The Morrison Historic Preservation Commission (MHPC) is applying to nominate an appropriate portion of the community’s commercial district to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. With the assistance of our consultants, the MHPC has spent months researching and writing the substance of our application. In the hopes that the community will find the information contained therein both interesting and informative, we will be running, one at a time, in no particular order, over the next year, the architectural and historical description of each building included. We hope you enjoy installment #10.
Note: The National Register of Historic Places is literally a listing of spaces, structures or areas recognized to be of National historic, cultural or architectural importance. It is kept by the United States Department of Interior, but the program is largely administered by an individual state’s preservation authority. In Illinois, this is the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. The term “contributing” means that the structure lies within an historic district and adds to the architectural or historic significance of the same as a whole. If it is within the boundaries of the district, but does not so supplement, it is deemed “non-contributing.”
105-107 W. Market Street, Date: c. 1879–“Contributing”
Description: This is a two-story brick building with painted brick exterior. The main elevation (north) presents five bays, divided by brick pilasters (on the interior the west two bays form a separate building.) The first story is raised on a stone foundation with a modern concrete loading dock. The openings are, from east to west, large double door (rectangular, wood with diagonal battens, steel lintel), and three segmental arch openings (doorway in center, the other two are windows, blocked.) Opening in east bay was infilled with concrete block. Small, one-story north-projecting concrete block addition is to the west, with a door from the loading dock and a garage door (paneled wood) from the street. Upper story has five segmental arch openings (four windows and door). The windows are blocked, but the double door (second bay from east) with diagonal battens and segment top transom remains. Corbel table with semicircular arches spans the width of the elevation and connects the brick pilasters. The side elevations (east and west) are gabled (added, vinyl siding.) The rear elevation (south) faces the railroad tracks.
History: It was built as a storehouse for Robinson Brothers Hardware across Market Street at 107 West Main, with grocery storage in the west part. Hence, it mimics the older building’s architectural details, such as continuous pilasters and corbel table with semicircular arches.) The warehouse was used to store agricultural implements, wagons, heavy hardware, etc., until the late 1940’s. During the 1890’s, Morrison Electric Light and Power Company had offices on the second floor. The building remains a warehouse.