173:. In 1978, a federal grant matched $ 25,000 in renovation funds for work on the heating, wiring and insulation. However, by the late 1980's, the building had deteriorated so much that it needed major renovations, repairs and modernization. A County Board committee, including Rep. Dave Winters and Peggy McGaw (wife of former Mayor Robert McGaw) was formed to develop a plan. Working with the City who provided War Memorial funds which came from the sale of Camp Grant, a four-year $ 1.5 million restoration project began in 1988.
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building had started to deteriorate due to lack of maintenance. In the 1980s, to help offset the costs of its upkeep, the
Winnebago County Board rented the first floor offices to the Rockford Convention and Visitor's Bureau, until early 2004. During that time, in November 2001, the Memorial Hall Board of Trustees was formed to oversee the Hall, its maintenance and its exhibits, as well as to author a report on future operations. In January 2005, Memorial Hall was officially reopened to the public for guided tours.
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36:. visited Rockford for the opening and dedication of what was then known as Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall. Although initially conceived to honor Winnebago County veterans of the Mexican War, Civil War, and Spanish-American War, supporters of the hall adapted it to honor Winnebago County veterans of all decades. The building is administered by the Winnebago County Board.
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86:, commander of the Garrett L. Nevius Post #1 of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), presented a petition with signatures from than 200 veterans requesting the county build a Memorial Hall. The petition asked that the hall not only act as a memorial for veterans of the county but also be used for other county purposes.
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On the same day that
Roosevelt dedicated Memorial Hall, the local Civil War veterans held their first meeting in the building. Over the century of existence, Memorial Hall has hosted a total of over 60 different veterans or associated military groups for various events and meetings. In 1966, a large
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The lawn on the east side of the building underwent extensive renovation in 2016. It is now home to the
Armistice-Memorial to Peace, which is a memorial to honor Veterans and educate the community of past Armistice/Veterans Day events at its location as well as inform visitors about the County owned
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The architecture of
Veterans Memorial Hall is classical Greek revival meaning that two sides are identical. The building has stairs with columns and doubles doors on the east and west sides, making them visually identical sides. Decorative façades of Indiana Bedford limestone cover all four sides of
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Exhibits include the 18 bronze plaques containing the names of those from
Winnebago County who fought and died in the Civil War, along with memorabilia form veterans extending from the Civil War to the current Iraq conflict. Some articles on display include a commemorative plaque cast of metal from
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The Hall was threatened with demolition in the 1960s when the County Board proposed to demolish the hall in favor of building a parking ramp in order to extend the parking lot located next to it. The Hall's future was assured when, in 1974, the building was named an
Illinois Historical Landmark. In
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February 1903, a committee of five including: J.B. Whitehead, Col. Thomas L. Lawler, Amasa Hutchins, Col. Arthur E. Fisher, and William Andrews, was named to draft a letter of invitation to President Theodore Roosevelt to be present at the dedication. This committee was authorized to outline the
61:. Permanente exhibits include large wall mounted bronze plaques containing the names of those from Winnebago County who fought and died in the Civil War. Over time, several paintings were irreparably damaged or lost due to poor maintenance and pollution; others have been covered up or painted over.
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Veterans
Memorial Hall contains three floors, including the basement, all of which are serviced by an elevator. An auditorium and stage take up most of the upper floor. Numerous museum exhibits fill the main floor and the basement level also has exhibits and conference space. The building continues
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the building. Carved in the stone portico of the building on the west façade are the words "Soldiers and
Sailors Memorial Hall" and the date "1902". The red tile roof is topped with a skylight. Flagpoles stand on both the east and west sides of the building and a sign acknowledging Main Street as a
188:, artifacts from a local soldiers time serving the Philippine-American War and Mexican–American War, and items form a local Air Force veterans that spent 6 years at the Hanoi Hilton. Other artifacts from 20th & 21st century veterans are on display, with a constant rotation of smaller exhibits.
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Phase one included the main floor and downstairs; phase two, the landscaping and phase three: the auditorium. Under the eye of architect Joe Zimmer, the building was restored. In 1988, a four-year, $ 1.5 million restoration project began in response to the parking garage attempt and the fact the
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The idea of a memorial to honor the veterans from
Winnebago County was brought up as early as 1866 when W.P. Kinney, minister of the Second Congregational Church, proposed some sort of monument to honor the memory of the 2,109 soldiers and sailors from Winnebago County that served in the
29:(formerly known as Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall) one of the oldest museums in Winnebago County, is located one block west of the Rock River in downtown Rockford. Construction on the Hall began in 1901 and was finished in 1902, but dedication was delayed. On June 3, 1903,
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program for the day. On June 3, 1903, a reception committee of leading citizens from Rockford and Winnebago County met Roosevelt at the train station, open carriages transported him and his party to Memorial Hall. Afterward, he raised a flag which had been flown on the
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to serve its original mission of honoring local veterans as a museum of all wars. The interior walls are elaborately painted with symbols and names associated with the Civil War and the Civil War veterans’ associations, The Spanish American War Veterans and the
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During the Camp Grant era the Memorial Hall, as it was still called, was on a list of suggested places for soldiers to visit. The Relief Corps and other Veteran groups served low-cost meals to soldiers and hosted social events for the soldiers in WW1 and WW2.
