Stolp Island
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Stolp Island Historic District
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View of Stolp Island buildings from Downer Place
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| Location | Aurora, Illinois |
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| Coordinates | 41°45′27″N 88°18′56″W / 41.75750°N 88.31556°WCoordinates: 41°45′27″N 88°18′56″W / 41.75750°N 88.31556°W |
| Area | 0.03 square miles (0.1 km2) |
| NRHP Reference # | 86001487 |
| Added to NRHP | September 10, 1986 |
Stolp Island is a small island in the Fox River in Aurora, Illinois. In 1986 the island and its 41 buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Stolp Island Historic District. It covers 0.03 square miles (0.1 km2) of land area.
The island is named after Joseph Stolp who purchased the island for $12.72 in 1848. He constructed a mill on the island with Zaphna Lake and the McCarty brothers. The dam for the mill was completed in 1835. By 1848, the town had grown to over 1,000 people. As Aurora grew, the Fox River caused a separation between the two halves of the city, leading to animosity between them. Stolp Island, then, became an ideal location for Aurora's government structures, as it was not confined to either side.
East Aurora was incorporated as a city in 1845, and West Aurora followed in 1854. The Aurora area received its first major economical boost when the Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy Roundhouse and Locomotive Shop was constructed in 1856. Prior to this point, commercial development was strictly fit to meet local needs, but the new train station and shops provided new customers. In 1857, following efforts by William Parker, the two cities joined as one city. The city charter was approved on the condition that a new city hall would be built on Stolp Island. It was constructed in 1865 and featured a post office on the first floor.
Public organizations also saw Stolp as an ideal island to serve both sides of Aurora. The Grand Army of the Republic Hall was opened in 1877 to serve Grand Army of the Republic Post No. 20. The island also housed a Carnegie library and the first YMCA building. In the 1920s, the north end of the island, previously prone to flooding, was expanded and reinforced with landfill. While Aurora became a major steel exporter in the early 20th century, Stolp Island was used exclusively for commercial and public uses.
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