A view of downtown Bloomington one block south of the Old Courthouse Square. With the camera pointed to the northeast, this photograph provides a view of the 100 block of N. Center St. on the left, and the 100 block of W. Front St. on the right.
This post is focused on the four buildings seen on the north side of the 100 block of W. Front St. From left to right, the historic name, completion date and street address of the four buildings are:
▪Unnamed Commercial Building, c. 1865, 115 W. Front St.
▪McMillan Grocery Building, date unknown, 113 W. Front St.
▪Rounds Block, 1857, 105-111 W. Front St.
▪McLean County Bank Building, 1854, 101 W. Front St (Side Address) 102 N. Main St. (Main Address). The McLean County Bank Building is featured in an earlier post in this series.
The unnamed commercial building on the corner, Rounds Block, and the McLean County Bank Building (whose main address is on N. Main St) are all Italianate designs. The three buildings are contributing architectural properties in the Bloomington Central Business District listed in 1985 on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The Bloomington Central Business District includes roughly twelve square blocks of the city and encompasses 140 buildings, 118 of which are contributing buildings to the district’s historic character. The McMillan Grocery Building (second from corner) is non-contributing due to alterations which impacts the historic integrity of the structure.
The Rounds Block, which occupies most of the 100 block of W. Front St., is one of the oldest commercial buildings in Illinois designed by a professional architect. Rudolph Richter designed the building in Italianate style. The Rounds Block has been the site of commercial activity in Bloomington since its construction. Economic growth fueled by the arrival of the railroad in 1853 spurred new retail and craft businesses. The first floor of these buildings housed saloons, grocers, druggists, and restaurants. The upper floors were used for light craft production and as sleeping rooms for clerks and craft workers. The building was restored in 1995.
Bloomington is the seat of McLean County. It is adjacent to Normal, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area. Bloomington is 135 miles (217 km) southwest of Chicago, and 162 miles (261 km) northeast of St. Louis. The estimated population of Bloomington in 2019 was 77,330, with a metro population of 191,067.
A photograph of downtown Bloomington capturing the 100 block of N. Center St. and 100 block of W. Front St. This post highlights four historic buildings on the north side of the 100 block of W. Front St, including the Rounds Block, a contributing building to the National Register of Historic Places. Bloomington is the more populous city of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area in Illinois.
Posted by myoldpostcards on 2021-03-20 17:27:45
Tagged: , Bloomington , County Seat , McLean County , Central Illinois , Illinois , IL , Street View , Architecture , Mixed Use , Architectural Style , Italianate , Contributing Building , Contributing Property , Unnamed Commercial Building , 115 W. Front St. , Rounds Block , 105-111 W. Front St. , Architect , Rudolph Richter , McLean County Bank Building , 101 W. Front St. , Side Address , 102 N. Main St. , Main AddressNational Register of Historic Places , NRHP , Bloomington Central Business District , Reference # , 85000363 , Canon , EOS , 5D , Mark IV , h
