Converse Manorbuilt 1880
A history of 1125 Main Street
The home at 1125 Main Street stands as a proud
reminder of Peoria’s past. We invite you to explore its
history, celebrate the family and times that created it,
and learn about the people who occupy it today.F
“From the brow of the bluff a
charming view captivates the eye.
The busy city, with its hum of
industry in the foreground, the
waters of the lake sparkling in
the sunshine, and on the other
shore the bluffs covered with
verdure or glowing in the bright
tints of autumn, form a picture
of rare beauty.”
—P
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The Peoria of the 1880s was an exciting and active
community, a center of industry, and a city to rival
Chicago and St. Louis. Along the riverfront, factories and
distilleries spilled smoke, while the railroads and steam-
ships transported people and goods across the nation.
Downtown, the vaudeville circuit was thriving, with
Peoria an essential stop for any new act. Throughout the
city, residents relaxed at the sulfur baths, unwound at the
reading room, and entertained themselves at the opera
house. Peoria at the end of the nineteenth century was a
boomtown—with a population of 41,000 and growing.
Mr. Edward S. Easton
Mrs. Sarah D. Easton
d— P e o r i a D a i l y T r a n s c r i p t , F e b r u a r y 1 6 , 1 9 0 1
“While his educational advantages Were not of the best, e. s. easton Was naturally gifted and he acquired a surprising knoWledge of business, beginning on the loWest step of the ladder. he started out as a train boy, but combined With that occupation the prac-tice of buying grain on the street, as the farmers came to toWn. in this Way he laid the foundation of the grain firm Which bears his name.”
arriving departing track time
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One of Peoria’s most prominent residents of the late 1800s
was Edward S. Easton. Born in 1842 the son of a grain
merchant and the grandson of a Scottish immigrant,
Edward finished grade school, then joined the work force
at age 13 as a train boy on one of the earliest passenger
runs out of Peoria. He soon entered the prosperous grain
purchasing industry, buying and selling grain on the street
to the highest bidder. In 1864, he married Sarah D. Hall of
Peoria. The couple had three children, sons Charles and
George and a daughter Edna, who died at age six.
T
“The leading industry in we lead all other cities. you consider the abundant quality, water of just the cost, land at moderate river to carry away the and water transportation, freight. These are advan to surpass all other of distilled spirits.”
— P e o r i a : i t s B u s i n e s s , i t s R e s o u r c e s , a n d A t t r a c t i o n s , 1 8 8 6
this line is distilling, in which The reason is apparent when supply of grain of superior right temperature, coal at low prices, a location on a large offal, and in addition rail securing favorable rates of tages that have enabled Peoria points in the manufacture
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Edward Easton made his fortune in Peoria’s thriving
distilling industry. In 1874, he took over his father’s grain
business and formed a partnership with his brother-in-law,
Franklin Hall. Together, the two men built the Central
City elevator—and later the Phoenix elevator—to buy and
sell grain to local distilleries. Later, Edward became
vice-president of the Monarch Distilling Company, then
opened his own business, the Manhattan Distillery. It was
said at the time that, due to an exceptional deal on grain,
Edward recouped his start-up costs in just one year. He
soon became one of Peoria’s wealthiest men, known as a
“Whiskey Baron.”
In the midst of his business Mr. E. S. Easton finds time to prepare plans and specifications for his proposed new dwelling on the bluff.”
““ The E. S. Easton residence
on the west bluff is being
pushed up rapidly—a
characteristic of the owner.
Lumber and other material
is being piled up and will
soon be transformed into
an elegant home.”
In the midst of his business Mr. E. S. Easton finds time to prepare plans and specifications for his proposed new dwelling on the bluff.”
It is said that the residence about to be erected for Mr.
E. S. Easton will be the most elegant one in the city.”
“
C
— P e o r i a D a i l y T r a n s c r i p t , 1 8 8 0
As a prominent Peoria businessman and resident, Edward
Easton was always in the public eye, most notably when
construction began on his new manor home at the top of
Main Street hill in 1880. Designed by renowned Swedish
architect Charles Ulrichson, the manor was built by five
construction crews in less than one year. It cost more than
$30,000, extravagant at a time when neighboring houses
cost a mere $5,000. Edward and his family moved into the
home in December of 1880 and hosted their first event, a
New Year’s Eve ball, shortly thereafter.
oak flooring
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medieval turret
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I“The most expensive, although the cost is not revealed, is the large and handsome residence of E. S. Easton, corner of Main and High Streets, where it commands a magnificent view of the city and country for miles around, and is so constructed and situated that each room has a fine view. Its exterior style, which is imposing and picturesque, is different from anything in Peoria, while in every point of interior arrangement, fin-ish, and modern conveniences, it is a model. Everybody will doubt-less concede that it has succeeded the Cockle mansion, now the Ingersoll, in the distinction of being the finest private residence in the city.”
—Peor ia Da i l y Transcr i p t , J anuary 1 , 1881
dOn completion, the manor stood as a masterpiece of late
Victorian architecture. Its mansard roof and tower were
characteristic of the Second Empire style, though the
Eastons added their own flourishes, including a European-
influenced turret. Throughout the home, details small and
large reflected the handiwork of countless experts. Solid
wood doors hung on elaborately patterned hinges, each
numbered and dated. Door and window frames were
handcarved from imported woods, with hardwood floors
laid in various patterns. Each room featured an elaborate
chandelier. Other luxuries included fortress-like, double-
brick wall construction, an early predecessor of modern
central air conditioning, and an elevator.
“The lawn was strikingly decorated with Japanese lanterns and locomotive headlights. Little tables specked the yard, providing places to eat ice cream and cake. Little boys all clean and proper passed quietly among the guests supplying lemonade to those wishing to partake. Pretty girls sold button hole bouquets. Trautvetter’s band livened the evening with sweet music.”
