Structures and Monuments in Which Illinois Stone was Used

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Structures and Monuments in Which Illinois Stone was Used

Finished Products from Illinois Stone in Illinois

Chicago - Before the Fire, After the Fire, and To-Day (June 1895). Scribner's Magazine, Vol. 17, Issue 6, June 1895, pgs. 663-680 (text of article in digital images viewed at American Memory, Library of Congress)
Chicago, Illinois – the Building on the corner of Lake and Clark Streets – the Facing (circa 1857) The following excerpt is from History of Chicago. From the Earliest Period to the Present Time. In Three Volumes. Vol. I. Ending with the year 1857, by A. T. Andreas, Chicago: A. T. Andreas, Publisher, 1884. (This book is available on Google Books for reading or downloading to your computer in PDF format.)

“About eighteen miles southwest from Chicago, are situated the famous ‘Athens Quarries,’ near Lemont. In 1846 the stone was discovered by some workman while they were excavating for the Illinois & Michigan Canal, but was not then considered of superior quality. It was, at first, used merely for foundation stone. In 1852, however, the Merchant’s & Mechanic’s Bank of Chicago was faced with the Athens stone, the first used for this purpose in the city. F. C. Sherman and William B. Ogden then used it in their buildings, next to the Sherman House, and on the corner of Lake and Clark streets….”
Chicago, Illinois – the second Chicago City Hall & Jail (1853) The following excerpt is from History of Chicago. From the Earliest Period to the Present Time. In Three Volumes. Vol. I. Ending with the Year 1857, by A. T. Andreas, Chicago: A. T. Andreas, Publisher, 1884, pp. 180-181. (A photograph of “The Second Court-house” is included in this article.) (This book is available on Google Books for reading or downloading to your computer in PDF format.)

“In 1850 the County and city commenced to agitate the project of erecting a court-house jointly by them. In December of that year, a resolution was adopted that the county pay three-quarters and the city pay one quarter of the expense to be incurred in the purchase of grounds and the erection of a court-house and jail. In June, 1851, that one structure was to be erected, a combined court-house and jail, in the center of the square, the latter to be in the basement of the building….On September 12, 1851, occurred the impressive ceremonies of laying the cornerstone of the structure….The splendid edifice was completed during the year 1853. The $111,000 expended upon it was borrowed upon the bonds of the county, having from seven to eighteen years to run, at ten per cent interest, payable semi-annually…The walls of the structure were faced with gray marble, taken from the Lockport quarries, at a cost of $32,000. The building was three stories in height, with two domes and a cupola, the main part being one hundred feet square. There were projections from the north and south fronts, fifty by sixty feet each; also on the east and west fronts thirty-two by sixty feet each. As these projections were carried up the entire height of the building, its dimensions were one hundred and thirty feet north and south, and one hundred and sixty-four east and west. The stone steps at the north and south ends also added to the imposing appearance of the court-house, which covered an area of 17,000….”
Chicago, Illinois - Chicago Water Tower and Pumping Station. (photograph and history) "One of only a few survivors of the 1871 Great Chicago Fire.The Water Tower is built of Illinois Limestone (probably Joliet or Sugar Run formation). This stone was widely used by early settlers but was supplanted by Indiana limestone due to durability issues. The Illinois limestones are more yellow in color, the Indiana limestones are light grey to white when newly cut. (Scroll down to "Chicago Caves and Canyons", then "Chicago Water Tower and Pumping Station" for more information.)
- Chicago, Illinois - Chicago Water Tower Campus WebCam at Loyola University
- Chicago, Illinois - 1869 Chicago Water Tower (photograph and history)
Chicago, Illinois – Cook County Court House (S. Krug advertisement from The Monumental News, June 1906, pp. 439)

S. Krug, Office 167 Dearborn Street
Main Salesroom and Yard 35th and Wentworth Ave., Chicago

Tons of Fox Island Granite for Monumental and Building Work
at Extraordinary Prices

“I have bought all the exterior granite work on the Cook County Court House which has just been torn down, and have in my yard ready for shipment many tons of granite admirably adapted to many uses in building, decorative and monumental construction. It is the well-known Fox Island, Maine, gray and red granite, and immense blocks, slabs, and columns of almost any desired size may be had. The columns are all polished….”

