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 #42.
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.”
225 W. Main Street, Date: c. 1920, c. 1960–Contributing
Description: This is a two-story building of structural clay tile construction with Permastone exterior (imitating random ashlar), installed on the main elevation (north) c. 1960. The storefront consists, from east-to-west, of a large aluminum display window (center mullion, concrete sill), a single door with a transom (blocked with an AC unit), narrow glass block sidelights, and a raised, one-light wood door to the upstairs. The openings are separated by piers. The upper story has four vinyl double-hung windows with concrete sills. The side elevation (east) was previously a shared party wall; it has pargeting over structural clay tiles and three small upper story window openings. The rear elevation (south) is likewise of tile and pargeting, with one large (blocked) and one small first-story window openings, flanking a door with a small square light. Concrete steps lead to the door, while above it is a small shed hood. To the east of the rear entrance are sidewalk basement doors. The upper story has four double-hung windows, two to the west made smaller than the original openings.
History: The building was built by Albert W. Burkitt in April 1903 and was used for a bicycle repair shop, until the building was purchased by Charles M. Yeager (farriers, 1916-1917.) Karl J. Lind also was a blacksmith/farrier and purchased the business from Yeager in 1917 (1917-1925.) Palmer L. Woodson purchased building in 1928 to expand his business from the adjoining property (227 W. Main, 1928-1932) for Automobile Sales, Insurance, and an Oil Filling Station, with Neal Kimmel operating the Automobile Sales business from 1928-1932. Other uses were Herrick’s Grocery Store (1940-1943), Longanecker Produce Company (1945-1946), Morrison Electrical Service (owned by Lyle K. Gehlson from 1947-1952), and Al’s Electric Service, owned by Alvin Zuidema (1947-1952) and joined by Dorothy Zuidema (1961-1964.) The business subsequently became Al and Paul’s Electric Service when Paul Brondyke became partial owner (1964-1966); Brondyke Electric Service from 1967 to 1988; Brondyke and Pickens (Keith) Electric Service from 1988 to 1990. From 1992 to 1993, the building housed the Morrison Youth Center. The current tenant is God’s Country Taxidermy (2009-present.)