—P
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Scenes such as this would have played out in and around
the Eastons’ home, as it quickly became a center of social
activity. The third floor of the manor was built solely for
entertainment, sporting a large ballroom and a billiard room
for gentlemen guests. As there were no grand public rooms
or banquet halls at the time, wealthy homeowners felt it
necessary to build their own to entertain properly. In the
ballroom, the Eastons’ guests probably danced the popular
dance of the time, the reel. As it required vigorous and
noisy dancing, the ceilings of rooms below the ballroom
were built quite thick with soundproofing insulation.
V
passing away of edward s. easton
i t w a s n o t u n e x p e c t e d
End CaME SHorTly bEforE MIdnIgHT laST nIgHT
Members of the family at bedside as shadows fall across a busy business life.
Q
Edward S. Easton, one of the best known of Peoria’s business men, passed away at his home at the head of the Main Street hill at 11:30 o’clock last night. His demise was not unexpected. Mrs. Easton and her two sons stood at the bedside, and a united fami ly saw t h e f e e b l e spark of life flutter faintly and disappear. It is a double affliction and a sore one . Mrs. George Easton was called away but a few weeks ago, and even at that time the shadow of death was hovering over the palatial home and the days of the builder were numbered.”
“
— P e o r i a D a i l y T r a n s c r i p t , F e b r u a r y 1 6 , 1 9 0 1
f KWhen Edward Easton died in 1901, he left the manor and
his estate to his wife Sarah. It was a controversial move for
the times. Son Charles contested his father’s will in a legal
battle that lasted many years. When it ended, Sarah kept
possession of the manor but was left with little money.
Unable to maintain upkeep of the home, she sold it to Col.
John Comstock, a prominent Peoria realtor. He, his wife,
and their nine children made good use of the manor,
entertaining often in the third-floor ballroom.
N
KWXAfter the Comstock family left in the early 1900s, the
manor stood empty for decades. The ravages of time,
weather, and vandalism took their toll, and the home fell
into a state of disrepair. In 1941, relatives of the Comstock
family finally sold the building, and for the next four
decades it served as a funeral home. During this time, many
of the home’s original features were sold or destroyed, and
the third floor sat boarded up and abandoned.
“on High street, thebarons of the pastbling three-storydickensian air atthe corner of High
stands the old Easton home... its walls lit with green and red flood with its walnut paneling and third faces demolition in the coming
— P e o r i a J o u r n a l S t a r , D e c e m b e r 2 4 , 1 9 6 5
home of whisky century, the ram- homes have a Christmas. and at and Main streets Victorian white lights. The home, story ballroom, year.”
Beginning in the 1960s, the manor took center stage in the
battle between modernization and preservation. Three
times, the Peoria City Council gave the owners permission
to raze the home and construct high-rise apartments in its
place. Three times, the project fell through. Finally, in 1992,
Peoria’s Historic Preservation Committee bestowed land-
mark status on the home, protecting it from destruction.
During this time, the funeral home closed, and the house
again stood empty until 1994, when it briefly opened as
Peoria’s only bed and breakfast.
kkk
E d i t o r i a l c a r t o o n f r o m
t h e M a y 2 4 , 1 9 6 4 , P e o r i a
J o u r n a l S t a r d e p i c t i n g
t h e a p a r t m e n t b u i l d i n g t o
b e c o n s t r u c t e d w h e n t h e
m a n o r w a s d e m o l i s h e d .
‘‘
— P e o r i a J o u r n a l S t a r , 1 9 9 8
Architect Leslie Kenyon is working
on the project. ‘This is one of the
few remaining examples of Second
Empire. This is a pure example,’
Kenyon said. ‘Office use of this
building is compatible with the
large parlors and open hallways. I
am delighted the building is being
restored with such care.’
‘‘Converse Marketing, Inc. is on the move again. The next move
is to an 11,000-square-foot, Second-Empire-style building.
u
In 1997, Jane Bodman Converse purchased the manor as
the home for her growing business, Converse Marketing.
With the help of architect Leslie Kenyon, Concord
Construction Management, and many others, the home
was returned as closely as possible to its original state.
Hardwood floors, molding, and woodwork were restored
throughout. Ballroom and billiard room renovations
included replastering and replication of a portion of the
ballroom floor. Period wallcoverings, historically accurate
chandeliers, and antique furnishings were selected to reflect
the Eastons’ taste in decor. Much of the renovation was
made possible through Historic Preservation Certification,
which provides twenty percent federal tax credits to
owners restoring historic buildings.
Converse believes environment is integral to the creative work done by the writers and designers in her agency.”
— P e o r i a J o u r n a l S t a r , 1 9 9 8
“
Inside the manor today, Converse Marketing’s team of
writers, designers, account managers, and administrative
staff is hard at work helping clients achieve their goals
through marketing excellence. The company specializes in
research, communication strategies and plans, values-based
leadership consulting, and production of materials in a
range of formats—print, multimedia, internet, video, and
more. Converse welcomes visitors to the home and takes
pride in making good use of the formal parlors and the
ballroom. While the times have changed and the people are
different, once again life flows in and out the doors of the
manor on Main Street.
We will be builders of the human spirit, a
people-centered company whose work
environment attracts outstanding people and
inspires outstanding work.
We will be sought as the leaders in integrated
marketing and communication programs
that touch people, build trust, and produce
change that is strategically relevant to our
clients’ business success.
O U r V I S I O N
O
Converse Marketing, Inc.1125 Main StreetPeoria, IL 61606
p–309.672.2100
f–309.672.2111
© 1999printed in U.S.A.
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