It was Aunt Vi’s apartment in the ’50s. Now it’s an Airbnb rental.

Walking in the door of Aunt Vi’s Apartment in Belleville is like visiting the set of “Leave it to Beaver.”

The chrome and Formica dinette set. The mid-century modern walnut dresser. The metal kitchen cabinet, the brass pole lamp, the rotary dial telephone and Zenith tube radio.

A magazine rack even has a vintage issues of Better Homes & Gardens.

“I found that at a garage sale,” said Belleville Historical Society president Larry Betz, pointing to a black-and-white TV with a wood-veneer case. “I think I paid $5 or $10 for it. It’s a Philco. I picked the rabbit ears up at a flea market.”

As of this month, the historical society is renting the ’50s-themed studio apartment through the short-term lodging website Airbnb.

“Appropriate for world travelers interested in architecture,” the listing reads. “Tour the in-progress of the Mid-century Architecture Museum right outside your turquoise door!”

The apartment is attached to the Blazier House at 8501 W. Main St. It was designed in 1952 by Belleville architect Charles E. King and later used as a funeral home and church.

The historical society bought the house last year and is turning it into the Mid-century Modern Architecture Museum featuring Charles E. King.

The original owners, contractor Terry Blazier and his wife, Thelma, had the apartment built on the other side of a covered drive-through for Thelma’s sister, Vivian.

“It’s all part of the original design,” said Margaret Meyer, the historical society’s Charles King adviser, who is managing rentals. “It’s not an add-on.”

The first reservation for Aunt Vi’s was made last week by Jeff Condon, 54, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and his wife, Steff. He’s a painter coming May 18-21 to exhibit his oil and pastel, colored abstract landscapes at Art on the Square.

Jeff often books lodging through Airbnb while traveling to art fairs all over the country. He noticed the new Belleville listing and thought it looked “awesome.”

“It’s just not your average place to stay with everything done so well in the retro ’50s style,” he said. “And the price was right, so I booked it.”

The apartment rents for $75 a night with a two-night minimum.

The Blaziers lived in the house from 1953 to 1962. Aunt Vi’s apartment became a casket showroom during its funeral home days and a Sunday school classroom in its church days.

The historical society decided to rent the space to help pay for museum renovations, estimated at $150,000. Volunteers also have held fundraising concerts and ’50s-themed parties. A rock ‘n’ roll party is planned from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 6.

“If (the apartment rental) will just cover our mortgage, insurance and utilities, I would really be happy,” Larry said.

Larry is an architecture buff and volunteer museum guide at Springfield’s Dana Thomas House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. He was instrumental in creating a Charles King photo exhibit in 2012.

Larry provided most of the apartment’s furniture and accent pieces, including three brass ducks flying across the wall, a sunburst clock, vintage toaster and coffee percolator.

“I’ve been collecting this stuff for 15 years,” he said. “It was almost as if I knew there was going to be a time when I needed it.”

The wooden console stereo belonged to the late Otto and Ethel Wegener, who lived in a Charles King house.

“When she died, their family donated it to us, and I took it to a guy who completely refurbished it,” Larry said. “She was 101. She died in her Charles King house, just like she wanted to.”

The apartment has a reproduction Charles Eames molded-plywood chair and two reproduction Marcel Breur Wassily chairs made of chrome tubing and black leather.

“The nightstand is one of a kind,” Margaret said, laughing. Larry built it in shop class in the late ’50s.

The historical society updated the apartment’s plumbing and electrical but kept plywood cabinets in the kitchenette, as well as the original medicine cabinet, art-deco shower door and pink tile walls and floor in the bathroom. Margaret found vintage fabric for curtains, which match throw pillows on the couch.

A few new items were needed to accommodate the modern traveler, including a 50-inch flat-screen TV, Keurig coffee maker and retro microwave in light turquoise.

“We got the chenille bedspread at Vermont Country Store,” Margaret said. “All the bedding is new — the mattress, sheets, pillow cases, everything. We want to emphasize that.”

This story was originally published April 27, 2017 at 9:00 AM.