browse originally operated a boarding house at the property. “It was mostly German immigrants that came to stay there,” Luecke said. “They would board there until they could get settled in the area.” In 1892, Blust decided to build a new building, the Blust Building. She left the building to her four children, and Luecke’s grandfather, Eddie Blust, bought out his siblings. He ran a dry goods shop on the first floor. Luecke’s father, Robert, started a small jewelry store out of the dry goods business in 1921. When Blust decided to close the dry goods store in 1951, Luecke’s father expanded the jewelry store. It has been in the space ever since. Luecke worked in the store with his father. His daughter, Marcia, runs the jewelry store today. When Luecke thinks about the building — about his childhood — his first thoughts are about the hallway, the entrance to the antique mall. “Right here, this hallway was always a central area,” Luecke
said. Luecke can remember walking up the stairs as a kid, there was a glass atrium overhead and sunlight would cascade down. People would head through the hallway to the third floor college everyday. “In the hall, you would smell the aroma of people cooking in all of the apartments,” Luecke said. “And the atrium would throw light everywhere.” Each of the eight apartments had front and back door and windows that looked out into the hallway. Luecke said this was to give, “a little town effect.” The apartments were occupied into the 1990s, before the building was turned into an antique mall. A sign hanging on the wall states that one resident lived there for 60 years. A door in the back of the hallway leads to the third floor, which was once half dance hall, half business college. The room of the dance hall is large. Four massive, arched windows cast light throughout the room. Up a small, open set
of stairs leads to the bandstand. Luecke said all sorts of dances, weddings and other events, happened in the space. “I can remember my grandpa oil mopping the floors of the ballroom,” Luecke said, explaining that his grandfather used a mop soaked in oil to preserve the floors. The third floor is staggering. The east part of the floor was Brown’s Business College, which ran from 1892 to 1955. Luecke said that when the building was built, the space was designed to accommodate the school. A door at the top of the stairs, leading to another room has frosted glass and still reads “College Office, Walk In.” The glass panes above each doorway still have the titles of each room: “Office”, “Class Room”. The office is now filled with holiday decorations for sale. The ceiling of the room is high and well-lit by a stunning glass atrium. The second floor atrium was closed off because of concerns from the fire inspector years ago.
Luecke said that he would often see obituaries in The Journal-Standard that “mentioned someone who attended the school.” Though he saw much more years ago, today he doesn’t see as many. Of all the things to look at while wandering through the labyrinth of stuff, the views out of the window may be the most amazing. Every window shows another side of the old downtown. They are views that are seldom seen. Many are partially blocked by antiques, which adds to the mystic. With the sound of traffic outside and the creak of the floors, one could close their eyes and be brought back to a different time. It’s one thing to read about history, but it’s something entirely different to stand in the middle of it. Luecke’s Antique Mall is located at 10 W. Main Street in Freeport, Ill. For more information, contact (815) 233-0021. t
Great Route 64/84
Holiday Shop Hop
Lanark - Mt.Carroll Savanna - Thomson - Fulton Come Enjoy our Warm Hospitality! s More than 30 shop showcasing
at Gift Ideas
Gre Holiday Decor and
! 2 WEEKENDSay s
Fridays & Saturd ber 9 and 10 2 and 3 AND Novem
November
SHOP DESCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE AT:
www.bwcvb.com/shophop or call 815-589-4545
PHOTO BY THE JOURNAL-STANDARD
Charlie Luecke stands at the entrance of the antique mall. Luecke’s great-great-grandmother built the iconic Blust Building in 1892.
and at All Participating Shops where you see our Kangaroo Logo! Paid for by Carroll County Hotel/Motel
www.journalstandard.com
33