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 #12.
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.”
204 N. Genesee Street, Date: 1878–“Contributing”
Description: This two-story corner brick building with painted brick exterior is at 204 N. Genesee Street. The main elevation (west) presents, from north to south, an historic door opening (non-historic residential style door, historic wood transom) and two brick-infilled storefront openings. There is a north opening also with residential double doors. The upper story has four flattened arch window openings with stone keystones and sills and historic wood double-hung windows. The side and rear elevations are shared party walls with adjacent buildings.
History: The building was built by Orville and George Brown (Brown Bros.) to expand their dry goods business at the adjoining, former three-story building to the south (100 E. Main). The building was constructed at the same time as the building to the north (212 N. Genesee) with matching facade details. T.R. King, who had his offices at 212 N. Genesee, had the use of the basement for storage of butter, eggs, and poultry for his wholesale business. Other historic uses included carpet, boots and shoe stores (1880’s), dry goods store (part of 100 E. Main, 1890’s-1910’s), plumbing store (1910’s), and wallpaper and paints (1920’s-1940’s). In 1902, the Smith Brothers bought the property and the adjoining 100 E. Main. In 1942, they expanded the Smith Trust Bank, originally located at 212 N. Genesee, to span all three buildings. The current tenant is W.N.S. Publications, Inc.