Turner Hall Named On Top 10 List
This year’s list of threatened sites was announced on April 6th at a press conference at the State Capitol in Springfield.
Local Preservation Official Urges Mayor to Save Building
Belleville News Democrat Belatedly Reports on Petition
Local Paper Ignores Petition Filing
This news ignored
On Feb. 1 at the Belleville City Council meeting, Andrea Cox submitted a petition with more than 680 signatures urging city leaders to preserve Turner Hall (on the first block of North First Street). Andrea spoke before the council during the public comment period and presented copies of the petition to each alderman and to the mayor.
City Council Meeting 1 Feb 2010 - Petition to be Submitted
Mrs. Cox will use the two minute public comment period to offer the signatures in the form of a petition. The signatures were gathered at the downtown business owned by Mrs. Cox, and reflect the desires of patrons, many of whom live or work in downtown Belleville.
Please come and show your support for this effort merely by your presence. For more information, send an email directly to Mrs. Cox at andrea@oregontrailroasting.com.
Turner Hall to be nominated for Ten Most Endangered historic sites in Illinois
Mayor's Special Committee to Hear Ideas
BELLEVILLE’S TURNER HALL IN WAR AND PEACE, by Robert Brunkow
Belleville Needs an Arts and Performance Center
Located right next to the Public Square, where Art on the Square takes place each year, is the Belleville Turners building, now owned by the city. This structure, though in need of repair, would be ideal for creating an artists ground-zero. The City could accept offers (they pay us) to renovate the upstairs locations as artist lofts where artists are able ...<< MORE >>
The Perfect Storm (Stimulus to the Rescue)
Even though states have already submitted project lists ...<< MORE >>
No Building is Beyond Repair (or Restoration)
The former owner’s neglect left the house and grounds "in a dreadful state of disrepair." The orchards, terraced gardens, flower borders, walkways, and roads had "all but disappeared". The outbuildings had fallen; the lawns were uprooted by pigs. The front steps were decayed and broken, and the west steps were covered with mud and muck that had accumulated for years. The gutters and downspouts were falling away, the roof and skylights were rotting, windows were broken, and the basement was filled with water. Someone had stabled cattle in the basement during the winter and stored grain in the once-elegant drawing rooms. Souvenir hunters had chipped away much.
Click here to find out what prominent building this was.
"Not for Ourselves, but for Others": The Belleville Turners
[This is an earlier version of a history written by Bob Brunkow and presented by Judy Belleville to the City of Belleville YMCA Building Committee on 22 April, 2009]
On a warm June day in 1924, upwards of 2,000 people turned out for the dedication of the Belleville Turners’ new hall. Press coverage marveled at the scale of the building—it housed the largest Turner gym in the United States, the quality of the workmanship, and the speed with which the $125,000 ($1.5 million in 2009 dollars) facility had been constructed. The Turners had come a long way since 1851, ...<< MORE >>
Recent Article on the Belleville Turner's Building (Old YMCA)
http://suburbanjournals.stltoday.com/articles/2009/02/25/stclair/news//0225fhj-bvoldymca.txt
Here's why we must save the Y
The Case for Preserving the Historic Turner (Old YMCA) Building in Belleville*
1. Public Infrastructure. Almost without exception, historic buildings are where public infrastructure already exists. No new water lines, sewer lines, streets, curbs or gutters are required.
2. Municipalities need financial resources if they are going to grow smart. Vacant, unused and underused historic buildings brought back to life are also brought back as tax-generating assets for a community.
3. New activities - residential, retail, office and manufacturing - in historic buildings inherently reinforces the viability of public ...<< MORE >>
Just Leave It Alone
by Theodore W. Hild, Chief of Staff
Preservation Services Division
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
Reprinted from a magazine article dated June 2002:
It takes a lot of time to make old buildings. Sometimes they just have to be put on the back burner and left to simmer for a few decades until they are ready to be significant. Sometimes while sitting there they get swept away in periodic bursts of urban renewal fervor, demolished in a fit of redevelopment frenzy, or remodeled into something completely different. Survivors bide their time waiting quietly for the ...<< MORE >>
What's Going On with the Turner Building (Old YMCA)
Historical Significance of the Turner Building (Old YMCA)
In 1870, 90% of Belleville's population was German or of German extraction. The German migration which began in 1818 swelled in the 1830s and 1840s and continued through the Civil War. The emigration pattern closely paralleled political unrest and a desire for democracy in Germany. The promotion of a unified Germany and an interest in creating a Democratic Germany became a political issue with the Turnverein. ...<< MORE >>
All about the Turner Building (Old YMCA)
