Transfer House, Illinois, United States

5Hammelsjt 5:00 PM Jun 6, 2022

Welcome to the City Icon.
Newly renovated facility located in the center of the downtown area. Beautiful water fountain just outside the door to welcome you to town. Great photo location to share with family and friends.

5Taylor B 5:00 PM Jun 6, 2021

Built in 1896, it continues to serve as a civic symbol
The Transfer House is a historic building located in Central Park in Decatur, Illinois, that was built in 1896 and originally served as a transfer point for the city's electric streetcar system. Designed and built by Chicago architect William W. Boyington, who designed the Chicago Water Tower, it includes elements of several Victorian architectural styles, the most prominent being the Richardsonian Romanesque style. The two-story building has an octagonal plan with thick limestone arches, a distinct Romanesque feature, forming the first-floor windows and entrances of the building. A bell-shaped roof with a wide canopy provided outdoor shelter for passengers. The second floor consists entirely of the open-air bandstand and is covered by a cupola. The Transfer House originally was built on Lincoln Square at the intersection of N/S Main Street and E/W Main Street. After the streetcar and interurban systems ceased operations in the 1950s, the Transfer House was reduced to a bus terminal and lost most of its passenger volume. In 1962, the Illinois Department of Transportation recommended that the city move the building because it interfered with traffic on highway U.S. 51. The city complied, moving the Transfer House to Central Park. Rehabilitated in the 1970s, the building continues to serve as a civic symbol and meeting place. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.