County of building: Saline County
Location of building: E. Locust St. & Cherry St., Harrisburg
Architect: Harry E. Boyle & Co.
Contractor: Brannon & Parker
Listed on the NRHP: 1998
"Harrisburg was plotted as a village on 20 acres in 1853. It became the county seat six years later. In 1861, as it approached a population of 500, it became a town. In 1889, with a population of 1,500, Harrisburg became a city, with an alderman form of government. It adopted the commission form in 1915.
"There are a few distinctly prominent surnames in Harrisburg that helped make this little town prosper during the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. A few of those names are, Pruett, Gaskins, Seten, Skaggs (Charles Skaggs, second mayor and Illinoisstate representative who brought electricity to Harrisburg), Mitchell, Harris, Sloan, Dorris, Feazel, Cummins, and Parish. Those family names along with others such as the Grangers, McKinleys, McHaneys, Shaws, Tuttles, Barnetts, and Websters are forever commemorated within the street names and older buildings within the town. Many families within Harrisburg today carry those family names and hardly a single deed within the city changed hands without one of these families being involved.
"Coal mining was one of the city’s biggest industries. In 1854, the first slope coal mine began operations southeast of the community. At first, the coal was carried by wagon to area homes and businesses and used for heating. After the Civil War, coal production became an important industry in the county. The first shaft mine was sunk in 1873 or 1874. This was followed by the creation of several more shaft mines and by an influx of settlers drawn to the area to work the mines. By 1906, the county was producing more than 500,000 tons of coal annually, with more than 1,000 miners at work." ~ The City of Harrisburg