Downtown Peotone Historic District

Downtown Peotone is a small commercial district in southern Will County, Illinois, centered on North Second Street. It grew after the railroad crossed the prairie in 1855; the town was surveyed in 1857 and incorporated in 1869. Early wood frame buildings were replaced after demolition or fire by masonry structures, and only two nineteenth century wood frame buildings remain. Most of the 42 resources are one- and two-story buildings from 1886 to 1914, many of them Two-Part Commercial Blocks with cast iron storefronts, recessed entries and pressed metal cornices. A fire in 1913 prompted new construction that added plumbing, electricity and central heating and used poured concrete foundations. Queen Anne details appear on several commercial and residential buildings, and mid-century additions include a 1946 bowling center and a 1949 Lustron house. Thirty-seven buildings contribute to the district. Despite alterations, the group conveys the town's architectural change from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s and its commercial growth.