The Morrison Historic Preservation Commission (MHPC) has applied 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 #32.
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.”
211 E. Main Street, Date: 1899 –“Contributing”
Description: This is a two-story frame building with unpainted brick veneer. The non-historic brick storefront of the main elevation (north) is asymmetrical, with a recessed residential-style door, six aluminum, double-hung windows (eight-over-twelve, applied muntins), and shutters. Above the storefront is a shed-shaped rigid canopy with asphalt shingles. The upper story has five historic window openings with stone sills and rectangular sheet-metal window hoods. The double-hung windows are replacements. A bracketed, galvanized sheet-metal cornice is at the top. The rear elevation (south) is unpainted brick. Window and door openings are a mixture of historic and modern materials, infill, and utilities. The upper story openings have segmental arches.
History: The current building is an expansion of an older structure (no date.) Originally housing a harness shop by John M. Nightser, the building was also home to Farrell’s Department Store (c. 1900), a variety store and bakery (1910’s), and various stores and offices. The current first-story use is an attorney’s office (Nelson, Kilgus, Richey & Buckwalter-Schurman.)