Leland Tower is a twenty-two-story building on Stolp Island in Aurora, Illinois. Leland Tower was at one point the tallest building in Illinois outside of Chicago. Stolp Island is recognized as a

Historical District A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

by the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. Leland Tower was built initially as a hotel. The Leland Hotel project was conceived in 1926 and was one of the most ambitious projects in the city's history. The project was announced by an organization known as the Aurora Building Corporation through Herbert P. Heiss of the First Illinois Company. Mr. Heiss had located and purchased the site for the proposed hotel. The building contract was awarded to the H.G. Christman Company, general contractors of South Bend, Indiana and Detroit, Michigan. Anker Sveere Graven and Arthur Guy Mayger were chosen to design the hotel. The Aurora-Leland Hotel had all the modern amenities of the time, including telephones in every room. Topping this skyscraper was the Sky Club, a dinner and dancing club outfitted with elaborate decor and furnishings of the highest quality. The views from the Sky Club as well as its elegance made it a place to see and be seen by local socialites. "Swanks" from Chicago thought the Sky Club a fun place to take their dates. Philip K. Wrigley, fan dancer

Sally Rand Sally Rand (born Helen Gould Beck; April 3, 1904 – August 31, 1979) was an American burlesque dancer, vedette, and actress, famous for her ostrich feather fan dance and balloon bubble dance. She also performed under the name Billie Beck. ...

, and the singing cowboy Gene Autry are some of the famous names seen there. Recordings were made there by such famous blues musicians as John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson. In the 1960s, the times and the economy caused the hotel once known as "The Aurora-Leland Hotel", the "Illinois Hotel" and the "Leland Hotel" to stop operations. The tower subsequently housed microwave transmitter link of defunct WLXT-TV Channel 60, an Aurora TV station which signed on in 1969. It was on the air afternoons, evenings and weekends. It also served as the transmitter site of 107.9 WAUR-FM. Leland Tower is also known locally for its elaborate holiday decorations, including an 8-story tall shooting star and Christmas tree on the roof.

Images

Image:Leland Tower-2.JPG, View from the West side Image:Leland Tower-3.JPG, View from the East side

References

* City of Aurora Official Website
Article on Historic District.
http://www.aurora-il.org/communitydevelopment/historicpreservation/hist_streets.php?calendarSetting=2008-1×tamp= Includes Reference to Sky Club.] Accessed 19 March 2008. * Illinois Blues
Article on Aurora Blues Festival
(includes reference to Sky Club). Accessed 19 March 2008.
Strange USA.com
Accessed 19 March 2008 The Aurora Beacon News, February 7, 1928 The Aurora Beacon News, August 23, 1984 {{Registered Historic Places Skyscrapers in Illinois Buildings and structures in Aurora, Illinois Historic district contributing properties in Illinois National Register of Historic Places in Kane County, Illinois Residential skyscrapers in Illinois 1928 establishments in Illinois Buildings and structures completed in 1928