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FARLEY MUSIC HALL |
In his capacity as Republican boss of Elsah,
Dr. Farley undertook in 1885 to construct the long building across the creek
from his home. Very quickly if became known as the "Music Hall" or "Farley's
Dance Hall." In spite of the protests of the Democrats, the hall became a
center of village activity, including visits from wandering Indian medicine
shows, meetings of the literary clubs, church socials, school plays, and
all sorts of dances.
Early in the twentieth century the Knights of Pythias bought the Hall and
added the second floor. |
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BUGGY SHOP
(OUDERKIRK RESIDENCE) |
John Reintges erected the wagon shop in the
summer of 1877. Although there have been, some changes, particularly in the
front, the buggy shop is one of the buildings that gives Elsah its quaint
flavor. You can still read the lettering painted across the gable end of
the shop "Wagons and Buggies Made and Repaired." One of the peculiarities
of the construction of the buggy shop is the fact that the front entrance
is one floor above the rear entrance, a construction feature that wagon makers
desired. Apparently the vehicles could be worked on from above or from below
by using two levels. In 1975 the building suffered considerable damage in
a fire. The building was reconstructed using many portions of the old
siding. |
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ELSAH SCHOOL |
James Semple presented the stone school building
to his new village in 1857 it is reported to have cost $2,833. Throughout
the nineteenth century both the upper and lower rooms were filled to capacity.
The school was also a cultural center for the village since the pupils often
performed in dramatic or musical entertainments to help furnish the
building.
It now houses the free Village Museum, the Village Board meeting room, the
Civic Center, the office for Historic Elsah Foundation, and the public rest
rooms. |
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HUSS-MESKER HOUSE
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Lawrence Huss, a shoemaker, built this brick
house before the Civil War. In the 1970's, Mrs. Virginia Anderson undertook
a major restoration of the house which included the removal of a large cement
block addition had been added to the house for a modern cafe. |
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Text from Elsah: A Historic Guidebook by Charles B. Hosmer,
Jr. and Paul O. Williams, 1967. Used with Permission from Historic
Elsah Foundation |
