History of the Burwell Building
Mission Statement:
It is the intention of the Restoration Association to use all proceeds from their fundraising for the renovation of the former Loys/Burwell Opera House at 107 N. Sangamon in downtown Gibson City.
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Through the years, the two story building located at 107 N. Sangamon Avenue in downtown Gibson City has had diverse occupants.
A fire on January 30, 1883 destroyed most of the wooden structures on the west side of Sangamon Avenue between Eighth and Ninth Streets, so local banker M. T. Burwell began rebuilding with brick. The new structure became known as the "Burwell Building."
Early occupants of the first floor were furniture dealers, who also made wooden coffins and grew to include the undertaking business. These firms included S.L. Harnit and Wood (1884), S.L. Harnit (until 1887) and W. S. Lamb & Co. (1887-1937). In 1926, W.S. Lamb converted space at the rear of the building into a funeral chapel.
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A new chapter began when Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Wachs of Galesburg started Wach's Ben
Franklin here in 1942 and lived above the store. Mrs. Wachs was a sister to the famous poet, Carl Sandburg. The Wachs sold the business around 1958 to Mr. Loy, who continued a variety store, Loy's Store, until 1986. The store changed to KAS Variety Store (1988-1990) and Dollar General (1992-1994).
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The location has been home to specialty stores including The Silver Lion (1996 - 2001), Avalon Tea Garden (2001), Shirley Duncan Real Estate (2002-2004) and The Store (2016-2018)
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Second Floor was an Opera House
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The second floor was originally divided into two sections. The owner's quarters were in the front and the Burwell Opera House occupied a large part of the second floor, with an area of 50 x 100 feet and a stage illuminated by gas footlights. Many social events, out-of-town shows, and local talent entertainment and high school commencements were held there. The Burwell Opera House became to be known as "The Center of the Town's Entertainment". It also was briefly the site of Gibson Library Association. Other groups and businesses located on the upper floor including Knights of Pythias Hall (1926-1929), USDA Soil Conservation Service (1944), dentist W. W. Templeton (1947), and the Gibson Masonic Temple and Order of the Eastern Star (1926-1983).
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Sadly, over the last few years this historic building has been underused and is now in a serious state of disrepair. Currently, the group is fundraising to purchase the building and will be applying for grants to fund the restoration.
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Anyone interested in preserving and restoring historical buildings can be a member of our association. Contact us today to learn more!
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To learn more about this building and M.T. Burwell, read our blog posts:
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The Opera House Proves to be 'Center of Town's Entertainment'
Who is Bernice Tate Burwell, anyway?
Anatomy of the Burwell Building
Latest News on the Burwell Building
The Burwell House Hotel - Another Casualty of Fire
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To learn about the Burwell Hotel - see more here.
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