302-304 South Main Street - Palestine Commercial Historic District - Palestine, IL
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 39° 00.038 W 087° 36.768
16S E 446936 N 4317025
Buildings not numbered in this listing, but are listed by street address in the NRHP
Waymark Code: WMVWBN
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 06/03/2017
Views: 0
County of building: Crawford County
Location of building: 302-304 S. main St., Palestine
Built: 1910-1912
Original Occupant: Woodward Ford Agency and Garage
Occupant at listing: 302: Pioneer Ftness Center and Tanning; 304: Flowers Plus
Current occupant: 302: Attitude Salon; 304: Vacant
"302-304 South Main. Two story, red brick late Victorian/Commercial style building built c. 1910-1912. Contributing.
"Woodworth Ford Agency and Garage, (Pioneer Fitness Center and Tanning and Flowers Plus). A late Victorian/Commercial style, two story, red brick (running bond) building with two store fronts. Tie coping is at the parapet with brick in a dentil design just below the parapet. Two beveled stringcourse are spaced about two feet below the dentil design. There are four double-hung sashes in the second story with brick hoods and brick lintels. The are star reinforcements across the facade of the building.
"The modern shingles awning with wooden posts stretch across the facade and over the sidewalk. The north store [302] has a modern aluminum metal framed entry and three large glass windows. One window had to be replaced due to a crack. The store at 304 South Main has a modern metal framed entry and three large glass windows. (Photograph #32)" ~ NRHP Nomination Form
302-304 South Main. This building was built between 1910 and 1912 according to the Sanborn maps and local historians for the Woodworth Ford Agency and Garage. It was one of the earliest automobile showrooms in the country. The upstairs was used as the garage to repair Model-T cars and the elevator that was used to transport cars up is still in place. The spacious building was used as the High School Gymnasium on the north upstairs and the south side was the Domestic Science Department before the new high school was built in 1916. Dr. Ikemire in the adjacent building to the north was the president of the school board and probably arranged for this.
"An implement dealer, a western wear and turquoise shop owner, a seller of knives, statuary, Avon bottles, and leather store owner, Garvin Kincaid, maintain this business from the 1940s until c. 1985. Jack Elliott purchased the building from him and painted the brick pink with turquoise shutters for a flower shop. He and Mike Murphy installed a fitness center in the north side of the building and built a permanent wall between the two businesses. Currently the building houses the Pioneer Fitness and Tenning Center, and Flowers Plus." ~ NRHP Nomination Form