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In November 1944 Rockford Nevius Post 1 of the G.A.R. officially disbands and hands over control of the Hall to the VFW. Unfortunately the building continues to deteriorate and begins to fall further into disrepair.
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stone marker commemorating the Hall’s dedication was placed on the west side of the building in front of the entrance, and in 1973, a small garden dedicated to the veterans of the Vietnam War was added.
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In 1900, the question of a Memorial Hall was put to voters of Winnebago County; the vote ended in favor of a memorial, at 6,021 to 2,757. In December of that year,
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Roosevelt returned to Rockford two more times; once on April 6, 1912 and again on September 26, 1917, when he addressed the troops at nearby
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quarry. Construction of Memorial Hall was completed in 18 months for a total cost of $ 59,136.
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University and college buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places
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Civil War Statue mounted on a column from Rockford’s original Carnegie Library.
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Monuments and memorials on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois
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Meeting Minutes of Winnebago County Board of Supervisors meeting, 1900 – 1903
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Meeting Minutes of Winnebago County Board of Supervisors meeting, 1900 – 1903
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Veterans Memorial Hall at Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
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Crowds present to hear President T. Roosevelt dedicate the Memorial Hall
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Past and Present of the City of Rockford and Winnebago County, Illinois
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List of jails and prisons on the National Register of Historic Places
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Notes from Margaret Downing, “Memorial Hall Stands Tall at Age 100.”
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National Register of Historic Places in Winnebago County, Illinois
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University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine Rockford
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Monuments and Memorials Tour, Rockford's Main Street District
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Spanish–American War memorials in the United States
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Grand Army of the Republic buildings and structures
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History of the National Register of Historic Places
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666:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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507:Chicago Rockford International Airport
165:1976, Memorial Hall was placed on the
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284:Church, Charles A. and H. H. Waldo.
167:National Register of Historic Places
393:Rockford Public School District 205
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1081:National Historic Preservation Act
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537:Kenneth and Phyllis Laurent House
27:Veterans Memorial Hall and Museum
22:Veterans Memorial Hall and Museum
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1189:1903 establishments in Illinois
198:74th Illinois Infantry Regiment
1034:Federated States of Micronesia
680:Architectural style categories
446:Rockford Christian High School
288:. Chicago: S. J. Clarke, 1905.
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451:Rockford Lutheran High School
89:The building was designed by
49:graces the west side garden.
408:Thomas Jefferson High School
431:Boylan Catholic High School
217:Hanson, Duane (June 1975).
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1086:Historic Preservation Fund
1065:American Legation, Morocco
436:Christian Life High School
171:United States Bicentennial
59:Grand Army of the Republic
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512:Anderson Japanese Gardens
470:Colleges and universities
413:Rockford East High School
1008:Northern Mariana Islands
627:This list is incomplete.
441:Keith Country Day School
266:. Veterans Memorial Hall
91:Bradley & Carpenter
1003:Minor Outlying Islands
986:Lists by insular areas
700:Keeper of the Register
577:Rockford Register Star
547:Bengt Sjostrom Theatre
517:BMO Harris Bank Center
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235:on December 12, 2013
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268:. Retrieved
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847:Mississippi
762:Connecticut
239:December 7,
134:World War I
40:Description
1143:Categories
962:Washington
882:New Mexico
877:New Jersey
752:California
591:Television
204:References
130:Camp Grant
101:Dedication
972:Wisconsin
937:Tennessee
842:Minnesota
817:Louisiana
500:Landmarks
377:Education
114:Winnebago
108:Milwaukee
31:President
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812:Kentucky
792:Illinois
767:Delaware
757:Colorado
747:Arkansas
192:See also
140:The Hall
1074:Related
977:Wyoming
952:Vermont
857:Montana
797:Indiana
777:Georgia
772:Florida
742:Arizona
732:Alabama
613:WQRF-TV
608:WIFR-LD
132:during
65:History
912:Oregon
867:Nevada
807:Kansas
782:Hawaii
737:Alaska
673:Topics
1044:Palau
942:Texas
822:Maine
787:Idaho
570:Print
562:Media
233:(PDF)
222:(PDF)
185:Maine
998:Guam
947:Utah
902:Ohio
802:Iowa
603:WTVO
598:WREX
272:2016
241:2013
183:USS
112:USS
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
