Crews uncover hidden murals on Peoria Heights building

PEORIA HEIGHTS, Ill. (AP) - Two murals painted on the exterior of a historic building in Peoria Heights were uncovered as crews razed another structure to make way for a parking lot.

Last week, crews were working on a $4 million project to relocate Trefzger's Bakery when they discovered paintings of a Duryea automobile and women dancing in red dresses on the 121-year-old Hobart building. It's unclear whether the paintings have historic significance, so developer Katie Kim hopes someone will come forward with information about the artwork, she told the (Peoria) Journal Star (http://bit.ly/1RgIC4r ).

"We had no idea they were there," Kim said. "We saw the paintings and we were like, 'What? Who? Why?'"

Over the past 12 decades, the building has served many purposes, including a boxing club, an artist enclave and the service area of Grayboy Motor Sports.

It's unlikely that the artists involved in the artists enclave painted the murals because they worked in the building after the structure that was razed had already been built.

Kim said the painting of the dancers likely will be sandblasted, but she doesn't know what will be done with the painting of the Duryea.

"That seems like it would be a shame to do away with that, especially if it's historic," she said.

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Information from: Journal Star, http://pjstar.com