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 #14.
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.”
106 E. Main Street, I.O.O.F. Building, Date: 1882, altered c. 1915–“Contributing”
Description: This is a three-story brick building with tan brick exterior. The storefront of the main elevation (south) consists of three large, aluminum display windows with concrete bulkheads and black porcelain-enameled steel panels covering the end piers and mullions. The entrance door is shared with the adjacent 104 E. Main. The transom zone is covered with vertical, aluminum moldings. A shed-shaped, striped fabric awning with returns and valances spans the storefront. Both also span the adjacent storefront at 104 E. Main. The upper stories are symmetrical, with two paired double-hung windows (non-historic), with stone sills and quarry-faced sandstone lintels. The third story has a sill course of alternating sandstone and limestone sills; these windows are shorter with transoms. The parapet is stepped with limestone coping, and a center sandstone panel reads “I.O.O.F.” (sans serif lettering in relief.) The rear elevation (north) has zero setback and is two-story in height (c. 1900 addition.) It has been modernized with non-historic materials (pargeting, aluminum windows, wood siding, shake-shingle wood canopy.) The side elevations of the rear wing are exposed; they are brick with segmental arch openings (east) and painted advertisements (east and west.)
History: The structure was built by C. McAllister and housed a furniture store and repair shop for much of its existence (W. P. McAllister & Weaver Furniture, 1882-1893; E. J. Weaver, House Furnishings, 1893-1940.) By 1891, it was the largest furniture establishment west of Chicago, IL. E. J. Weaver was also an undertaker and embalmer and briefly carried out these functions in the same building (1902-03.) The third floor was added and main elevation altered circa 1915; the top two floors became the offices and lodge of the International Order of Odd Fellows, Grove Lodge #257, with the third floor connecting to the adjacent building at 104 E. Main. The current tenant is Lincoln Highway Gifts.