Browse Items (1273 total)

1766 The Oliver Typewriter Co. Woodstock, Ill. Photo by A. Stratton

This color postcard was produced between 1902, when the separate office and gateway was built in front of the original factory building, and 1906, when a large addition was…

A mouse, caught at the Chicago Industrial Home for Children in Woodstock in 1936, brought fame and a bit of fortune to the city and the Children's Home.

An article in Time magazine, December 28, 1936, tells the best version of the…

Woodstock Community High School was built in 1922 at 501 W. South St.

Looking at the landscaping, this photo was taken soon after.

A. S. Wright Druggist is printed on the front. He was in business from 1880-1840.

Auburn Post Card Mfg. Co.…

First Methodist Episcopal Church has been located at 201 W. South Street since 1871. The original frame building burned in 1923 and was replaced by this brick structure in 1924. A new church building had already been in the planning stages.

The renovation of the Old Courthouse/ Sheriff's Residence & Jail is also a rebranding effort as well. The newly remodeled building has been renamed as the Old Courthouse Center to reflect its new role as an economic incubator.

Beatrice Pond took this photo for her art photography class, donating it to the library after an exhibit.
The dome is obscured by smoke from one of the chimneys. A television antenna and two small enclosures show the working side of the building.…

The Odd Fellows Temple was built in 1906 at the corner of E. Jackson and Jefferson Streets. Other social organizations shared the building as did the post office (see ID 161). It was demolished 1983 to make room for the expansion of the State Bank of…

The residence of Leander J. Young was one of the houses featured in the Woodstock Sentinel's Special Edition December 19, 1901. The entire newspaper was devoted to promoting the idea that Woodstock was a special, and successful, place to live and do…

The exterior of the Post Office seems to be complete when compared with later photos.

There is also a rare view of the Montgomery Ward department store before the addition that doubled its original size.

At the rear a team of horses are…

Rear of the Post Office from Throop Street as it nears completion.

Good view of the building that used to be at 131 W. Van Buren. In the 1935 City Directory, the listing was for the Double Dipper--ice cream with your hamburger.

Rear view of the completed post office showing the loading dock and west and south walls. 124 S. Johnson

Also shows a clear view of the rear of Chauncy Hill's Blacksmith Shop 110 W. Calhoun (as well as 125 Van Buren)

Holding cells in the basement from the Jail's past were demolished in preparation for the renovation. The worker in this photograph can be seen using a power tool to cut through the cell bars.

Prior to the renovation, the tin ceiling of the courthouse's courtroom was extensively damaged from a hole in the roof. In this photograph, the ceiling was primed and painted, restoring the ceiling to its previous condition.

The tin ceiling of the Courthouse was in rough shape prior to the renovation project. Much of the damage stemmed from moisture entering the building through a hole in the roof near the flag pole.

The repairs to the Courthouse's tin ceiling were completed by the team at Bulley & Andrews. The crew attached new tin squares to the ceiling to recreate the design of the Old Courthouse.

The plaster was removed from the Old Courthouse's main courtroom. The room is being prepared for new primer, paint, and trim.

The Old Courthouse's courtroom was in need of a new paint job due to the moisture damage caused by the hole in the roof.

Prior to the renovation, the Sheriff Residence & Jail's basement was in an unusable state. From unlevel ground to exposed piping, the basement was unable to be used by tenants.

A panorama view of the Sheriff Residence & Jail's basement in the process of being renovated. Metal framing can be seen in the back, new subfloor has been laid, and doors were installed as well.

Staff from Elliot Concrete work to replace the Jail's lower level concrete floor. Employees in the photograph are seen leveling the newly poured concrete to ensure a smooth surface. The newly renovated Old Courthouse Center is expected to maintain a…

Courtroom ceiling was restored to its former glory with a fresh ceiling, new paint, and a rebuilt air intake system.

The construction crew is in the process of rebuilding a section of the Courthouse's basement. The room's lack of a ceiling prevented three walkways from being joined together.

While in the process of renovating the Courthouse, the construction crew installed new ceiling support beams in key places along the basement to join several walkways together.