Cook County Court House (from The Monumental News, June 1906, pp. 439) Photo caption in ad: “Granite from Chicago Court House in Yard of S. Krug”

Chicago, Illinois – the F. C. Sherman/William B. Ogden Building – the Facing (The following excerpt is from History of Chicago. From the Earliest Period to the Present Time. In Three Volumes. Vol. I. Ending with the year 1857, by A. T. Andreas, Chicago: A. T. Andreas, Publisher, 1884.) (This book is available on Google Books for reading or downloading to your computer in PDF format.)

“About eighteen miles southwest from Chicago, are situated the famous ‘Athens Quarries,’ near Lemont. In 1846 the stone was discovered by some workman while they were excavating for the Illinois & Michigan Canal, but was not then considered of superior quality. It was, at first, used merely for foundation stone. In 1852, however, the Merchant’s & Mechanic’s Bank of Chicago was faced with the Athens stone, the first used for this purpose in the city. F. C. Sherman and William B. Ogden then used it in their buildings, next to the Sherman House….”
Chicago, Illinois – the First Congregational Church located at West Washington & South Green Streets. History of Chicago. From the Earliest Period to the Present Time. In Three Volumes. Vol. I. Ending with the year 1857, by A. T. Andreas, Chicago: A. T. Andreas, Publisher, 1884. (This book is available on Google Books for reading or downloading to your computer in PDF format.)

“First Congregational Church was organized May 22, 1851. Its first church building was on Washington Street, between Halsted and Union…At a meeting held about the middle of April, it was decided to proceed to the organization of a church to be called “The First Congregational Church of Chicago”…On the 5th of May, steps were taken toward the purchase of a lot at the corner of Washington and Jefferson streets….”

“…Steps were taken toward the erection of a stone edifice at the southwest corner of West Washington and South Green streets, on a lot one hundred feet square, which Philo Carpenter granted to the Church in exchange for the lot at the corner of Washington and Jefferson streets, on which they originally intended to build…(The stone church) was completed and dedicated some time in October, 1855. Compared with the previous church edifices it was an elegant building. The total cost was $40,000. It was built of Illinois marble....”
Chicago, Illinois – the Merchant’s & Mechanic’s Bank of Chicago – the Facing (The following excerpt is from History of Chicago. From the Earliest Period to the Present Time. In Three Volumes. Vol. I. Ending with the year 1857, by A. T. Andreas, Chicago: A. T. Andreas, Publisher, 1884.) (This book is available on Google Books for reading or downloading to your computer in PDF format.)

“About eighteen miles southwest from Chicago, are situated the famous ‘Athens Quarries,’ near Lemont. In 1846 the stone was discovered by some workman while they were excavating for the Illinois & Michigan Canal, but was not then considered of superior quality. It was, at first, used merely for foundation stone. In 1852, however, the Merchant’s & Mechanic’s Bank of Chicago was faced with the Athens stone, the first used for this purpose in the city….”
Chicago, Illinois – Oakwoods Cemetery - the Confederate Monument (The following advertisement is from The Monumental News, August, 1895, Vol. 7, No. 8, Chicago, Illinois, pp. 507.)

The stone for the Confederate Monument in Oakwoods Cemetery, Chicago, was quarried and cut at the Southern Granite Co. works in Lithonia, Georgia.
Chicago, Illinois - Rosehill Cemetery - the Façade (The following information is from “Ghosts of History Live in Rosehill Cemetery,” by Karen Kruse, in the AGS Quarterly, Bulletin of the Association for Gravestone Studies, Vol. 32, No. 1 & 2, Winter & Spring 2008, pp. 9-11.

According to this article, the castle-like façade located at the entrance to Rosehill Cemetery was constructed from Joliet limestone. William W. Boyington (1818-1898), architect, designed the structure. The “castle entrance” was erected in 1864. Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois, was established in 1859.
Chicago, Illinois – the Union Railroad Station (from “Chicago’s New Station Opened,” Stone, Vol. XLVI, No. 8, August 1925, pp. 490)

“Chicago’s new union station, construction of which was started in 1915, was formally opened to patrons of four railroads…The station building covers as area of about three acres…and upwards of 200,000 cubic feet of Indiana Limestone and granite are in its make up….Owners of the station are the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul….”
Chicago, Illinois – the Y. M. C. A. (The following information is from the “Notes From Quarry and Shop” section in Stone: An Illustrated Magazine, Vol. XI, No. 6, November, 1895, the “Slate and Pencil” section, Frank W. Hoyt, Publisher, New York, pp. 568 and 570.)

