Architectural History of Carbondale, Illinois

Maycock has traced the architectural history of Carbondale from its founding in 1852 to just prior to World War II. Like numerous other midwestern towns established along recently constructed railroads, Carbondale emerged essentially because of the newlychartered Illinois Central Railroad. The rail­road provided economic stimulus, but the personal involvement and commitment of Carbondale's citizens also proved major fac­tors in the town's architectural development. Architecturally, Carbondale followed the fashions of the times, with some local varia­tions, although like many small towns it was from 10 to 20years behind major metro­politan areas. With the exception of the uni­versity buildings, structures in Carbondale were designed and erected not by trained ar­chitects but by "local carpenters and owners who had seen buildings elsewhere or read about them in periodicals and architectural pattern books of the period." These build­ings "serve as direct reflections of the com­munity's progress at various points in its history." The present study covers 130years and digs into the roots of a typical 19th-century railroad town in Illinois. The book concen­trates on the older section of town, that which existed before the "skyrocketing en­rollments at Southern Illinois University put unforeseen pressures on the town, causing widespread demolition and alteration of older buildings to accommodate the sudden increase in population." Although Carbondale today is totally dif­ferent from the settlement laid out by Daniel Brush, the city did spring from the roots Maycock describes. Maycock gives the reader ample opportunity to compare Car­bondale then and now. About half of her 138photographs show historic Carbondale, half the contemporary city. She includes a map of early Carbondale to enable the reader to match the city as it was against the Carbondale of today. Included also is a map of rail lines, showing cities and towns along the Illi­nois Central that came into being for the same reason Carbondale did.Maycock, Susan E. is the author of 'Architectural History of Carbondale, Illinois' with ISBN 9780809311286 and ISBN 0809311283.