Collinsville in Madison County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

City of Collinstown Uptown Tour

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 22, 2021

1. City of Collinstown Uptown Tour Marker

Inscription.

City of Collinstown Uptown Tour. . , The Oatman House , 501 East Main Street , This Carpenter Gothic Revival home warrants notice for the pointed arch windows and the "gingerbread" trim. The square nails used in its construction give a clue to its age. The patents on the doors state 1863. It was built for the family of Dr. Charles Oatman, fourth mayor of Collinsville. Dr. Oatman was also a drummer boy during the Civil War for Sherman. The Oatman House Tea Room is a charming spot for lunch or dinner.

The Kennedy Home , 401 East Church Street , This two-story house built of hydraulic press brick was built on the lot between the Beidler Hotel and the Collins Homestead. It was built by architect William Kennedy in 1906. A sunroom (now removed) was later added to the front porch because their daughter, Gladys Peers Kennedy, was said to have had consumption or tuberculosis and died in 1934 at age 31.

Keller-McClaskey Home , 429 Vandalia , The Keller Home was first used by the Cottage Sanitarium Association beginning in the late 1800s. The sanitarium was a private hospital that housed two surgeons, several doctors and a resident nurse and catered to every type of problem. In 1919, Ferd Keller and family purchased the home. Ferd was the first of many Kellers to farm in the American Bottoms. The fourth generation of Kellers now lives in the house.

Kohler-Herr Home , 410 North Morrison , This home was built by Fred Kohler in 1887. It is a Federal Style house with Italianate influence. The Herr family owned the home for years, and Mrs. Herr was known for her large garden filled with carnations. The home is recognized as one of Collinsville's most important homes because of its style. It is honored with special mention as an important structure in the Illinois Historic Structures Survey.

Community Events: Christmas in Collinsville , First weekend in December. Join the Main Street holiday walk and tree lighting. Visit Santa and Mrs. Clause and take a wagon ride down Main Street. Also, enjoy the festive holiday displays of several traditional homes on the Holiday House Tour.

Attractions: East Central Historic District , The East Central Historic District is a 28.1-acre wishbone-shaped area located on the north and east sides of the Uptown district. Its general borders are: Clinton (west), Aurora (east), Johnson (north) and Church (south) as well as several buildings on Clay and Main Streets. Most of the area is atop the bluff; however, there are some hilly areas with gentle to fairly steep slopes near Aurora, Clinton and Johnson Street areas.

East Central District is primarily residential in nature, with only a few exceptions including several commercial buildings, the Collinsville Senior Center, Masonic Temple, and the former US Post Office (now Unit 10 School District Building). The residential buildings in the district are primarily one and two stories in height. Most buildings range in age from the 1860s and to the 1950s. Residential building types range from small frame cottages to large, relatively high style homes.

Nearby Attractions: Brooks Catsup Bottle Water Tower (1949 , 800 South Morrison Avenue , This is a must see. In October 1947, the City of Collinsville entered into an agreement with G.S. Suppinger Company to allow the company to build a water tower that allowed it to run its sprinkler fire safety system and assure plentiful water for processing vegetables and thus not cause poor water pressure in the south part of town. The tower was built in 1949 and could hold up to 100,000 gallons of water. The water tower stands atop a 100-foot steel base and is constructed in the recognizable shape of the dedicated local preservation group championed the restoration of the bottle in 1995. The tower is an outstanding example of roadside architecture, is avidly written about in articles and books, and brings thousands to the Collinsville community annually. In August of 2002 it was named to the National Register of Historic Places.

Formerly The State Bank , 102 West Main Street , The State Bank operated in Collinsville for over 100 years. The building has recently undergone a major renovation. Step inside to see the backlit stained glass rosette, the original Greek key banister and rail, and the normal three-story vault.

Formerly Riggins-Hightower Grocery Store , 106 East Main Street , From 1915 to 1994, this two-story brick building was operated as a grocery store. The integrity of this building is remarkable. It is the only building on Main Street to maintain its original balcony. The exposed brick and original tin ceiling provide a perfect complement to the current use as a neighborhood bar and restaurant, Friday's South.

West wall of the 111 E. Main building , 111 East Main Street , The brick wall sign advertises Bull Durham Tobacco and is believe to have been painted before 1908. Originally the fence stating "smoking tobacco" did not appear on the sign but was added for "modesty". Take a look around Uptown to spot our other ghost signs.

Formerly First National Bank , 121 East Main Street , Although built in 1887, the building underwent extensive renovations in 1916 with the current façade, inscription of "First National Bank", and interior renovations that included a two-story vaulted ceiling. Since 1954, three generations of Butterfields have run Butterfield Jewelers here.

Fall Events: Costume Contests , Head to the Fall Festival for a day filled with candy, chili, and fun. The festival is a family event that includes Trick or Treating at Main Street merchants, a Chili Cook-Off, and Pet and Children's Costume Contests.

The Oatman House
501 East Main Street
This Carpenter Gothic Revival home warrants notice for the pointed arch windows and the "gingerbread" trim. The square nails used in its construction give a clue to its age. The patents on the doors state 1863. It was built for the family of Dr. Charles Oatman, fourth mayor of Collinsville. Dr. Oatman was also a drummer boy during the Civil War for Sherman. The Oatman House Tea Room is a charming spot for lunch or dinner.

