Elgin Historic District, Illinois, United States
4.5 (4 reviews) Spent More than 3 hours Ranking #8 in Elgin Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings
Interest district, though we came for a more specific reason
As we were driving to the Elgin Academy and the Laura Davidson Sears Academy of Fine Arts at Academy Place, we realized that there were more than a few old, beautiful homes in the area. Parking seemed a bit tight and for the streets, a GPS might be necessary. The Sears Academy hosted a dance recital from my granddaughter's pre-school. It was well laid out for a small theatre. We enjoyed watching her, and I think she enjoyed being on the stage.
Address
Villa, Center, Park, North Liberty and South Channing Streets, Elgin, IL 60120
Mobile
Current local date and time now
Sunday, May 12, 2024, 23:53
User Ratings
4.5 based on (4 reviews)
Excellent
75%
Good
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Satisfactory
25%
Poor
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Terrible
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Reviews
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5Mike N 5:00 PM Apr 15, 2019
Watch Factory Depot
This was hard to find since there are no signs. The train depot was built 1865 when the tracks were on the east side of the river: the factory came later and had 4,000 employees in 1923. Today the factory is gone, replaced by a shopping mall. It's a short visit, and I was thrilled.
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5Taylor B 5:00 PM Mar 30, 2019
Tracing Elgin's growth by Elgin watches
Remember the Elgin National Watch Company? Based in Elgin, Illinois, it thrived from 1864 to 1968. For nearly 100 years, it was the largest site dedicated to watchmaking in the world. The original plant closed in 1964. But Elgin's history and growth can be traced to the watch company, which became the nation's largest producer of pocket watches and employed more than 3,000 of the city's 17,823 residents in 1890. It played a major role in the development of the Elgin Historic District, a set of 697 buildings, of which 429 contribute to the district's historical integrity. Roughly bounded by Villa, Center, Park, North Liberty and South Channing Streets, the 206-acre area covers the oldest portion of the city and contains mostly residences and churches, also an art museum, masonic temple, Elgin Academy, First Universalist Church and the Clifford-Davidson House. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The first settlers arrived in Elgin in 1835. The cobblestone/Second Empire designed Clifford-Davidson House was built in 1850 and Elgin Academy was completed in 1856, the First National Bank of Elgin in 1865. In 1924, the Laura Davidson Sears Academy of Fine Arts opened on Academy Place. It houses works by John Singleton Copley, George Inness, Benjamin West and John James Audubon. The district also includes Clifford Park, the city's first public park which was laid out in 1844.
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