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 #6.
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.”
Smith Trust & Savings Bank, Date: 1867, 1953–“Contributing”
Description: Two-story corner brick building with granite veneer at 100-102 E. Main Street. The main elevation (south) is symmetrical with two glass and aluminum storefronts (two display windows with door towards center). The elevation is clad in maroon granite with gray granite at the corners. Above the storefront is a quarter-round-shaped striped fabric awning with a larger solid half-dome at center. The upper story has three windows (large aluminum lights atop short awning windows) enframed with gray granite trim. The coping is granite. The side elevation (west) is pargeted with a strip of gray granite at the southwest corner. There is a first-story teller window and three upper-story window openings (aluminum, matching main elevation); the north opening is blocked.
History: It was originally constructed as a three-story building by J. McDonald (100 E. Main) and Orson Childs (102 E. Main), with dry goods and clothing stores on the first floor . In 1876 it became Knox and Brown, a grocery store, by 1878 the largest store in Morrison. In the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s the basement was occupied by a barber and plumber. The YMCA and Dr. J. C. Martindale (DDS) had offices on the second floor, along with a dressmaker (1867-70) and a lawyer (W. A. Blodgett.) The third floor was the YMCA hall until 1902. E. A Smith and Harry W. Smith purchased the property in 1902, and 100 E. Main became the Smith Trust & Savings Bank main building in 1942, while Donichy’s Drug Store occupied 102 E. Main. In 1953, the bank went through a major expansion and modernization, which included removal of the third floor and an installation of a new front facade, designed by Bank Designers of America, Inc., from Springfield, IL. Current tenant is W.N.S. Publications, Inc.