Time catches up with 1946 Exhibition Hall at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds

The History of the Du Quoin State Fair written by Fred Huff talks about the construction of the Livestock Exhibition Hall in1946.

The excerpts are from the Du Quoin Evening Call 68 years ago: "Although still uncompleted, "a massive new livestock exhibition hall" was placed in use for the first time as it house "scores of prize sheep and hogs while horses and cattle were displayed in enormous tents."

That year there were 1,400 livestock entries, the largest number in fair history and the art deco "Expo Hall" was the center ring for the livestock show.

Despite a modest restoration during the Thompson and Edgar administrations after the State of Illinois purchased the fair in1986, time has fully caught up with the Grand Hall.

A $1.2 million renovation to windows and the roof begins on Monday, a job entrusted to Korte & Luitjohan Construction Co. of Highland, Ill. That's the same company that installed the new water line down East Main Street last year.

Ben Ambuel is the site superintendent for the renovations. He will commute every day from his home in Edwardsville.

For the past three years, vendors and exhibit hosts had complained that the "roof leaked." But, a closer look give you an idea of how complex the renovation will be.

Heating and air conditioning equipment has already been removed from the west roof of the building to accommodate replacement of the roof.

But, the largest part of the makeover has to do with the brick work and windows.

Brick masons will be on site starting next week to begin removal of the rows of "soldier bricks" that cover the rusted I-beams and lintels in the building. You can see bows in the bricks above the windows i several places.

Soldier bricks are brick laid vertically with the long narrow side of the brick exposed.

Sailor bricks are laid vertically with the broad face of the brick exposed.

That work involves painstakingly pulling those bricks out and replacing those rusted I-beams then reinstalling the bricks and replacing windows.

There are large window walls on all sides of the building and a window clerestory that runs along the upper roof line.

"Splash walls" have been built inside the Exhibition Hall to stop any brick that falls and bounces across the inside floor.

Ambuel says the renovations are scheduled for completion in November, but reconstruction will be suspended for about two weeks before and during the fair.

A new roof will complete the renovations.

Interestingly enough, the Exhibition Hall was built in the same year that the Magic Mile grandstand was constructed.

Construction came at the end of World War II and construction materials were still scarce. The Schwartz Lumber Co. in Elkville was responsible for getting a lot of the materials, unloaded from trains in darkness to avoid criticism of circumventing materials rationing during the war. But, Huff writes: "With its sparking new grandstand in use for the first time ticket pricing remained nominal for the 1946 fair. Tickets for harness racing ranged from 75 cents to $1.75 and the motorized races $1.50 to $2.40. Night show tickets for the entire week ranged from .75-.90 cents for grandstand seats and $1.20 to $1.75 for box seats."