Rockford's Veterans Memorial Hall-- Part 4: Saved From Wrecking Ball Three Times

Memorial Hall has been saved from the wrecking ball three times and was renovated twice in 1966 and 1998.  To protect its historic value, it was designated an Illinois Landmark in 1974 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

Outside the east entrance of Memorial Hall is a recently renovated space entitles "Armistice: A Memorial to Peace."  Central to this memorial is a replica of a Civil War soldier on a column, affectionately known as "The Boy in Blue."

It was originally a part of a fountain outside the old courthouse on West State Street from 1900 to 1967.

While a new courthouse was being constructed, the statue was put in storage until 1969, then paced inside the front lobby of the new building.

--Old Secesh