Bicentennial Plaza – A REALTOR® Community Partnership
Located in downtown Springfield, Illinois
Immediately north of Illinois REALTORS® headquarters at 522 South Fifth Street, connecting Jackson Street between Fifth and Sixth Street.
Bicentennial Plaza is the result of a $2.3 million investment in the city’s downtown, realizing a long-held vision of a pedestrian walkway linking the Abraham Lincoln Home Historic Site to the Illinois Governor’s Mansion and state Capitol along the Jackson Street corridor, on land owned by Illinois REALTORS®. Formerly a parking lot, the area has been transformed into a showcase of Springfield’s history and ties to Abraham Lincoln.
Bicentennial Plaza photo gallery
Photos may be used for promotional purposes. Right-click to save screen version. Contact Illinois REALTORS® to request high-resolution photos.
Originally the location of a stream, a large sewer was built on the site in the mid-1800s, and later private homes were constructed on the land.
Today, shade trees, tall grasses and shrub borders complement the Plaza, which is accessible for those with disabilities. Plaza floor clay bricks are laid in a bold stripe pattern that reflects the colors of the nearby buildings. Learn how you can be a part of history by adding your name to a brick on the Plaza’s walkway.
The Plaza features interpretive panels that share stories from Springfield’s rich history. A high-tech lighting system, with strands of lights connecting the 16 towers lining the Plaza, are programmed to display in different colors and patterns.
A marker commemorating the federal Fair Housing Act, signed in 1968 to safeguard equal opportunity in housing for all, sits at the Plaza entrance at the southwest corner on Fifth Street.
Lincoln’s vision reflected in design
16 interpretive panels showcase the places, events and people who lived and worked in Springfield and who advanced Lincoln’s vision for America as a land of equal opportunity for all.
The panels are displayed on black steel towers, each 25 foot in height and include information on Frederick Douglass, who spoke in Springfield on the anniversary of Lincoln’s death; Frances Gage, who fought for women’s suffrage; and Anderson Holman, a Springfield developer who provided badly needed affordable housing.
Legacy Projects
Illinois REALTORS® are spearheading bicentennial “legacy projects” statewide—adopting a historic home or property in local REALTOR® association communities across the state. The Bicentennial Plaza is a signature project of the State of Illinois bicentennial celebrations.
