Peace and Harvest
Also known as: Statues on the "grassy knoll"
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Two limestone figures, a man called "Peace" and a woman called "Harvest," stand about eight feet tall in a small courtyard on the Peoria County Courthouse plaza. The man holds a young dove and rests a shovel on his leg, recalling swords turned into plowshares; the woman carries produce in her apron. Sculptor Mary Andersen Clark made them in the 1930s as part of the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project. They were unveiled on September 3, 1939, at the Peoria Municipal Tuberculosis Sanitarium and moved to the plaza in 1976. The nomination argues that they represent the quality of design produced by Illinois Art Project artists during the Depression, in a style related to Art Deco. Clark competed against other sculptors in the project for the commission, and most Federal Art Project works were small pieces rather than full-scale stone. The statues are described as the only Depression Modern stone sculpture in Peoria County.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the statues meet Criterion C as sculpture representing the competent design quality of artists in the WPA Federal Art Project. It describes the style as "Depression Modern," related to Art Deco, and calls them the only examples of that stone sculpture in Peoria County. A professor of the Illinois Art Project history ranked them among the best WPA art nationally.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 87002527, listed February 16, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jefferson and Hamilton Sts., Peoria |
|---|---|
| County | Peoria County |
| Listed | February 16, 1994 |
| Reference number | 87002527 |
| Resource type | Object |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific date 1939) |
| Architect / builder | Mary Andersen Clark |
| Architectural style | Depression Modern (related to Art Deco) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | At nomination the statues were described as in good condition and set at the courthouse plaza after a 1976 move. A later review sheet records their removal from that site after the 1988 listing, with the statues in storage, and recommends removal from the Register. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Downtown Peoria Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.69321, -89.58919 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 87002527.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7157483
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.