Monday, March 15, 2010
The Kankakee County Courthouse
The 1912 Courthouse contains a dome mural that portrays scenes from local history. The courthouse ridge that faces the Kankakee River flood plains was once the home of an ancient Native American village. The Courthouse is located in the middle of six historical churches that were built in the 1800s. A Downtown Historic Church Walking Tour is available.
Frank Lloyd Wright home
Legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright built the beautiful Harley Bradley House "Glenlloyd" in 1900. He constructed this house for the Bradley family on the shore of the Kankakee River in Kankakee. Wright's design of the Bradley house included some of his trademark features, including sweeping roof lines and expanses of woodwork. The Bradley House has a cantilevered roof (a roof with one fixed end compressed and another free of tension). The house's interior design incorporates the flat Illinois prairie with extensive, horizontal lines.
First Presbyterian Church
371 E. Court St.
Kankakee
815-939-3546
Founded on September 28, 1854, the First Presbyterian Church of Kankakee started when two ministers from the Chicago New School Presbytery congregated with ten local men and women. The church added 13 art-glass windows to the building during the 1930's and 1940's. One the building's south wall is a large Last Supper window, which was installed in 1944.
St. Paul's Lutheran Church
348 East Merchant St.
Kankakee
(815) 932-0312
Founded in 1859 in downtown Kankakee, St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church was established by several Lutheran families from Germany that settled in Kankakee. The first church was built in 1864. After a series of fires hit the church, the third church building was completed in 1888. The church purchased three large bells for the bell tower in 1901, and added electric lights in 1923.
Asbury United Methodist Church
196 S. Harrison Ave.
Kankakee
815-933-4408
Asbury Methodist Church of Kankakee dates back to before the Civil War. In 1836, Methodism was brought to settlers in Kankakee by a Methodist circuit rider, and, in 1866, the constuction of Asbury Church began. The church added a balcony to the building in 1922.
St Patrick's Catholic Church
428 S. Indiana Ave.
Kankakee
815-932-6716
The St. Patrick's parish was established in 1891 when the Catholic Columbian Association assembled and started building the church in 1892. The first service in St Patrick's Catholic Church was on March 11, 1894. The church is a Romanesque-style building designed for 600 worshipers. The 135' by 60' building originally cost $35,000. The stained glass windows in the building depict the Catholic Church's seven sacraments, as well as the four evangelists- Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
First Baptist Church
425 E. Court St.
Kankakee
815-932-2214
Shortly after the first recorded meeting of the Baptists in 1854, the congregation purchased lots at Court Street and Indiana Avenue and began construction on the church in 1864.
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
298 S. Harrison Ave.
Kankakee
815-932-6886
With its famous, welcoming red door, St Paul's Episcopal Church received its certificate to organize on July 14, 1963. The current church, which was dedicated on September 6, 1900, is composed mainly of Bedford Stone and has a Norman style tower, reflecting the its English heritage, rather than a a traditional steeple. The current church contains many items from the original 1863 church: a rope run bell, the baptismal font, brass altar cross, the altar book, and vases. Also, all of the original stained glass is in the new building
Momence Historical House
117 N. Dixie
Momence
815-472-2670
The Momence Historical House recreates the historial period from 1870-1900. The building is open on Saturdays and Sundays in June from 2-4 p.m. or by appointment. Admission is free.
Conrad Park Pioneer Cabin
Mill Street Island Park
Momence
815-472-6081
Visitors can walk through this cabin, built to honor the area's first settlers. The cabin is open on Sundays (2-4 p.m.) from June 1 throught August. Appointments can also be made to tour the cabin.
Little Red School House
5th Street, West of Dixie Highway at Range School
Momence
815-472-2924
This 1853 schoolhouse was originally known as the Mount Airy School. The building was moved to its current location in 1983, and allows visitors (by appointment only) to walk through a 1850's schoolhouse containing artifacts from the period.
LeTourneau Home
See related story for details.