After its conversion from government building to privately-operated site, the Old Courthouse and Jail became home to restaurants and retail stores alike.

The extensive damage to the Courthouse's roof was a driving force behind the City's motivations to renovate the property. Moisture from rain and humidty was able to enter the building unabated leading to excessive damage in many parts of the…

The renovation includes the construction of geothermal vents underneath the parking lot to provide low-cost heating and cooling for the Old Courthouse Center. At a specific depth, the temperature underground is stable year around regardless of…

Located across the street from the Old Courthouse Center, the newly-paved parking lot has been a welcomed addition to the downtown area of Woodstock.

In preparation for a new stairwell to join the Old Courthouse and Sheriff's Residence/ Jail, the construction crew prepares an exterior steel structure.

Connecting stairwell between both buildings nears completion; elevator shaft added to improve accessibility. A primary goal of the new renovation was to update the building to be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. An elevator is…

The exterior structure of the new building connector is nearing completion with windows being framed to allow for ample natural light to the stairwell.

The first floor of the Sheriff's Residence & Jail prior to the renovation. The steel bars on the windows are from the building's past and serve as a reminder of the vital role that the Sheriff's Residence and Jail played in securing suspects…

The first floor kitchen of the Sheriff's Residence & Jail after the renovation. Among the new tenants, a restaurant is slated to begin operating by early August 2023.

Many areas of the basement of the Sheriff Residence & Jail required extensive repairs. This section of the basement lacked load-bearing beams at critical junctures requiring additional bracing to add support. In addition, it also required a new floor…

This particular section of the Jail basement needed new support beams to safely bear the load of the floor above. In the photograph, crew employees can be seen securing the new support braces into the concrete below.

A primary goal of the Jail's basement renovation was to refurbish the floor. The previous concrete slab in the basement was significantly degraded and could not be safely used by the building's tenants.

Photograph of courthouse's courtroom ceiling post-demolition. The exposed rafters indicate a total renovation of the ceiling.

Postcard title: City Hall, Woodstock, Ill. #6203
The postcard is post marked March 24, 1914
Taken from the street near Benton, it shows the Opera House without a fire escape. The dirt streets and the rope on post railing on the square indicate…

Woodstock Square park with the Spring House as the focal point. The sign "The Macks Tonight" dates the photo:

Keep your eye on THE FRONT WINDOW
Don’t fail to be at J. J. Stafford’s afore at 7:30 o’clock sharp Wednesday night and witness the…

This postcard, published circa 1910, shows the Cyrus Durfee House, 401 W. Jackson, during the years it was a hotel. Cyrus Durfee built his "mansion" in 1867. The Woodstock Sentinel extolled it as "One of the largest, most convenient, and best…

Important to Chicago Builders. -Sealed proposals will be received until January 21st, 1856, by Neil Donnelly, Esq., Woodstock, Ill., for building a Courthouse and jail for McHenry County. The main building is to be 44 feet square, with four end…

By Messrs. Van Osdel & BaumanHotel at Princeton, $20,000.Grundy County Courthouse, Morris, $20,000.Collegiate Institute at Marengo, $20,000.Catholic Church at Bridgeport, $16,000.Three dwelling houses at Dubuque, $32,000.Odd Fellows Hall,…

Expensive Courthouse. -The Board of Supervisors of McHenry County, Ill., have contracted for the building of a Courthouse at Woodstock, for the sum of $36,000.

The logo of the Chicago Tribune from a 2010 sales catalog.

The view from the top of the courthouse's dome. The structure of the dome was renovated in 2014 with new paint and a new copper exterior. This photograph was taken to provide perspective to the height of the dome. Woodstock Square Park is featured in…

As part of the 2014 renovation, the courthouse's dome was fitted with an outer layer of copper to protect the dome from both the elements as well as lightning strikes. Copper is frequently used on domes due to its high tensile strength and…

In this photograph, the malleability of copper is on full display. The hammered down edges along the rim help provide a water-tight seal protecting the dome from water damage. The strength, durability, and versatility of copper as a building material…

A photograph of the courthouse dome's exterior support pillars. These pillars secure the dome to the building's roof.
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