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 #64.
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.”
103 W. Main Street, Date: 1857—“Contributing”
Description: This is a three-story brick building with pargeted exterior. The storefront of the main elevation (north) has a recessed center entrance with a full-glass, aluminum door and a small transom, flanked by two aluminum display windows. The intermediate vertical supports are wrapped in aluminum. Below the display windows are random, broken-coursed, ashlar bulkheads, while the transom area above is covered with vertical aluminum siding. Upstairs entrance is to the east at the adjacent 101 W. Main Street. The upper stories feature three double-hung wood windows with stones sills per floor. The second story has rectangular openings–one wider–with two windows. The third story has segmental arch windows. The entire upper story is framed by side pilasters and a corbel table with semi-circular arches above. Terra cotta coping tops the parapet. The rear elevation (south) is divided into three continuous, recessed, vertical bays separated by pilasters. There is a center entrance flanked by two segmental arches, except for one second story opening enlarged into a doorway (presently blocked.) Several other openings are blocked and pargeted.
History: This building is part of the “Brick Block,” constituting the first brick buildings in the City of Morrison. They are the foundation, a modern day “anchor,” of what became a prosperous and successful commercial district. This building was erected by Spear and Shafer as a dry goods store, which remained in the building until the 1890’s. In succeeding years, the building housed several businesses, including a printing company (1884), a clothing store (1892), and a restaurant (1903.) The Masonic Lodge was located there in 1904, the Allen Pearson Confectionary in 1916, and Electrical Supplies from 1916-1935. The Gambles store occupied the building from 1936 to 1941. Herbert Jankle owned and operated an automobile accessory store in the building in 1942. Other businesses included the Morrison Bargain Center, Dry Goods, and youth clothing until 1959, the Jack and Jill children’s wear store from 1961 to 1962, the Mt. Pleasant Insurance Company until 2003, and the Mickley Insurance Company from 2004-2008. In the upper floors at the 103 ½ W. Main Street entrance, a series of law offices and medical practices existed. From 1923 to 1938 and from 1943-44, Harry J. Ludens, Attorney (General Insurance and Notary Public) was located here, along with John A. Fletcher, Attorney (1939-1944), Dr. J. D. Hollander, M.D. (1946-1950), and Dr. W. W. Robinson, M.D. (1951.) Lawrence Ludens, Attorney, also occupied office space in 1942. The Temple of Black Belts was the documented user at this located from 1983 to 1987. The present building owner is The Morrison Trust for Revitalization, Inc. which is rehabilitating the structure to its historical integrity.