Looking Back – The Four Gables Building

Submitted story
Photos courtesy of the Champaign County Historical Society

In recognition of the 100th anniversary of the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, the Champaign County Historical Society is noting the history of previous offices of the Chamber.
These circa 1937 photos (#0130, #0131) of the Four Gables Building located at the NW corner of Church and Main streets document before and after the sides of the building were covered with an imitation brick veneer. Note in photo 1 the start of the covering on the wall at the left and the presence of scaffolding on the front of the building. At the time of this photo the Interurban tracks had been removed from the middle of Main Street.
Photo 2 is after completion of the cladding. Note in both photos the gasoline pumps and the tank cart for dispensing motor oil. Canned motor oil probably was not generally available then. Note the air hose at the extreme left of the photos and the buckets for radiator water at the base of the pole upon which a thermometer has been mounted. The Chamber of Commerce offices were in this building in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.