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 #41.
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.”
227 W. Main Street, Date: c. 1920–Contributing
Description: This is a two-story, corner brick building with dark-colored, stippled brick exterior with deeply raked joints. The symmetrical main elevation (north) consists of a storefront and three upper story window openings. Each side of the storefront features a large aluminum (painted) display window with center mullion, sitting atop a brick bulkhead with concrete sill. The center entrance is recessed with a single one-light wood door and transom flanked by matching angled sidelights. The door and storefront window openings are separated by brick piers with small, flat stone capitals. The upper story, double-hung windows are wood, with concrete sills and aluminum storm windows. The brick parapet above has a raised angled center section and terra cotta coping. The side elevation (west) has a display window opening near the northwest corner, and an oversized door and two raised window openings to the south; all openings are boarded with plywood. The upper story has four window openings with double-hung windows and a stepped parapet with terra cotta coping. The second opening from the north is of double width with two windows. The rear elevation (south) has one large boarded display window opening and an oversized door opening–made smaller with plywood–and a residential style door. The upper story has three window openings with double-hung windows, with a pair of windows in a wider opening near the southwest corner.
History: The structure was built by Albert W. Burkitt in April 1903 and was originally used for a repair shop. The building’s ownership was transferred to Harold W. Burkitt on April 7, 1919. Sanke J. Reyher purchased the building in 1920, and it was used for a garage until 1923. From 1925 to 1927, Palmer L. Woodson operated a distributorship for the Hupmobile Motor Car. From 1927 to 1941, Harold Burkitt managed various auto industry operations in this building, including an Oil Filling Station (1927), Automobile Dealer and Repair (1928-1941), and Auto Accessories (1932-1941.) A Goodyear Tire Store (1939-1941) also operated in the building during Burkitt’s ownership.