Discover 5 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Litchfield (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center, Litchfield Public Library, and Brown Shoe Company Factory. Also, be sure to include Litchfield Elks Lodge No. 654 in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Litchfield (Illinois).
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Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center
Specialty museum, Museum
Address: 334 Historic Old Route 66, Litchfield
Litchfield Public Library
Public library in Litchfield, Illinois. The Litchfield Public Library is a Carnegie library located at 400 N. State St. in Litchfield, Illinois. The library was built in 1904-05 through a $10,000 donation from the Carnegie Foundation.[1]
Address: 400 N State St, Litchfield
Brown Shoe Company Factory
The Brown Shoe Company Factory is a historic factory located at 212 S. State St. in Litchfield, Illinois. The factory opened in 1917 to produce shoes for the St. Louis-based Brown Shoe Company. Prominent St. Louis architect Albert B. Groves designed the factory, which was one of twelve he designed for the company. The factory became Litchfield's second-largest industry and brought the community prosperity through the Great Depression; in addition, its employees formed a civic organization that created a public park on company property. The factory closed in 1967; it was later used by cabinet manufacturer Adenca.
The factory was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 15, 2006.[2]
Litchfield Elks Lodge No. 654
Historical landmark in Litchfield, Illinois. The Litchfield Elks Lodge No. 654, also known as Elks Club, is an Elks building located at 424 N. Monroe St. in Litchfield, Illinois. The building was constructed in 1923 for Litchfield's Elks lodge, which formed in 1901. Architect Oliver W. Stiegemeyer designed the building in a Classical Revival plan with a significant Beaux-Arts influence, particularly in its form. The main section of the front facade has five bays and features terra cotta pilasters along the corner bays. The building's front porch, which projects from the three center bays, has a balustrade supported by three arches and decorated with terra cotta. The red tile mansard roof has five dormers and a bracketed cornice along the bottom.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.[3]
Samuel Moody Grubbs House
Historical landmark in Litchfield, Illinois. The Samuel Moody Grubbs House is a historic house located at 805 E. Union Ave. in Litchfield, Illinois. The house was built in 1873-74 for Samuel Moody Grubbs, a banker who later became Litchfield's mayor. George Ingham Barnett, a prominent St. Louis architect, designed the Second Empire house; it is the only standing Barnett design in Illinois. The design is typical of the second half of Barnett's career, when he shifted from Italianate to Second Empire designs, and represents a popular style in postbellum America. A mansard roof with slate tiles tops the house; a cornice running along the roofline features paired brackets. The front of the house features a wraparound porch supported by columns. The house's corners have bold quoins. In a deviation from the typical rectangular plans of Second Empire houses, Barnett gave the house a cross axis plan with projecting wings.
The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 21, 1990.[4]