The Kennedy Home
401 East Church Street
This two-story house built of hydraulic press brick was built on the lot between the Beidler Hotel and the Collins Homestead. It was built by architect William Kennedy in 1906. A sunroom (now removed) was later added to the front porch because their daughter, Gladys Peers Kennedy, was said to have had consumption or tuberculosis and died in 1934 at age 31.

Keller-McClaskey Home
429 Vandalia
The Keller Home was first used by the Cottage Sanitarium Association beginning in the late 1800s. The sanitarium was a private hospital that housed two surgeons, several doctors and a resident nurse and catered to every type of problem. In 1919, Ferd Keller and family purchased the home. Ferd was the first of many Kellers to farm in the American Bottoms. The fourth

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generation of Kellers now lives in the house.

Kohler-Herr Home
410 North Morrison
This home was built by Fred Kohler in 1887. It is a Federal Style house with Italianate influence. The Herr family owned the home for years, and Mrs. Herr was known for her large garden filled with carnations. The home is recognized as one of Collinsville's most important homes because of its style. It is honored with special mention as an important structure in the Illinois Historic Structures Survey.

Community Events: Christmas in Collinsville
First weekend in December. Join the Main Street holiday walk and tree lighting. Visit Santa and Mrs. Clause and take a wagon ride down Main Street. Also, enjoy the festive holiday displays of several traditional homes on the Holiday House Tour.

Attractions: East Central Historic District
The East Central Historic District is a 28.1-acre wishbone-shaped area located on the north and east sides of the Uptown district. Its general borders are: Clinton (west), Aurora (east), Johnson (north) and Church (south) as well as several buildings on Clay and Main Streets. Most of the area is atop the bluff; however, there are some hilly areas with gentle to fairly steep slopes near Aurora, Clinton and Johnson Street areas.

East Central District is primarily residential in nature, with only a few exceptions

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 22, 2021

2. City of Collinstown Uptown Tour Marker

including several commercial buildings, the Collinsville Senior Center, Masonic Temple, and the former US Post Office (now Unit 10 School District Building). The residential buildings in the district are primarily one and two stories in height. Most buildings range in age from the 1860s and to the 1950s. Residential building types range from small frame cottages to large, relatively high style homes.

Nearby Attractions: Brooks Catsup Bottle Water Tower (1949
800 South Morrison Avenue
This is a must see. In October 1947, the City of Collinsville entered into an agreement with G.S. Suppinger Company to allow the company to build a water tower that allowed it to run its sprinkler fire safety system and assure plentiful water for processing vegetables and thus not cause poor water pressure in the south part of town. The tower was built in 1949 and could hold up to 100,000 gallons of water. The water tower stands atop a 100-foot steel base and is constructed in the recognizable shape of the dedicated local preservation group championed the restoration of the bottle in 1995. The tower is an outstanding example of roadside architecture, is avidly written about in articles and books, and brings thousands to the Collinsville community annually. In August of 2002 it was named to the National Register of Historic Places.

Formerly The State Bank
102

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 22, 2021

3. City of Collinstown Uptown Tour Marker

West Main Street
The State Bank operated in Collinsville for over 100 years. The building has recently undergone a major renovation. Step inside to see the backlit stained glass rosette, the original Greek key banister and rail, and the normal three-story vault.

Formerly Riggins-Hightower Grocery Store
106 East Main Street
From 1915 to 1994, this two-story brick building was operated as a grocery store. The integrity of this building is remarkable. It is the only building on Main Street to maintain its original balcony. The exposed brick and original tin ceiling provide a perfect complement to the current use as a neighborhood bar and restaurant, Friday's South.

West wall of the 111 E. Main building
111 East Main Street
The brick wall sign advertises Bull Durham Tobacco and is believe to have been painted before 1908. Originally the fence stating "smoking tobacco" did not appear on the sign but was added for "modesty". Take a look around Uptown to spot our other ghost signs.

Formerly First National Bank
121 East Main Street
Although built in 1887, the building underwent extensive renovations in 1916 with the current façade, inscription of "First National Bank", and interior renovations that included a two-story vaulted ceiling. Since 1954, three generations of Butterfields have run

A duplicate marker is identified on the west end of the district image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 22, 2021

4. A duplicate marker is identified on the west end of the district

Butterfield Jewelers here.

Fall Events: Costume Contests
Head to the Fall Festival for a day filled with candy, chili, and fun. The festival is a family event that includes Trick or Treating at Main Street merchants, a Chili Cook-Off, and Pet and Children's Costume Contests.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce • Science & Medicine • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1863.

Location. 38° 40.202′ N, 89° 59.153′ W. Marker is in Collinsville, Illinois, in Madison County. It is on East Main Street 0.1 miles east of North Center Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 104 E Main St, Collinsville IL 62234, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater St. Louis. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, in the Corn Belt, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Spanish War Veterans (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Civil War Memorial (about 300 feet away); The Freedom Tree (about 300 feet away); Collinsville Masonic Temple (about 800 feet away); Glenwood Cemetery (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Collinsville Historical Museum (approx. ¼ mile away); The Magnolia Tree (approx. ¼ mile away); The 1986 Additions to the Library Building (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Collinsville.

Credits. This page was last revised on March 28, 2021. It was originally submitted on March 28, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 972 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 28, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.