“A new enterprise is being developed at Cokeville, Wyo., that bids fair to become an important factor in the industries of the State, says the Engineering and Mining Journal. It is the discovery and development of a large deposit of amber onyx. The company are now taking out slabs 4x2 feet, but expect to take out much larger slabs in the near future. The amber contains all kinds of figures imaginable. The company are taking out some very fine-veined white onyx, and also some cream onyx that is very handsome, showing half a dozen different colors and figures when polished. The company shipped a carload of finished onyx to be used in the Y.M.C.A. building in Chicago. The company expect to make this one of the greatest enterprises in Wyoming. The company has its general office at 225 Dearborn street, Chicago, and the officers are Clarence B. White, President; J. M. Van Osdel, Treasurer, and C. R. Van Osdel, Secretary.”
DeKalb, Illinois - Northern Illinois University - Swen Parson Library today the Swen Parson Hall (photograph and history), presented on the Northern Illinois University web site. (The link to the virtual tour from which the following information is no longer available.)
<http://www.niu.edu/virtualtour/campus/SP.html>

According to the web site, Swen Parson Library was open for use in 1952, and Illinois limestone was used in the construction of the exterior. Today the building is known as the Swen Parson Hall.
Evanston (near), Illinois - the James Roscoe Miller Campus AKA the “Lakefill” Campus - of the Northwestern University, presented on the Northwest University.

Limestone from Illinois and Indiana quarries was used in the construction of the seawall perimeter of the filled-in area of the campus which was constructed between 1962 and 1964. The filled-in area extended the “eastern edge of the campus 1,000 feet into Lake Michigan.”
Fountain Gap, Illinois – Limestone Wall on Farmhouse (Photograph on Flickr by ioensis)
Freeport, Illinois – the Stephenson County Courthouse (photograph) The courthouse was constructed of Joliet marble. (This link is no longer available, although you can view the site on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)
<http://www.plannersweb.com/publicbldgs/CH-FreeportIL.html>
Galesburg, Illinois – Knox College – Old Main – the Limestone Foundation, Trim, Stairs, & Porches

“At 150, Old Main Old Main Rocks,” by R. Lance Factor, George Appleton Lawrence Distinguished Service Professor of Philosophy. (This link is no longer available, although you can view the site on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)
<http://www.knox.edu/Alumni-and-Friends/Knox-Magazine-and-More/Knox-Magazine-Archives/Fall-2007/At-150-Old-Main-Rocks.html?ss=print>

According to this article, “Old Main and Whiting had cherry red brick, lead white windows and doors, and blue limestone foundations, porches, and entrances. Charles Ulricson, the Swedish born immigrant architect and builder of both Old Main and Whiting Hall, made a special effort to explore Illinois quarries searching for the bluest limestone available. He sought and received extra money from the Trustees to purchase 13 carloads of Aurora Blue Cloud….” The original Blue Cloud limestone porches and stairs at Old main “flaked and crumbled almost as quickly as the stone turned from blue tint to buttery brown.” Due to the deterioration of the building, by 1927 it was decided that Old Main must be either renovated or destroyed. Janet Greig Post, Knox’s first woman trustee and a graduate of the Class of 1894, was responsible for raising the money to restore the building. “Restoration meant removing paint and replacing brick. New foundations, porches, and trim required five carloads of Indiana’s hardest Bedford limestone. Only the ashlar blocks at the entrances are the original Blue Cloud.”

Historical information and photographs about the Old Main building are available in the article above and R. Lance Factor’s book published in December 2009:

