1851 Carpentry Shop
One of the oldest brick buildings in Bishop Hill, the 1851 Carpentry Shop was originally used as a manufacturing and fabrication center for colony furniture and wagon components. The bottom floor served as the general work area and a set of double doors on the second floor of the east side of the building provided access to the paint shop.
Bishop Hill furniture that has survived the past few centuries was likely created in this building.
Todd DeDecker, Bishop Hill Heritage Association Administrator
The Carpentry shop used bricks that were made and kiln-fired by the whole community women & children included at a brickyard located in the NE corner of town.
Originally, a rich clay body was mined locally to produce these striking bricks. Their range of color and strength was determined by the temperature reached during firing. Bricks around the edge of the kiln generally stayed cooler (orange/softer) than the brick on the interior (brown/harder).
All damaged brick are being replaced with new handmade bricks in order to preserve an important feature; the well-charactered surface textures called "sand creases", which are
this page online
Custom forms were made to produce an exact replica of the original Colony Bricks which are an unusual size (slightly longer than standard).
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1851.
Location. 41° 12.044′ N, 90° 7.12′ W. Marker is in Bishop Hill, Illinois, in Henry County. It is on Bishop Hill Street north of East Main Street, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located on the south side of the subject 1851 Carpentry Shop and present-day U.S. Post Office. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 107 Bishop Hill Street, Bishop Hill IL 61419, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Illinois. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. 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
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Bishop Hill Colony
Also see . . . 1851 Carpenter Building Rededication. This pre-Civil War structure played an important role in the history of the Bishop Hill Colony, producing furniture and other items for Colony use and for public sale. The Carpenter Building, as well as the Meat Storage Building, are the two oldest remaining Colony brick buildings. Today, the Carpenter Building contains the U.S. Post Office and Garden Thyme gift shop. The Bishop Hill Heritage Association, with the support of many
Credits. This page was last revised on July 17, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 17, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 256 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on July 17, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
