Quincy East End Historic District

Quincy's East End is a 250-acre residential district on the eastern side of the Mississippi River city in western Illinois. It holds 556 structures, of which 493 contribute to its character and 65 do not. Much of it lies on land deeded to Quincy founder John Wood in 1825, and his Greek Revival mansion of 1835 is among its oldest houses. As affluent families moved eastward from the river, they built large houses with generous lawns, carriage houses and ballrooms. The district shows nearly every formal style used in the Mid-West from the 1830s to the 1930s, including Italianate, Second Empire, Richardsonian Romanesque, Queen Anne, Prairie and International. Local architects such as Ernest Wood, Harvey Chatten, John Batchy and George Behrensmeyer designed many buildings, alongside Joseph Lyman Silsbee, and German masons and carpenters added fine craftsmanship. Residents included Lorenzo Bull, Jonathan Parkhurst and the Gardner family. The district was listed for its architectural integrity and its record of Quincy's growth.