Black's Store

Black's Store in Hampton, Illinois, built in 1849, was the largest store in northwest Illinois and became an important commercial center tied first to riverboat traffic and later to the Galena Stagecoach route. Also known as the Brettun and Black Museum, the three-story brick building survives as a recreation of a mid-19th-century mercantile store. It is especially notable for containing one of the first elevators in the Midwest, an unusually early feature. Restoration of the elevator by preservationist Ron Nelson helped preserve this distinctive element. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 for its commercial importance and connection to Illinois travel and trade.

Hampton, Illinois · United States