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 In
late 1997 and early 1998 Fever River Research conducted an
architectural survey of the West Side Capitol Neighborhood in
Springfield, Illinois. This project represented one component of
the City of Springfield’s Historic Sites Commission’s long-term
objective of surveying the entire one-square mile area comprising
the historic core of the community. The West Side Capitol
Neighborhood is located directly west of the original town plat of
Springfield, and immediately west of the State of Illinois’s
Capitol. Prior to the Civil War, this area was lightly developed,
being marked by scattered homes and “suburban” estates. Development
accelerated in the 1870s, following the construction of the present
Capitol building and the completion of a horse-drawn trolley line
down Monroe Street (connecting the city’s downtown with recreational
facilities located along the western fringe of the community). The
project area quickly developed into an urban neighborhood occupied
by a wide range of working class and white-collar workers. The
modern expansion of the Capitol Complex has encroached upon the
eastern edge of the historic neighborhood. Through the course of
this project, Fever River Research documented 258 buildings, over
95 percent of which pre-date 1948. The survey and documentation of these
structures has resulted in a much better understanding of the
architectural history of this community and has identified several
structures of architectural significance that warrant preservation.
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