Danville township remains the same territory that it was
in the first formation of townships. As the
territory containing the county seat in this township
has been pretty well considered in former pages.
The story of Danville township is very nearly the story
of Danville itself. This was true of the first
half century at least, although other towns have sprung
up since and now Danville township is very nearly the
story of Danville itself. This was true of the
first half century at least, although other towns have
sprung up since and now Danville township means more
than Danville and the farms surrounding it. The
population of Danville township outside of the city is
8,362.
The original plan of the present city of Danville
included Main street from perhaps about Franklin, on the
west to Hazel on the east and from the river on the
south to North street on the north. Within the
memory of some of the sons and daughters of Vermilion
county the lots north and west of where the Presbyterian
church is located was a vast cornfield. The old
log building which was known as the Gilbert
tavern with its old sign, according to the custom of the
times, hanging from a tree near by, gave place to the
more pretentious Pennsylvania House, and its rival the
McCormack House, to in due course of time
make way for the modern hotel. So it is the old
buildings have all made way for the new ones with the
single exception of the first Presbyterian church
building and the parsonage where Father Kingsbury
lived during his service to that church, these two
buildings yet standing on South Walnut street. The
historic corners of the public plaza are now covered
with modern buildings. The court house, rapidly
becoming in itself of little merit other than historic,
covers the place where the former court house stood.
The old Hubbard building gave place to the
Danville office building known as the Daniel
block some years ago; the old Shorts Bank corner
has had a modern building on its site for several years
while the First National Bank building yet makes a good
showing. The Palmer National Bank has but this
summer built on new and handsome building on the
southeast corner of the plaza where they have been
established for several years. The Temple
building, the Baum building and the Second
National Bank building are all of recent construction
and buildings of which any city might be proud. A
number of beautiful houses have been put up during the
past half dozen years. The Lindley house on
North street, the Kimbrough house on North
Vermilion street and the Powers home on North
Vermilion street are perhaps the finest resident
property in Dan-
[pg. 394]
ville. The new government building will be a great
addition to the city. It is located on the site of
Judge Davis' home, on Vermilion street.
The early buildings of Danville have all been lost to
view these many years with the exception of the old
Presbyterian church and Rev. Kingsbury house,
both on the west side of Walnut street. Other old
land marks which existed for a long time have all been
transformed into modern buildings. There was the
old log tavern which Solomon Gilbert built on the
west end of Main street. This was a pretentious
house, for the time, and no criticism was due with its
sign swinging form the limb of a tree near by.
Everything which would tend to recall that familiar
house of early day so long since passed out of sight of
the interested. Even the tree and all its
descendants have been converted into ashes and scattered
to the four winds of the heavens. This hostelry
gave place to the old Pennsylvania House and its rival,
the McCormack House. The Pennsylvania House
stood on Vermilion street and the McCormack was
on west Main street between Walnut and Franklin streets.
The Temple Building, Danville, IL
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