Granite City

From YMCA to Lofts

The 1924 YMCA building in Granite City, IL, is a beautiful old brick building which has been converted into affordable housing:

I love the green tile accents that provide a subtle pop of color!

Even thought it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, the building sat empty for a long time, and I’m glad to see it was rescued before falling into complete disrepair!

I wish we could find more ways and interest to repurpose old buildings with solid architecture and design ike this…it’s a good way of not only preserving history and beauty, but also creating less waste for our communities.

The Washington Theatre

Here’s one more vintage road sign restored and relocated to the “It’s Electric” neon sign park in Granite City. This time, it’s for the old Washington Theatre, which was located on 19th Street in Granite City.

Reese Drugs

It’s been a bit since I’ve taken a look at a sign from the It’s Electric Neon Sign Park in Granity City…here’s the old sign from Reese Drugs, which began as a single store in Granite City in 1923 before expanding to other locations in the area.

Lascelles Building, Granite City

I was intrigued by the Lascelles building at 1324 Niedringhaus in Granite City when I saw it…it has a definite wedge shape, but is perhaps not the distinctive and narrower flatiron that is usually associated with that type of structure. It dates to 1917, when it unsurprisingly opened as a bank (it seems like all the best architecture in the area had a beginning as a financial institution), and has also been home to a restaurant as well as office space.

Niedringhaus Library Building

I love old library buildings…this one in Granite City is especially striking because of the tall staircase to the entrance. The arched windows are also lovely…it looks like a wonderful place to select a book or five!

The Space Between

I really like the space between these two building in Granite City, IL because the different depths between the two makes it visually interesting and the green accents on the building on the right add a nice pop of color.

Hudson’s Jewelry

Here’s a closer look at the Hudson’s Jewelry sign from the “It’s Electric” neon sign park…I love the clock built right into it!

“It’s Electric” Neon Sign Park

Last week, we ventured over to Granite City, IL, to see the fairly new “It’s Electric” neon sign park at the intersection of 19th Street and Delmar Avenue. It’s pretty small (there are only three vintage signs…I don’t know if they plan to add more in the future), but really cool!

There’s a Sinclair DINO on display:

And a miniature replica of the old Chain of Rocks bridge, complete with love locks:

Plus a couple of cool murals:

And what I assume is a replica of a vintage billboard:

I’ll be taking a closer look at each of the vintage signs in the coming days/weeks, too!