County demolishes Civil War-era storefront that Belleville historians wanted to save
A brick storefront stood at 1013 W. Main St. in Belleville for about 160 years, housing a saloon, shoemaker’s shop, millinery, meat market, dry-goods store, bakery and real-estate office.
It took less than a day to demolish it.
Workers with Hayes Contracting used a track hoe with a giant clawed bucket to tear out 2 1/2 stories of brick, wood, walls, ceilings, floors, insulation, plumbing and electrical fixtures on Wednesday.
“Wow, that was fast,” said mailman Terrell Cobb, who was walking along the sidewalk across the street.
Workers started at about 7 a.m. One man operated the track hoe while a second used a hose to spray water and keep down dust. By 3:30 p.m., the storefront had been reduced to a pile of rubble.
“It went just like I thought it would,” said Brian Hayes, owner of the excavation company. “No surprises.”
Storefronts on either side were still standing, despite worries by some people that they would be destroyed or damaged in the demolition. All three buildings were constructed in the 1800s.
Throughout the day, cars passed by on West Main Street, seemingly oblivious to what was happening on the block. A few spectators stopped to watch or take photos. Some bemoaned the loss of a historical building. Others were happy to see it go.
“They should have taken all those buildings out,” said Jim Prather, who was visiting a friend in the neighborhood. “They’re just too old. They just look horrible, and they’re not safe anymore.”
One man recalled taking guitar lessons on the second floor of the storefront when he was a boy in the 1970s. He pointed to a stairway that he climbed. Minutes later, the track hoe pulled it down.
Workers plan to return Thursday to haul away debris and trash before back-filling the hole, according to Hayes.
“We’ll finish up on Friday,” he said.
The storefront at 1013 W. Main St. was built during the Civil War. It was on one of the few remaining blocks in Belleville with all original buildings intact, albeit some covered with facades or siding.
The block is part of Town of West Belleville Historic District, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The county foreclosed on the storefront and took ownership in November. Previous owners had stopped paying property taxes 10 years ago, and their delinquent tax bills got tied up in bankruptcies.
Scott Tyler, the city of Belleville’s director of health, housing and building, had complained about the storefront’s derelict condition. The city blocked off the sidewalk out front with barricades due to loose bricks falling from areas where tan siding was peeling off.
“They were going to hit somebody in the head,” Tyler said.
The county is paying Hayes $35,800 to demolish the storefront and clean up the lot. It’s using money from a $2 million state grant that’s designed to eliminate “unsafe and blighted” buildings.
Belleville Historical Society opposed the demolition. But leaders stopped fighting it after seeing photos of the decaying interior and determining that renovation would likely be cost-prohibitive.
“It doesn’t look good,” said Larry Betz, president of the Historical Society, on Friday. “I think we’re going to have to concede that (the demolition) is probably is going to happen.”
The photos showed holes in ceilings and floors, rotten wood, mold and other water damage, insulation billowing out of walls and debris covering dilapidated furniture and office and household items.
West Belleville was a town established in 1852. Due to financial problems, it merged with Belleville in 1882.
Bob Brunkow, historian for the Historical Society, believes Jacob and Rosalie Schlupp, German immigrants from France, built the storefront at what is now 1013 W. Main St. between 1860 and 1866, when they sold it for $4,000 to Philip Weber, who operated a saloon.
This story was originally published May 30, 2024 at 5:45 AM.
