The Morrison Historic Preservation Commission (MHPC) has applied to nominate an appropriate portion of the comunity’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 #39.
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.”
206 W. Main Street, Morrison Fire Department, Year Built: 1946–“Non-contributing”
Description: This is a one-story concrete block building with EIFS exterior (over brick veneer.) The main elevation (south) has a slightly projecting and taller central bay with wide wings. The central block has a garage door (non-historic aluminum) and large double keystone. Flanking the central block are single-light steel doors. The east wing has two small, raised, single-light windows. The rear elevation (north) is slightly set back from the street, but otherwise similar to the main elevation. It has a central block with aluminum garage door and large, double keystone, entrance door (east) and two single-light windows (west.)
History: Constructed by Kimmel Motor Sales in 1946, this was a modern garage and automobile sales building. Clyde Groharing of Morrison, IL, was the contractor (1946 – 1959). Eddie Schuler’s Dodge and Chrysler Automobile Dealer occupied the space from late-1959 until September 1967. The City of Morrison purchased the property from Vern Renkes in October 1967 for the Morrison Fire Department, which presently occupies the building.