User:Gopokesyessirrr/Plainfield, Illinois

Downtown (Lockport St.)
In the mid 1800's, the business district of Plainfield consisted of wood-framed buildings of all shapes and sizes, yet between 1-2 stories high, and commonly had projecting awnings of wood and metal, along with either false fronted, horizontal wood cornices or large display windows. There were wood plank sidewalks that were elevated 2ft above the dirt roads on a limestone foundation. The last wood-framed building constructed on Lockport St. was in 1869, and the first masonry buildings constructed along Lockport St. were in 1865, and the post 1870 masonry buildings introduced a new commercial look where common design themes began to integrate the buildings together; including: identical floor and roof lines, cast iron storefronts with larger windows, operable canvas awnings, stamped metal cornices, etc..

Early Churches
The early church buildings of Plainfield were wood-framed and imposed Greek Revival and Gothic Revival edifices along the dirt roads. In the 1850's, four different congregations built churches along Lockport street, including the Methodists, Congregationalists, the Baptists, and the Evangelicals.

In 1836 the Methodists built a wood-framed church (located on present-day Lockport street), and in 1868 they built another church much larger and of limestone (located on present-day Illinois street in downtown Plainfield). The original church built in 1836 was later converted into a business on the first floor and a social hall on the second floor.

In 1850 the Congregational Church (located at present-day Lockport and Illinois streets) was built and cost $2,200. The east wing of the church was added in 1907.

In 1836 the Baptist church erected their first church, sized at 26ft by 36ft, and cost of $2,500. This church was later turned into a blacksmith shop in 1857 following the construction of a new church that costed $4,500-$5,000, and burned down in 1914, then rebuilt on the same site again (located at present-day Division and Lockport streets).

Town Hall Opera House
In 1841 the Town Hall Opera House was built by the Universalist church, and in 1911 it was adopted by the town of Plainfield to be used as the town hall and an opera house and has since been renovated many times. Through all the renovations, the building still has its original Greek trim, and it features a typical Greek entablature supported by all four corners.