Fifth Infantry Armory Acquired; Multipurpose Space Coming Soon

QUINCY, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 17, 2021- MEEGAN FISCHER AND JAY KROTTINGER, MANAGING PARTNERS OF FISCHER & TANNINGER, ANNOUNCED THE ACQUISITION OF THE FIFTH INFANTRY ARMORY, LOCATED AT 416 JERSEY STREET IN DOWNTOWN QUINCY, ILLINOIS. THIS IS THE COMPANY’S FIRST VENTURE.
 
THE SELLER, LARRY ROYALTY, HAD OWNED THE BUILDING SINCE 2012. THE ARMORY CURRENTLY SERVES AS THE OFFICE OF ROYALTY ELECTRIC, WHICH WILL BE RELOCATED TO OTHER PREMISES.

​THE ARMORY CONTAINS APPROXIMATELY 22,000 SQUARE FEET, WITH 10,000 SQUARE FEET IN THE DRILL HALL ATRIUM AND 12,000 SQUARE FEET IN THE MAIN ENTRANCE, SPLIT BETWEEN TWO FLOORS.  THE BASEMENT HOLDS A WARTIME FIRING RANGE, AMMUNITION & ARTILLERY SAFES, A MESS HALL & KITCHEN, AND EVEN SHOWERS.  ORIGINAL PRELIMINARY PLANS FOR THE ARMORY CALLED FOR SEATING FOR 3,000 PEOPLE, WHICH INCLUDED THREE STORIES LOCATED IN THE FRONT, AS WELL AS A BALCONY IN THE DRILL HALL; HOWEVER, BOTH WERE ELIMINATED DUE TO LOWER APPROPRIATIONS FROM THE ILLINOIS STATE LEGISLATURE.

WHILE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ARMORY DID NOT BEGIN UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1914, BOTH QUINCY AND THE STATE OF ILLINOIS SHARE A COMMONALITY IN THE UNITED STATES MILITARY, DATING BACK TO ILLINOIS PRE-STATEHOOD. THE LOCATION OF THE ILLINOIS ARMORY WAS HEAVILY DEBATED, WITH DISCUSSIONS BEGINNING JUST PRIOR TO THE TURN OF THE CENTURY AND LASTING MORE THAN 18 YEARS. COMPLETED IN 1915, THE FIFTH INFANTRY ARMORY IS OF THE WWI ERA AND WAS BUILT TO HOUSE WEAPONS AND SUPPLIES FOR THE DIVISION.  HERALD-WHIG ARCHIVES SUGGEST COMPANY F WITH THE FIFTH INFANTRY TRAINED IN THE ARMORY, ALONG WITH A MACHINE GUN COMPANY FROM THE ILLINOIS NATIONAL GUARD.  BETWEEN THE WORLD WARS, SEVERAL COMPANIES WERE STATIONED IN THE ARMORY AND WERE SUBSEQUENTLY DEPLOYED DURING THE 1920S TO DETER RIOTS AS WELL AS STRIKES.
 
“THE FIFTH INFANTRY ARMORY IS A SPECTACULAR ACCOMPLISHMENT IN AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE, PARTICULARLY IN QUINCY,” SAID FISCHER AND KROTTINGER.  “FISCHER & TANNINGER HAS A STRONGLY-HELD PHILOSOPHY ABOUT HISTORIC, ARCHITECTURALLY SIGNIFICANT PROPERTIES: WE HONOR OUR RICH PAST BY THINKING ABOUT OUR VIBRANT FUTURE; WE HOPE TO SERVE AS THE BRIDGE BETWEEN THE TWO.  WHAT AN HONOR TO SHARE IN THIS UNIQUE PROPERTY’S LONG HISTORY. OUR GOAL IS TO BRING THIS HIDDEN GEM BACK TO LIFE. WE ENVISION A MULTIPURPOSE-USE SPACE FOR THE ARMORY. THE DRILL HALL WILL BE AVAILABLE AS AN EXHIBIT SPACE FOR TRADE SHOWS, AS WELL AS LIVE MUSIC AND PRIVATE ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS. THE NORTH, TWO-STORY STRUCTURE ALONG JERSEY WILL BECOME PROFESSIONAL OFFICES, WITH A LARGE 3,500 SQUARE FOOT APARTMENT LOCATED UPSTAIRS, WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY THE LIEUTENANT'S QUARTERS.  THE BASEMENT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SHOWCASE A TRULY UNIQUE THEATER SPACE.  WE WISH TO THANK NICK SMITH AT FIRST BANKER’S TRUST, AS WELL AS LYNN SNYDER FROM THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF QUINCY & ADAMS COUNTY, WHO PROVIDED OVER 100 PAGES OF HISTORICALLY RELEVANT DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THE ARMORY.”