Chapel in The Sky: Knox College’s Old Main And Its Masonic Architect, by R Lance Factor, Northern Illinois University Press, December 15, 2009, ISBN-10: 0875804152, ISBN-13: 978-0875804156. (“Factor uncovers the architectural mysteries of Knox College’s beloved Old Main. Knox College’s Old Main – a national landmark and the only extant building that was a site of the Lincoln-Douglas debates – is a campus treasure with a secret. Built in 1857, Old Main was designed by Charles Ulricson, a Swedish-born immigrant who was trained by Freemasons. In ‘Chapel in the Sky,’ Knox faculty member Lance Factor decodes the symbols of this beloved building and explores how an ardently anti-Mason administration came to hire Ulricson.”)
Grafton, Illinois - the Illinois Youth Center Pere Marquette, previously known as the Harry Hill Ferguson Estate and the Pere Marquette Boys’ Camp, presented by the Illinois Department of Corrections.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Harry Hill Ferguson, an Alton industrialist, “purchased limestone blocks from the local Grafton quarries and small portions from an old trading posts.” He imported stonemasons from Europe and Yugoslavia to do the stonework on his estate. Limestone was used in the construction of the buildings on Mr. Ferguson’s estate. Mr. Ferguson willed his farm to the State of Illinois, and in March 1963 the facility opened as the Pere Marquette Boys' Camp, and in 1973 was organized as a residential center. As of June 1981 it became known as the Illinois Youth Center - Pere Marquette.
Joliet, Illinois – the Campbell/Strong Home (photograph and history) This site was presented by the Joliet Historic Preservation Commission. (This link is no longer available, although you can view the site on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)
<http://www.joliethpc.org/campbell.htm>

The Campbell/Strong home was built between about 1845 and the late 1850s. It is constructed primarily of Joliet limestone quarried in the area.
Jacksonville, Illinois - the Morgan County Courthouse, presented on the Morgan County web site. (The link from which the following information was found is no longer available.)
<http://www.archiplanet.org/wiki/Morgan_County_Courthouse,_Jacksonville,_Illinois>

According to this web site, the present courthouse is the third courthouse for Morgan County, which was completed in 1869. Limestone from Joliet area quarries provided the stone for the exterior of the courthouse, which was designed in the French Renaissance style.
Joliet, Illinois - the Dorn Home (photograph and history). This site was presented by the Joliet Historic Preservation Commission. (The link from which the following information was obtained is no longer available, although you can view the site on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)
<http://www.joliethpc.org/dorn.htm>

The Dorn home was built in 1929. It is constructed of Joliet limestone quarried in the area.
Joliet, Illinois - the Gem Theater (photograph and history). This site was presented by the Joliet Historic Preservation Commission. The Gem Theater was built about 1906. (The link from which the following information was obtained is no longer available, although you can view the site on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)
<http://www.joliethpc.org/gem.htm>

The Gem Theater is constructed of brick and Joliet limestone quarried in the area.
Joliet, Illinois - the Joliet Steel Works Building (photograph and history). This site was presented by the Joliet Historic Preservation Commission. (This link is no longer available, although you can view the site on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)
<http://www.joliethpc.org/steel.htm>

The Joliet Steel Works building was built 1891. It is constructed of Joliet limestone quarried in the area.
Joliet, Illinois - the Max Goldberg Home (photograph and history). This site was presented by the Joliet Historical Preservation Commission. (The link from which the following information was obtained is no longer available, although you can view the site on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)
<http://www.joliethpc.org/goldbrg.htm>

The Max Goldberg home was built between about 1845 and the late 1850s. It is constructed primarily of Joliet limestone quarried in the area.
Joliet, Illinois - The Joliet East Side Historic District - the Jacob A. Henry Mansion (history and photographs) This site was presented by the Joliet Historic Preservation Commission. (This link is no longer available, although you can view the site on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.) (The following quote is used with their permission.)
<http://www.joliethpc.org/goldbrg.htm>

"History - The City of Joliet was founded in 1831 by settlers who were attracted to the area by abundant fertile soil and soft coal and limestone deposits. The geography of the area was marked by bluffs to the west of the Des Plaines River Valley, at the time well-timbered, and by gently rolling prairie.

"An important industrial resource of earliest Joliet that has continued to the present is the vast beds of limestone that underlie the city and surrounding area. Buildings constructed during the 19th century of local limestone still stand in many areas of the city, with several excellent examples contained in the proposed district (#'s 3, 10, 30, 37, 44). Chicago's historic Water Tower was constructed of Joliet limestone as was the Old State Capitol in Springfield."

