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The building at 104 W. Jefferson St. has gone through many changes, and layers of history have been uncovered.
Owner Harriet McClellan knows some tidbits about the buildings past, which has been in her family since the early 1900s.
“I know my grandparents moved here in 1912, but my grandfather worked here from 1909. This was one of the buildings he had purchased as an investment here in Morton,” McClellan said.
At the time of her grandfather’s death, the building was a tavern.
McClellan said she remembered the building housing the areas CILCO office when she was a child, then it was a dress shop and bridal shop.
Most recently, the building housed a hair salon. The lease terminated in January, and McClellan has been renovating it ever since.
“A quick strip of the paint, re-varnish and open the doors turned into this project that’s been going on since January,” McClellan said. “Going from one thing to another in such an old building, you just found a whole new can of worms to open.”
McClellan said when they were stripping the walls they found hand painted stenciling of flowers.
“They cut out a section for me to save and we’ll hang it as decoration,” she said.
Some other interesting surprises were found, such as charred walls in different areas where potbelly stoves had once sat, a large birds nest in the blocked-off window above the back door and burn marks on the bar counter from cigarettes.
“What’s fun is there had been — and why my mom allowed it I have no idea — there was an ugly turquoise top on the (bar) ... But we were able to pop that off and down the bar there’s cigarette burns all down the bar where the bartender probably laid his smoke down to pour a drink.
“I said, ‘You’ve got to leave that — it’s character,” she said.
McClellan said she tried to use all Morton businesses to renovate the building.
McClellan worked with Tim Zobrist, general manager of Zobrist Construction Co. Inc., Jerry V. Young of Midwestern Wood Products Co., Brett Grimm of Grimm Heating and Air Conditioning, Mark Stephens of L & F Electric Inc., Steve Zimmerman, Tom Zimmerman, Christy Lambdin and Brad Xanos of Tazewell Floor Covering Inc., Cloyd Plumbing Inc. and Steve and Wil Johnson of Steve Johnson Painting.
The individual businesses worked with McClellan to match or find products to coincide with the 1900s look she was going for.
The building at 104 W. Jefferson St. has gone through many changes, and layers of history have been uncovered.
Owner Harriet McClellan knows some tidbits about the buildings past, which has been in her family since the early 1900s.
“I know my grandparents moved here in 1912, but my grandfather worked here from 1909. This was one of the buildings he had purchased as an investment here in Morton,” McClellan said.
At the time of her grandfather’s death, the building was a tavern.
McClellan said she remembered the building housing the areas CILCO office when she was a child, then it was a dress shop and bridal shop.
Most recently, the building housed a hair salon. The lease terminated in January, and McClellan has been renovating it ever since.
“A quick strip of the paint, re-varnish and open the doors turned into this project that’s been going on since January,” McClellan said. “Going from one thing to another in such an old building, you just found a whole new can of worms to open.”
McClellan said when they were stripping the walls they found hand painted stenciling of flowers.
“They cut out a section for me to save and we’ll hang it as decoration,” she said.
Some other interesting surprises were found, such as charred walls in different areas where potbelly stoves had once sat, a large birds nest in the blocked-off window above the back door and burn marks on the bar counter from cigarettes.
“What’s fun is there had been — and why my mom allowed it I have no idea — there was an ugly turquoise top on the (bar) ... But we were able to pop that off and down the bar there’s cigarette burns all down the bar where the bartender probably laid his smoke down to pour a drink.
“I said, ‘You’ve got to leave that — it’s character,” she said.
McClellan said she tried to use all Morton businesses to renovate the building.
McClellan worked with Tim Zobrist, general manager of Zobrist Construction Co. Inc., Jerry V. Young of Midwestern Wood Products Co., Brett Grimm of Grimm Heating and Air Conditioning, Mark Stephens of L & F Electric Inc., Steve Zimmerman, Tom Zimmerman, Christy Lambdin and Brad Xanos of Tazewell Floor Covering Inc., Cloyd Plumbing Inc. and Steve and Wil Johnson of Steve Johnson Painting.
The individual businesses worked with McClellan to match or find products to coincide with the 1900s look she was going for.
Zobrist was able to find bricks from the same area to use around the alley doorway.
“He found old brick that was not going to be able to be reused from Elmwood from the tornado,” McClellan said. “So it’s brick from the same era. That made me happy we were reusing also.”
The completely renovated building will soon be the office of Home Instead Senior Care.
Owner Linc Hobson said the proximity of the building next to the current Home Instead office was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
“It’s a nice opportunity for us to have some space next door so we can utilize space in both areas,” Hobson said.
Hobson said he hopes to move into the newly renovated building around July 1.
“Harriet knew exactly what she wanted to do with that building and she did a great job. She definitely had a vision and has done a great job,” Hobson said. “It used to be owned by her grandfather, so it’s a real labor of love for her and you can tell.”
An open house is from 1-6 p.m. Saturday for the public to view the renovated building.
