Hotel Arthur , also commonly known as the Traction Terminal Building , is a historic, six-story building in Aurora , Illinois . It was originally designed as a hotel to service travelers on the Fox River . The Aurora, Elgin and Chicago Railroad relocated their headquarters here in 1915, and the building became the final station on the Aurora branch.
19-584: Leland Tower is a twenty-two-story building on Stolp Island in Aurora, Illinois . Leland Tower was at one point the tallest building in Illinois outside of Chicago. Stolp Island is recognized as a Historical District by the National Register of Historic Places . Leland Tower was built initially as a hotel. The Leland Hotel project was conceived in 1926 and was one of the most ambitious projects in
38-555: A fun place to take their dates. Philip K. Wrigley , fan dancer Sally Rand , and the singing cowboy Gene Autry are some of the famous names seen there. Recordings were made there by such famous blues musicians as John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson . In the 1960s, the times and the economy caused the hotel once known as "The Aurora-Leland Hotel", the "Illinois Hotel" and the "Leland Hotel" to stop operations. The tower subsequently housed microwave transmitter link of defunct WLXT-TV Channel 60, an Aurora TV station which signed on in 1969. It
57-456: Is blocked by an adjacent building on the first three floors. The remaining floors are undetailed brick, but do have double-hung windows matching the southern facade. There is also a faded paint advertisement on this side. Similarly, the western facade is blocked on the first two floors with windows and a faded painted sign. The ground floor was remodeled in 1966 to become a restaurant. The upper floors, which have hardwood floors, are accessed through
76-475: The Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy Roundhouse and Locomotive Shop was constructed in 1856. Prior to this point, commercial development was strictly fit to meet local needs, but the new train station and shops provided new customers. In 1857, following efforts by William Parker, the two cities joined as one city. The city charter was approved on the condition that a new city hall would be built on Stolp Island. It
95-609: The Fox River in Aurora, Illinois . In 1986 the island and its 41 buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Stolp Island Historic District . It covers 0.03 square miles (0.1 km ) of land area. The island is named after Joseph Stolp who purchased the island for $ 12.72 in 1848. He constructed a mill on the island with Zaphna Lake and the McCarty brothers. The dam for
114-487: The Mayan Revival architecture style. A third major hotel, Leland Tower , was constructed across the street in 1928 and was operated by the same family as Hotel Arthur. When it opened, Hotel Leland was the tallest building in Illinois outside out Chicago. The Rapp and Rapp Paramount Theatre opened in 1931 and operated continuously until a 1976 restoration. Hotel Arthur The Renaissance Revival building
133-581: The city's history. The project was announced by an organization known as the Aurora Building Corporation through Herbert P. Heiss of the First Illinois Company. Mr. Heiss had located and purchased the site for the proposed hotel. The building contract was awarded to the H.G. Christman Company, general contractors of South Bend, Indiana and Detroit, Michigan. Anker Sveere Graven and Arthur Guy Mayger were chosen to design
152-509: The demand for rail traffic. With decreased usage of the Aurora train system, the downtown area fell into disrepair. The upper floors were abandoned in the 1960s and the last business moved out of the ground floor in 2003. The building is currently being converted into a condominium complex. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 15, 2005. The exterior is pressed red brick with Indiana Limestone courses above and below
171-460: The hotel. The Aurora-Leland Hotel had all the modern amenities of the time, including telephones in every room. Topping this skyscraper was the Sky Club, a dinner and dancing club outfitted with elaborate decor and furnishings of the highest quality. The views from the Sky Club as well as its elegance made it a place to see and be seen by local socialites. "Swanks" from Chicago thought the Sky Club
190-527: The mill was completed in 1835. By 1848, the town had grown to over 1,000 people. As Aurora grew, the Fox River caused a separation between the two halves of the city, leading to animosity between them. Stolp Island, then, became an ideal location for Aurora's government structures, as it was not confined to either side. East Aurora was incorporated as a city in 1845, and West Aurora followed in 1854. The Aurora area received its first major economical boost when
209-507: The owner. In 1915, the Aurora, Elgin and Chicago Railroad leased the building serve as their headquarters . Renamed the Traction Terminal Building, the first floor was converted into a waiting station and diner . Other professional entities, such as health care practices and insurance offices, also moved into the building on upper levels. Later that year, the building passed to John Knell, Jr. Like his father, Knell
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#1732801081155228-423: The second floor and above the fifth floor. Windows on the other floors have limestone sills. The southern (Galena Blvd.) elevation has ten windows per floor while the eastern (Broadway Ave.) elevation has four windows per floor. The east side originally had eight windows, but the 1906 and 1912 additions to the west side of the structure provided an additional two. Most floors have wood-framed double hung windows, while
247-469: The sixth floor has arched windows. A decorative cornice adorns the top of the building with a dentil course. The cornice is mostly limestone, except for the area above the additions which is metal. A metal fire escape runs along two of the windows on the Galena Blvd. facade. The first floor was originally rusticated limestone before it was replaced with glass storefronts in 1937. The northern facade
266-686: The tallest building in Aurora. The Renaissance Revival structure was built in hopes that the newly expanded north end would help Stolp Island become a major attraction. Two office buildings were designed in the Prairie Style by George Grant Elmslie : the Keystone Building (1923) and the Graham Building (1926). The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks constructed the Aurora Elks Lodge No. 705 in 1926, in
285-565: Was a successful businessman and was president of the All-Steel Equipment Company for forty years. The twenty-year lease to the railroad ended in 1935, but the Traction Terminal name stuck with the building. It continued to house small businesses on the ground floor and practices on upper floors. Storefront windows were installed in 1937. The building prospered through the 1950s, until new highways diminished
304-545: Was constructed in 1865 and featured a post office on the first floor. Public organizations also saw Stolp as an ideal island to serve both sides of Aurora. The Grand Army of the Republic Hall was opened in 1877 to serve Grand Army of the Republic Post No. 20. The island also housed a Carnegie library and the first YMCA building. In the 1920s, the north end of the island, previously prone to flooding,
323-408: Was constructed in 1905 and initially functioned as a hotel . John Knell, Sr., a beer wholesaler who immigrated from Germany, commissioned the building in 1904. Upon completion, Hotel Arthur was the tallest building in Aurora, surpassed in 1917 by Hotel Aurora . It was the only hotel on the east side of the Fox River . The hotel was designed by Eugene Malmer and named after Arthur Knell, the brother of
342-526: Was expanded and reinforced with landfill . While Aurora became a major steel exporter in the early 20th century, Stolp Island was used exclusively for commercial and public uses. In 1907, the Columbia Conservatory of Music was built as a school for music, art, dancing, and foreign languages. It was presided over by Harry Rutt Detweiler and closed when he decided to retire. Hotel Aurora was constructed in 1917 and surpassed Hotel Arthur as
361-400: Was on the air afternoons, evenings and weekends. It also served as the transmitter site of 107.9 WAUR-FM . Leland Tower is also known locally for its elaborate holiday decorations, including an 8-story tall shooting star and Christmas tree on the roof. The Aurora Beacon News, February 7, 1928 The Aurora Beacon News, August 23, 1984 Stolp Island Stolp Island is a small island in
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