The Jacob A. Henry mansion is listed on the National Register. Construction of the mansion began in 1873 and was completed in 1876. Limestone from Mr. Henry's Joliet quarry was used for the foundation and basement floor. Red Illinois sandstone and red brick, fired in Ohio, were used in the next two floors. Single slabs of limestone were used for the porches, and the largest limestone slab every quarried in Joliet was used under the entrance gates. According to this web site, the stone measures 22 feet by 9 feet by 20 inches.
Joliet, Illinois - the Patrick Haley Home (photograph and history). This site was presented by the Joliet Historic Preservation Commission. (This link is no longer available, although you can view the site on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)
<http://www.joliethpc.org/dorn.htm>

The Patrick Haley home was built in 1891. It is constructed of Joliet limestone quarried in the area.
Joliet, Illinois - the John Scheuber Home (photograph and history). This site was presented by the Joliet Historic Preservation Commission. (This link is no longer available, although you can view the site on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)
<http://www.joliethpc.org/scheuber.htm>

The John Scheuber home was built about 1850. It is constructed of Joliet limestone quarried in the area.
Joliet, Illinois - the Wagner Home (photograph and history). This site was presented by the Joliet Historic Preservation Commission. (This link is no longer available, although you can view the site on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)
<http://www.joliethpc.org/wagner.htm>

The Wagner home was built in the early 1850s. It is constructed of Joliet limestone quarried in the area. It is noted that the original owner was a stone cutter who worked in the area.
Joliet, Illinois - the Joliet Prison - "Prison walls rise from stony Joliet turf," by John Whiteside, The Herald News, published July 21, 2001, and presented on SuburbanChicagoNews.com. (The link from which this article was obtained is no longer available.)
<http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/history/chapters/chapter_17.htm>

This article presents the history of Joliet Prison, which was built with Joliet limestone using the labor of the prisoners.
Lemont, Illinois - The Story of the Old Stone Church (photograph and history), presented by the Lemont Area Historical Society. The stone church was originally constructed with Lemont Limestone tailings from the Brown Quarry, located on the west side of town.
Lemont, Illinois - the old School and other structures built of Lemont Limestone - the SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish. This site is presented by the SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish. It describes the history of the parish and includes many photographs including one of the rebuilt school. There is also some information about the limestone quarries near the town in which the local men worked.
Lockport, Illinois - the Central Square Building constructed in 1869 of locally quarried cream-colored limestone. This site was presented by the City of Lockport. A photograph of the Central Square building is included. (This link is no longer available.)
<http://www.lockport.org/>
Maeystown, Illinois - “Historic 19th Century German Village,” by Betty Magrath, Photos by Bob Moore, Southwest Illinois News, 1999. (The link from which the information below was obtained is no longer available.)
< http://www.swi-news.com/SWI-Maeystown.htm>

This is an account of Maeystown. There are several buildings remaining constructed of limestone.
Nauvoo, Illinois - the Navoo Illinois Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints. Stone quarried from the Nauvoo Limestone Quarry was used in the construction of the Nauvoo Illinois Temple in Nauvoo, Illinois. (The link from which this information was obtained in no longer available. This site was presented by JP&G Enterprises.) Click here to view "Nauvoo will be forever changed by the Temple getting rebuilt," by Norm Winick, presented on The Zephyr.com web site.
Richland County, Illinois – Culverts, Bridge Abutments, Etc. (from Counties of Cumberland, Jasper and Richland, Illinois: Historical and Biographical, Volume 1, F. A. Battey & Company, 1884. Below are excerpts from pp. 593. (This book is available on Google Books and the Internet Archive.)

Material Resources

“Sandstone of a fair quality for ordinary use is quite abundant, and there is probably not a township in the county where good quarries could not be opened at a moderate expense. Many of these localities have been indicated in the foregoing lines. The quarries south of Claremont, belonging to the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad, afford a very hard and durable rock, and although the bed is only about six feet in average thickness, it is, fortunately, so situated as to require no great expenditure in stripping, and the rock has been removed over a considerable surface. The rock is a very hard, gray, micaceous sandstone, and seems to be but little affected by long exposure, and hence affords a desirable material for culverts, bridge abutments, etc….”

Rock Island, Illinois - the Clock Tower Building, Rock Island Arsenal, Rock Island Ill. (colorized postcard photograph, #9A-H1647; published by Curteich; unmailed; the building was constructed with limestone quarried in LeClaire, Iowa.

(colorized postcard photograph, #9A-H1647; published by Curteich; unmailed; the building was constructed with limestone quarried in LeClaire, Iowa.

