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ALTON – The Alton Area Landmarks Association (AALA) invites the Alton community to its 52nd Annual Historic Building Tour at noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12. This free historic walking tour will cover East Broadway from Market Street to Ridge Street perched on the hillside overlooking the Mississippi River. Architectural styles include Italianate, Victorian, Classical Revival, Renaissance Revival, Craftsman and Mid-Century Modern designs.
According to AALA President Terry Sharp, “By having our event on Saturday, people from Alton Main Street’s Farmer’s Market can come up the hill and enjoy the tour. Many restaurants and shops will be open and ready to serve. The tour will go rain or shine.”
“We are thrilled to participate in sharing the historic beauty of Alton with everyone who is interested,” said Chad Brigham of AltonWorks. “A huge part of our vision is to revitalize Alton by preserving the rich history on which this city was built. The more people see the beauty of Alton, the better it is for the future of everyone in this community.”
The AALA collaborated with AltonWorks, a social impact redevelopment company and other Alton organizations to add this area to the National Register of Historic Places’ Middletown Historic District in 2022. AltonWorks will open their new headquarters in the repurposed 1928 Alton Tire Sales Company at 435 E. Broadway to the community. Alton Tire Sales Company built their design as part of the trend popularizing smaller, one-story commercial storefronts showcasing large merchandise to street traffic as well as pedestrians, operating there until 1954.
With historic preservationist Karen Bode Baxter, discover how 85 buildings were added to the Middletown Historic District. Learn about the history of the Wedge Bank and Elfgen buildings with architect Dennis Hyland, who works on many of the AltonWorks buildings. Pick up a tour map with histories of selected structures.
Bring your family together and scavenger hunt for architectural features through some of the most interesting parts of the city. Search for corbels, gables, dormer windows, old signage and more on Broadway’s colorful brick, limestone and stucco facades.
The 1835 ca. William and Catherine Miller House and Store, currently home to Second Hand Books, is believed to be the oldest building on East Broadway. Lawyer and former president Abraham Lincoln pled cases before the court in the 1840 Ryder, Krug and Badasch Building where My Just Desserts is today.
In 1914 a mineral spring discovered during construction inspired the name of the Mineral Springs Hotel. The hotel was extravagantly designed, featuring Turkish and mineral baths, a restaurant, swimming pool, saloon, 80 hotel rooms with individual telephones, and a rooftop garden used for outdoor dining during seasonal months.
In 1904, Alton Banking and Trust Company opened the iconic wedge-shaped building, designed by Victor J. Klutho. The building served as a bank through the 1990s. The bank, established by local businessmen in 1902, included a large percentage of customers who were German immigrants that settled in the nearby Hunter Addition. Alton Banking and Trust was the city’s only bank that did not close, even temporarily, during the Great Depression.
After World War I, more than a dozen buildings in the downtown updated their building facades or added additions, in many cases completely modernizing the appearance of their building. Alton Banking and Trust Company expanded into the building in the middle of this block, and totally modernized that building’s façade as well as their bank lobby and upstairs offices.
AltonWorks is just completing The Wedge Innovation Center, which joins the historic Wedge Bank and Elfgen buildings to create one modern, high-tech, collaborative space. The 55,000 sq ft social impact, research lab, think tank, and workspace will serve as a hub for the digital economy in the Alton Metro Region. Following the investment of a $20 million 10G fiber network, The Wedge is empowering innovation and bridging opportunities across the bistate to drive sustainable growth, build a workforce of the future, and ignite business success in both Illinois and Missouri.
For more information on this year’s tour, contact Terry Sharp, (618) 463-5761.
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