ALTON - Several descendants of historic Alton architect Lucas Pfieffenberger will travel from all over the country to Alton for a family reunion and a private, custom tour of 20 homes throughout the city that were designed by him.
The tour will be led by Alton Odyssey Tours on March 18, and Managing Partner Caleb Lewis said there are plans to bring some elements of it to the public during their future Alton Architecture Tours.
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“We’re visiting 22 locations throughout downtown Alton … it is a private, custom tour; we actually custom-wrote this script with communication with the family,” Lewis said. “The script is going to highlight Pfieffenberger’s architecture, but we’re going to put these ideas into a broader portfolio for when we build out an Alton-focused Architecture Tour, which will include other architects that were significant to the City of Alton.”
Pfeiffenberger practiced architecture from 1857 until his passing in 1918, and many of Alton’s most significant and beautiful structures are a tribute to his skills, including the McPike Mansion, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, the Vogue building, and more. A total of 22 locations will serve as stops on the tour for 35 members of Pfieffenberger’s family.
“It’s pretty cool for Alton that the family is traveling from across the country and all coming back together,” Lewis added. “We’re really excited and I think this really shows what our tour company is trying to do for the city: bring in tourists from very diversified ideas and really help highlight the significance of the history in Alton.”
Lewis said he hopes to offer the Architecture Tours to the Alton public “in the near future,” and aims to host them quarterly or monthly. For more information and updates on Alton Oddysey Tours, visit their website or Facebook page.
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