The National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the United States' historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources.
McLean Country, IL has ~35 sites currently listed on the Register, and this series will attempt to capture them all from the air. This is an ongoing effort, started in the fall of 2020. Check back frequently for updates and additions.
Duncan Manor
From Wikipedia: Duncan Manor is a historic house located in rural McLean County, Illinois, near Towanda. The house was built circa 1866 for William R. Duncan, a livestock breeder well respected for his short-horned cattle. The Italianate house features two three-story towers on its northwest facade; the towers feature bracketed cornices on their pyramidal roofs. The main entrance is located between the towers. The southeast side of the house features 2 1⁄2-story towers topped with ornamental bracketed pediments. The towers flank a two-story entrance porch topped by additional bracketing.
Illinois Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Children’s School
From Atlas Obscura:
Opened in 1865 as the Civil War Orphans’ Home, this school complex was originally built as a boarding school for children of Civil War veterans.
Children of veterans from other wars were later admitted, and eventually it was opened up to all orphans. From 1916 until the 1960s, Illinois State Normal University (now Illinois State University) ran the education programs in the school. The institution was a point of pride for the town, to show how it helped the needy.
Apart from the school, the complex included an electric plant, cottages to house the children, and administrative buildings. Since the closure of ISSCS in 1979, a few of the buildings have been demolished, while others have been renovated into businesses or homes and renamed “Normandy Village.” A large section of the land has been turned into One Normal Plaza Park, which houses a community activity center, a play area, and sports fields. However, the prominent school building still stands on Beech Street, abandoned. Broken windows and the utter darkness at night lend a special eerie feel to the old architecture.
McLean County Courthouse
The McLean County Courthouse and Square is located in downtown Bloomington, Illinois. The site is on the National Register of Historic Places and encompasses the old McLean County Courthouse and the courthouse-facing sides of three downtown blocks. All 4 floors of the building are now occupied by the McLean County Museum of History for exhibits, collections storage, and offices.
