelt. ��� r ° �f � „
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<br /> T� ' � As the Grand Old Lady of Decatur's architectural heritage, the 1�ansfer House is not only a major city landmark, _
<br /> � but has also been designated as the official symbol of the city. Originally located in downtown's Lincoln Square,the
<br /> " � �'� ,,,,�, . �� � unique structure was built in 1895 to serve as the main transportation center for transferring trolley, interurban ` _,. ._,, " -
<br /> ��f,;,�C Q � � ` ` �g ; ;; and bus passengers around the community. From 1895 until the early 1970's, the Transfer House served as a `�� ,
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<br /> Y�' ! V � € ;:, :���,, ,;;,� •�� � - .� 3 .�ii , .� ��-` transportation center. The dramatic move to Central Park assisted in refocusing its main purpose as a focal point &��;'�r_ �•' -�
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<br /> � .`'� ���'�:-����i : �',��� for major community gatherings and band concerts. Visiting dignitaries, as well as old friends,find the structure's � �"�,��
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<br /> ��� C� , location in the heart of the city an ideal setting for meeting and communicating. " '
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<br /> *All text was adapted from the"'Registration Form for the National Register of Hisloric Places"for the United States Department of the Interior,Nalional Park Service. 2002.
<br /> **A special thanks lo ihe Mucon Coi�nty�Hismr}�Museeun und the Ueeatur Public Lifirarl�for providing the historic pictures of the Transfer House. ***Designed by the City of Deeatuc Spring 2010.
<br /> ►_` in the Trensfer r.� As technolo and ' '-�';�: ' In the earl i 6o's, the Illinois De artment of Trans ortation As art of stickin with tradition, The Cit of Decatur and countless local businesses have incor oreted ima es of
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<br /> House's later .-f� r"� i ' •���;� ��r��recommended movin the Transfer House from Lincoln 5 uare to ` the Transfer House continues to the Transfer House into their Io os. An one travelin throu h town or doin
<br /> soaety advanced and. � - g q g Y g g 8
<br /> years on Lincoln Square, �ars became more common, the u� , � � accommodate a new traffic plan which would turn Main Street into a one-way be a centrel focal point for the business within the community are bound to see the Trensfer House silhouette or
<br /> the building saw Transfer House would lose a large. . • a��''�`a. � - thoroughfare through town. Based on �� community. While the use and some picture of it on city stationary,on street signs and in company logos.For many
<br /> continual use when the number of the passengers it had 1� -�'�-A ��� this study,in September of i96z,the City � location have changed, it stil I people,when they think of one thing that symbolizes the community,they think of
<br /> City Bus Lines made it the once seen on a daily basis.When the � Y � Council decided that the Transfer House ,� : ' 7 remains a great olace for people the Transfer House.This,in part,can be attributed Ao�,
<br /> ��� official central transfer electric street cars and interurban�.� ,�_ would be moved to Centrel Park-the ver � -`i '� a �: .
<br /> �, � y .-#; � / ��.- to gather and meet which was its uniqueness as a building in Decatur,the region,,� � ��"%+M��
<br /> � � ` point in t936. The fully disbanded in the i95ds,the�ity � � square that sparked the competition for o{ ��j � i��"f ��+"� �� _ �y..- made apparent when the and the country. It can also be attributed to its � D
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<br /> -. t � ', magnitude to which the gus Lines and Gre Hound Bus •� �- • the Transfer House to be built in the first �y � � �'�"' ' ' ,.. �-��communit rallied for a lon histo in this town and its use as a O `
<br /> ' 'i�'�� ,•.�� . ..� �'(. Transfer House was still .. � �4 ��... � ... . -_ -� -
<br /> , �: � . „ ___ Service were theY only mass� - "Jf/ ' place. In its new home, the Transfer � r ,-.�° ! �. ��t� ^":�,,�candlelight preyervigil around the tran fer a d meeting point for people all, -�.,� ��
<br /> � � transportation service to make use�� ���5�,�/,• " House continued to house the city bus ,`` � ��? �� ���� ..,�;, � Transfer House after the around. Just how m�ch the people of the; J` ` �
<br /> , of the Transfer House. Eventualty,/�. �'�" lines as well as Santa Claus during the �* t i � � �� '�� �,� �e September ii,zooi attack on the community love the building was seen in; .,� ,
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<br /> '�` bus ridership too, would � '� � „ Christmas season. Sadly by the end of the ��i t��c`p"' �' .,� „ j�` ;;gg� z' ,".♦ �L'�i`� ,'� �United States. Although the the spring of Zooi when the City of�' � ��r��
<br /> e �� r.� L �,_ decline. � decade,the Transfer House sat vacant and r i ,_�,.+,��'�N V ___ 's . + ��a����� * mood was different,it parallels to Decatur attempted to change its logo to ai �1 -� �
<br /> "_ , � ..� in disrepair. Seeing a need,Civic leaders , ! '�#� • j �'�t� : � :t, ;, �, s, the time when the community more generic farm field with a rising sun.� ���
<br /> used was e�ormous. A perfect ,� ,,, , __' � stepped forward and by ig7o, it was y�� � .H� r� � ?��'` �{ .. .�,- � `�;�,; gathered around the Transfer Pastandpresentresidentscalled,wrote,
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<br /> example occurred on August i4, �� { , � t �t�= remodeled and housed the Downtown, *�� r�'cro ,- � ,Jr,.:��S �4� i d"' ... � House to celebrate the end of and spoke out against the change- ��
<br /> �9 4 5�Vic to ry over Ja pan Da y,[he �,; _ E` D e c a t u r C o u n c i l u n t i i z o o 3. I n z o o z,t h e�� �)�� . .�,+t" '� �V o r l�1\N a r I I. deman din g t h e Trans fer House be ke pt as" �
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<br /> evenin that victor and eace �� - '�"' ` �� �
<br /> g Y P „� r x���,,,: l' �� �� " � � . Trensfer House was nominated and ��:�� � i the City's logo. The end result was that ��,r \/ r��
<br /> for World War I I was announced.' • " ' ' named to the National Re ister of Histonc'. � � { -;� In zoo the then vacated Transfer House underwent a ma or renovation ro ect on the Transfer House was returned to its�. ` , ■■ �
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<br /> Celebrations took place around�'-�" - _ +�t�� '� ��:.Y�,� Places. It is now a protected historic �'` � : t�r the exterior of the structure. The stone and mortar were repaired,the roof was status as the officia)symbol and logo for the ��
<br /> the Transfer House as people� �� I """`°.;� .,�� . ��.tYR � - '*"' ��- �,�,��, landmark. y t�'. �� -� ",�}';t replaced,the original marquee lights were reinstalled,and two doors which had community after just moMhs of the initia �, `��
<br /> lined up in the streets,dimbed � � ' wk- _-���� • .,d ,-.;} i i. _.., , �; � � . ; '�.��: 4� � been removed,were reinstalled. The Transfer House's exterior renovations were change. �L I N�
<br /> atop its roof,and rejoiced. ����� .��. �,� i � �c�� ������ _�_ � }�� I���, i �,� 1 � �'J '���� � ,, ���1 complete in zoo8 restoring it to its original grandeur which follow the Secretary of
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<br /> i_,�_� ��_...� Ff� ,�� ,ilu.� �::� �_., yL:^:t_._�'�i�li Likt.as��� . y,�, �� thelnterior'sStandardsfortheTreatmentofHistoricStructures.
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