America's Historical Roundhouse
Encyclopedia
The Two Brothers Roundhouse, formerly the Walter Payton Roundhouse, America's Historical Roundhouse, and Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy Roundhouse and Locomotive Shop is a historic building converted to a restaurant in Aurora
, Illinois
. It was originally constructed in 1856 as a roundhouse for the Chicago and Aurora Railroad
(later Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
) and served in this capacity until 1974. It was abandoned until 1995, when a group of investors led by Walter Payton
purchased it and converted the building to an entertainment complex. Its most recent tenant is Two Brothers Brewing
. The building is the oldest limestone
roundhouse in the United States and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
. The railroad built its own maintenance shops to facilitate further expansion of the rail system westward. The shops were also capable of producing new equipment for the rolling stock
. The roundhouse
was designed by Levi Hull Waterhouse, who designed several important structures in the Aurora vicinity. The walls of the structure were constructed with locally mined limestone
. There were originally twenty-two stalls in the roundhouse, with an additional eight added three years after completion. Ten stalls were added at an unknown later date. A small shop was also present in the roundhouse which catered to locomotive engines.
The Chicago and Aurora Railroad merged with the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
in 1868, which became the most trafficked railroad in Illinois by 1870. In the 1930s, the focus of the complex shifted to the new Zephyr line of diesel engines. It also constructed many passenger cars, including Pullman cars
. As the automobile
increased in usage in the mid-20th century, rail traffic declined. The roundhouse and shops closed in 1974; most of the other shops in the district were demolished soon thereafter.
The structure was abandoned for twenty-one years. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on February 16, 1978. In May 1988, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
recognized the roundhouse as a landmark in mechanical engineering for its "innovative railroad yard machine shop." In 1995, the Aurora City Council voted to allow an investment group led by former Chicago Bears
running back
Walter Payton
to purchase the building. The building re-opened in 1996 and hosted a brewpub, restaurant
, museum
, and open-air pavilion
. Among the artifacts in the museum is Payton's championship ring from Super Bowl XX
. The complex received a National Preservation Award
on October 22, 1999, only days before Payton's death.
On Tuesday May 2nd, 2011 Two Brothers Brewing
Company announced via Facebook and Twitter that they had acquired America's Historical Roundhouse in Aurora Illinois. They opened a restaurant on June 24, 2011, featuring ten of their locally available beers on tap plus an additional two that are exclusive to the establishment.
exterior and an iron loggia
interior. The roundhouse is actually a tetracontagon (40 sides). A steel truss
structure supports wood-sheathed steel rafter
s, covered on the exterior by tar paper
. The locomotive shop is attached to the north side and is 50 by 180 ft (15.2 by 54.9 ) with two 16 feet (4.9 m) stories.
Aurora, Illinois
Aurora is the second most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and the 112th largest city in the United States. A suburb of Chicago, located west of the Loop, its population in 2010 was 197,899. Originally founded within Kane County, Aurora's city limits have expanded greatly over the past...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. It was originally constructed in 1856 as a roundhouse for the Chicago and Aurora Railroad
Chicago and Aurora Railroad
The Chicago and Aurora Railroad was an early predecessor of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad that built a line from West Chicago to Mendota via Aurora, Illinois.-History:...
(later Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
) and served in this capacity until 1974. It was abandoned until 1995, when a group of investors led by Walter Payton
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
purchased it and converted the building to an entertainment complex. Its most recent tenant is Two Brothers Brewing
Two Brothers Brewing
The Two Brothers Brewing Company is a microbrewery founded in 1996 in the western Chicago suburb of Warrenville, Illinois, which produces a range of beers, and also sells homebrew supplies...
. The building is the oldest limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
roundhouse in the United States and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
The roundhouse was constructed in 1856 to serve Aurora on the Chicago and Aurora RailroadChicago and Aurora Railroad
The Chicago and Aurora Railroad was an early predecessor of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad that built a line from West Chicago to Mendota via Aurora, Illinois.-History:...
. The railroad built its own maintenance shops to facilitate further expansion of the rail system westward. The shops were also capable of producing new equipment for the rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
. The roundhouse
Roundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...
was designed by Levi Hull Waterhouse, who designed several important structures in the Aurora vicinity. The walls of the structure were constructed with locally mined limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. There were originally twenty-two stalls in the roundhouse, with an additional eight added three years after completion. Ten stalls were added at an unknown later date. A small shop was also present in the roundhouse which catered to locomotive engines.
The Chicago and Aurora Railroad merged with the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
in 1868, which became the most trafficked railroad in Illinois by 1870. In the 1930s, the focus of the complex shifted to the new Zephyr line of diesel engines. It also constructed many passenger cars, including Pullman cars
Pullman (car or coach)
In the United States, Pullman was used to refer to railroad sleeping cars which were built and operated on most U.S. railroads by the Pullman Company from 1867 to December 31, 1968....
. As the automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
increased in usage in the mid-20th century, rail traffic declined. The roundhouse and shops closed in 1974; most of the other shops in the district were demolished soon thereafter.
The structure was abandoned for twenty-one years. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on February 16, 1978. In May 1988, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a professional body, specifically an engineering society, focused on mechanical engineering....
recognized the roundhouse as a landmark in mechanical engineering for its "innovative railroad yard machine shop." In 1995, the Aurora City Council voted to allow an investment group led by former Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Walter Payton
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
to purchase the building. The building re-opened in 1996 and hosted a brewpub, restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
, museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
, and open-air pavilion
Pavilion
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
. Among the artifacts in the museum is Payton's championship ring from Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football championship game played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1985 regular season...
. The complex received a National Preservation Award
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...
on October 22, 1999, only days before Payton's death.
On Tuesday May 2nd, 2011 Two Brothers Brewing
Two Brothers Brewing
The Two Brothers Brewing Company is a microbrewery founded in 1996 in the western Chicago suburb of Warrenville, Illinois, which produces a range of beers, and also sells homebrew supplies...
Company announced via Facebook and Twitter that they had acquired America's Historical Roundhouse in Aurora Illinois. They opened a restaurant on June 24, 2011, featuring ten of their locally available beers on tap plus an additional two that are exclusive to the establishment.
Architecture
The roundhouse portion of the building complex is 264 feet (80.5 m) long with a local limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
exterior and an iron loggia
Loggia
Loggia is the name given to an architectural feature, originally of Minoan design. They are often a gallery or corridor at ground level, sometimes higher, on the facade of a building and open to the air on one side, where it is supported by columns or pierced openings in the wall...
interior. The roundhouse is actually a tetracontagon (40 sides). A steel truss
Truss
In architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight members whose ends are connected at joints referred to as nodes. External forces and reactions to those forces are considered to act only at the nodes and result in...
structure supports wood-sheathed steel rafter
Rafter
A rafter is one of a series of sloped structural members , that extend from the ridge or hip to the downslope perimeter or eave, designed to support the roof deck and its associated loads.-Design:...
s, covered on the exterior by tar paper
Tar paper
Tar paper is a heavy-duty paper used in construction. Tar paper is made by impregnating paper with tar, producing a waterproof material useful for roof construction. It can be distinguished from Roofing felt:Asphalt-saturated felt. Roofing felt has been in use for over a hundred years...
. The locomotive shop is attached to the north side and is 50 by 180 ft (15.2 by 54.9 ) with two 16 feet (4.9 m) stories.