Rock Island (today known as Arsenal Island), Illinois - Rock Island, the island, a place of study, by Joe Nobiling. This entire site presents a wealth of information about the Rock Island/Arsenal Island. I have only listed a few sections below that were available that pertained to the Joliet Limestone used in construction of the arsenal buildings. (These links are no longer available, although you can view the site on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)
- Geology of the Area - Limestone from LeClaire, Iowa, and Joliet, Illinois, was used to construct the arsenal buildings. For more information on the limestone arsenal buildings, go to the next section on Colonel Rodman. (Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)
- Colonel Rodman (Internet Archive Wayback Machine.)
Rock Island, Illinois - Augustana College - Old Main (picture and history). This site is presented by Erwin Weber. The Old Main building was partially completed in 1888. Sandstone quarried in Le Claire, Iowa, was used in theconstruction of the exterior of the building.
Springfield, Illinois - the Illinois Statehouse, information presented by Legends of America. The web site states that the limestone quarried at Romeoville was used in the construction of the Idaho Statehouse.

Illinois Statehouse Online Tour - State Capitol (photographs), presented by the
Urbana-Champaign, Illinois - University of Illinois (the Natural Resources Building). (photographs and history) For the hall, walls, and door frames, "...blocks of mottled, light yellowish gray stone are cut from dolomite, a rock native to Illinois. It was quarried and finished in Joliet by the Adam Groth Stone Company. In that area the dolomite was called Joliet Marble. A few miles north, near Lemont, which was once known as Athens, the same dolomite was called Athens Marble. (The link from which the above information was obtained is no longer available.)
<http://www.isgs.uiuc.edu/build/fulltext.html>
Village of Valmeyer, Monroe County, Illinois - Rock City Business Complex Created from Former Columbia Limestone Quarry, from The Mineral Industry of Illinois, 2002, presented by the Illinois State Geological Survey and the U. S. Geological Survey (with map). (U. S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook) [PDF]

The underground limestone quarry/mine which was located in the Village of Valmeyer, south of St. Louis, “was converted into a business complex with nearly $3.5 million in grants from State and Federal sources.” “The Rock City Business Complex being developed at the former Columbia Quarry site includes more than 460 square meters of underground space in the limestone mine. Similar development of underground mine sites at Quincy, IL, and Kansas City, MO, have been successful.”

Finished Products of Stone from Illinois in Missouri
- St. Louis, Missouri - the Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust at 13th Street (The following information was obtained from the Mound City on the Mississippi: A St. Louis History web site.)
  
  “‘The large Gothic Revival church was constructed between 1859 and 1867 of Illinois sandstone, with a tower and porch added in 1910-1912 of Indiana limestone. Attached to the south of the church is a smaller sandstone chapel; attached to the east elevation is the Bishop Tuttle Memorial Building, a six -story structure with limestone facade designed in a late-Gothic Style.’ [From the nomination to the National Register of Historic Places as prepared by Esley Hamilton, March, 1989.]”
- St. Louis, Missouri - the Court House (history) (This information is presented on the 1911 Edition Encyclopedia, LoveToKnow web site.) (This link is no longer available.)
  <http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/S/ST/ST_LOUIS.htm>
  
  “...the county court house (1839 1862, $1,199,872), a semi-classic, plain, massive stone structure, the Four Courts (1871, $755,000), built of cream-colored Joliet stone....”
Finished Products of Stone from Illinois in Ohio
- Cleveland, Ohio – the Tifereth Temple (from Stone, Vol. XLVI, No. 8, August 1925, pp. 491)

“Tifereth Temple, Cleveland, Ohio. A structure of unusual beauty and strength of design attained through the use of Variegated Indiana Limestone furnished by Shea & Donnelly. This stone was set in alternate courses of narrow and wide, the former being tooled finished and the latter smooth finished. Architect: Charles R. Greco.”

Tifereth Temple, Cleveland, Ohio, from Stone, Vol. XLVI, No. 8, August 1925, pp. 491

Finished Products of Stone from Illinois in Washington, D.C.
- Washington, D.C. – the Illinois Memorial Stone, the Masons Grand Lodge of Illinois Memorial Stone, & the S. of T. (Sons of Temperance), Grand Division of Illinois Memorial Stone contributed to the Washington Monument (photograph and history), presented by the National Park Service. The information below is from the National Park Service files and is presented with a photograph of the contributed Illinois stones.
  
  The National Park Service web site presents the memorial stones in placed in the interior of the Washington Monument. The Illinois Memorial Stone entries can be viewed on the National Park Service’s web site in either the “Album” or the “Slide Show.”
  
  The Illinois Memorial Stone in the Washington Monument can be viewed along with the details in the WAMO Stones Section 2. The Masons, Grand Lodge of Illinois, Memorial Stone can be viewed along with the details in the WAMO Stones Section 3. The S. of T., (Sons of Temperance) Grand Division of Illinois Memorial Stone can be viewed along with the details in the WAMO Stones Section 4.
  
