Armour's Warehouse

Armour's Warehouse is a four-story grain storage building at the corner of William and Bridge Streets, located near the former Illinois-Michigan Canal site. The main structure is accompanied by four additional buildings, including an office, scale house, two seed warehouses, and a corn crib.

The building was constructed in 1861 by John Armour on the north bank of the Illinois-Michigan Canal and helped attract railroad expansion to Seneca. A rail spur was added shortly after, reinforcing the site's importance as a shipping hub.

The building served as the economic center of Seneca for generations and shows how grain trade shaped the region's growth. You can see how such structures influenced daily commerce and connected farmers to distant markets.

The site is easy to find, located on a prominent corner near Seneca's downtown area. The grouping of several buildings makes it straightforward to see the layout and scale of a working grain facility.

The building received corrugated metal siding in 1924 as a fire prevention measure, a simple but effective upgrade to the original wooden structure. This modification remains visible today in the metal panels that cover the exterior.

Location: Seneca

Inception: 1861

GPS coordinates: 41.32444,-88.61083

Latest update: December 14, 2025 14:41