  The Washington Monument web site has recently been redesigned. Below is an description that was available on the National Park Service web site in January 2008 that describes the Memorial Stones in the Washington Monument.
  
  “A unique feature of the Washington Monument is the 193 memorial stones that adorn the interior of the monument. Starting in July 1848 the Washington National Monument Society invited states, cities and patriotic societies to contribute Memorial Stones. The Society listed some requirements to be followed. They asked that the stone be durable, a product of the state’s soil, and meet the following dimensions; four feet long, two feet high and 18 inches thick. These stones pay tribute to the character and achievements of George Washington. These traits are not only admired by Americans but by people the world over as seen by the number of stones donated by foreign countries. Below is a list of stones donated by state. In the near future all the stones will be online.
  
  “While viewing the stones please keep in mind that the Washington Monument has undergone extensive renovation over the last three years. A key component of the project has been the restoration of the memorial stones. Over the years the stones have been damaged by moisture and vandalism. The pictures that follow show the condition of the stones before their restoration. In the upcoming months new images will be added highlighting the restored stones.”
  
  The following information relating to the Illinois Memorial Stone can be viewed along with the details in the WAMO Stones Section 2.
  
  Name: Illinois
  
  Level: 50-ft.
  
  Donor: State of Illinois
  
  Dates: 1850s/1850s
  
  Original material: limestone
  
  Dimensions: 2' x 4'
  
  Sculptor/Carver: not known
  
  Original inscription: Illinois. State Sovereignty: National Union.
  
  Documented material history:
  
  • 1850: “The Illinois contribution to the Washington Monument bears this inscription: ‘Illinois - State Sovereignty - National Union.” [SDR, July 3, 1850.]
  
  • 1850s: “[Illinois has] sent a block of buff colored native lime-stone, which looks very durable. Its surface is well polished...” [RW]
  
  Images:
  
  • 1850s Wilcox drawing
  
  • 1880 Gedney drawing
  
  • 1957 Allen photograph
  
  • 1974 photograph
  
  • 1980 photograph
  
  • 2000 NPS slides
  
  The Masons, Grand Lodge of Illinois, Memorial Stone in the Washington Monument can be viewed along with the details in the WAMO Stones Section 3.
  
  Name: Masons, Grand Lodge of Illinois
  
  Level: 140-ft.
  
  Donor: Masons, Grand Lodge of Illinois
  
  Dates: 1853/1850s
  
  Original material: marble
  
  Dimensions: 2' 2" x 3'
  
  Sculptor/Carver: J. Jewell, Peoria Ill. [stone]
  
  Original inscription: Masonic Grand Lodge of Ill. 1853
  
  Documented material history:
  
  • 1909: “Slightly mutilated.” [ICE]
  
  Images:
  
  • 1880 Gedney drawing
  
  • 1909 drawing [ICE]
  
  • 1957 Allen photograph
  
  • 1974 photograph
  
  • 1980 photograph
  
  • 2000 NPS slides
  
  The S. of T. (Sons of Temperance), Grand Division of Illinois Memorial Stone can be viewed along with the details in the WAMO Stones Section 4.
  
  Name: S. of T., Grand Division of Illinois
  
  Level: 210-ft.
  
  Donor: S. of T., Grand Division of Illinois
  
  Dates: 1855/1885
  
  Original material: marble
  
  Dimensions: 3' 1" x 4' 6"
  
  Sculptor/Carver: J. B. Beaumont, Alton Illinois [stone]
  
  Original inscription: Presented by the Grand Division on behalf of the Sons of Temperance of Illinois January 1, 1855. [abbr.]
  
  Documented material history:
  
  • 1859-60: “November 7, 1859 a letter from George F. Adams to the Washington Monument Society: ‘I have in my possession a block of marble to be placed in the Monument’...April 17, 1860, $8.86 was received from L.B.H. Smith, Treasurer of the Grand Division to pay for freightage to the Washington Monument from Alton, Illinois.” [MR]
  
  • 1880: “Lapidarium” [CG]
  
  Images:
  
  • 1880 Gedney drawing
  
  • 1957 Allen photograph
  
  • 1974 photograph
  
  • 1980 photograph
  
  • 2000 NPS slides

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