blog @ market street inn

Free Night at the Market Street Inn Up for Auction!

marketstreet — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:52:41 +0000

The Market Street Inn has donated a one night’s stay in either the Rose or Lilac room to be auctioned on Saturday, January 21st at the “Men Who Cook” event. This event is being hosted by Taylorville Memorial Hospital Women’s Auxillary and features dishes prepared by gentlemen from our community and a “live” auction. Proceeds from the event are going towards the hospital’s helipad. It is being held at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital Auditoriun. Doors open at 5:30pm for cash bar. Tickets are $35 at the door.

2-day Estate Auction 1/6/12 & 1/7/12

marketstreet — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:42:20 +0000

Come to Taylorville for a large Estate Auction this weekend and receive a 20% discount for a 2 nite stay at the Market Street Inn! Visit the Auctioneer’s website http://www.corycraig.com/ to view the many, many antiques and collectibles that will be sold at this auction. Enjoy bidding on one of-a-kind items and hearing the auctioneer’s voice saying ”SOLD”.

Ring in the 2012 New Year at the Market Street Inn!

marketstreet — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 23:20:53 +0000

Start your evening with hors d’oeuvres and a glass of wine.

Walk to the One East Market Restaurant and Jazz Club just two blocks away for dinner and live music.

Dance the night away to a great live band that will be playing all your favorites from Rock, Blues and Country.

Return to your King or Queen Suite to soak in a double whirlpool tub to cap off your romantic evening!

Linger over your candlelight breakfast at fireside on New Year’s Day & have late check out after watching the football games on the large screen TV in the parlor.

Call your innkeeper today at 800.500.1466 to take advantage of our two night New Year’s Weekend special at 10% off in a double whirlpool room.

Ring in the New Year at the Market Street Inn!

marketstreet — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:50:19 +0000

Start your evening with hors d’oeuvres and a complimentary glass of wine.

Walk to the One East Market Restaurant and Jazz Club just two blocks away for dinner and live music.

Dance the night away to a great live band that will be playing all your favorites from Rock, Blues and Country.

Return to your King or Queen Suite to soak in a double whirlpool tub to cap off your romantic evening!

Linger over your candlelight breakfast at fireside on New Year’s Day & have late check out after watching the football games on large screen TV in parlor.

Call your innkeeper today at (217) 824-7220 to take advantage of our two night New Year’s Weekend special at 10% off in a double whirlpool room.

Here is a Unique Event!!

marketstreet — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:00:04 +0000

The lovely and little known persimmon is the focus of a festival, known as the Persimmon Party, held annually on the grounds of the Christian County Historical Society in Taylorville, IL. This is a unique event in that it is one of only 3 such festivals for the persimmon in the U.S. Persimmons seemingly have diminished in importance and usage to the American public over the years and cultivation of the trees is not as prominent at it once was even though the tasty fruit has many important food and medicinal properties. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persimmon .

Every year, when the persimmons ripen, members of the Chrisitan County Historical Society http://www.taylorville.net/Historical_Society.htm gather and “pulp” the persimmons and package and freeze the pulp and have it waiting for the folks who attend the Persimmon Party to purchase and take home to use in delectable dishes for their table. What a great addition to your Thanksgiving Dinner. This year the Annual Persimmon Party will be November 12 and 13, 2011. What a great time to come to Taylorville for fun , food and festivities. There are always a variety of foods, made from the persimmon pulp, to sample maybe including Persimmon Drop Cookies and Persimmon Pudding as shown belowCookies and Persimmon Pudding as shown below. The Christian County Historical Society has two Persimmon Cookbooks for sale to provide ideas about how to use the persimmon pulp you purchase during your visit.

The Christian County Historical Society grounds are comprised of a variety of buildings of historical value including a Bee Castle and the original Christian County Courthouse in which Abraham Lincoln practiced law on the Illinois 8th Judicial Circuit. Please take the time to pay a visit to our Facebook Page and like us. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christian-County-Illinois-Historical-Society-and-Museum/137053123008672

Come to Christian County Illinois for fun, history and good times. The county seat of Christian County is Taylorville, Illinois where you will find all sorts of restaurants, lodging and even more history. We are located just 30 minutes from both Springfield and Decatur, Illinois.

Do you think a “Cemetery Walk” is spooky or fun?

marketstreet — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 01:20:39 +0000

Every year for the last several the Christian County Geneology Society has sponsored a “Cemetery Walk” at Oak Hill Cemetery in Taylorville, IL. This year the date is set for Sunday, September 25, 2011. This is an event of historic note which will thrill those interested in heritage, history and our early beginnings.

Extensive research is conducted on persons of interest, historically, in Christian County and a local person protrays that person at graveside and tells their story of trials and tribulation, triumph and tragedy, failure and success including the family history which must accompany the story. You will “meet” housewives, school teachers, store owners, bankers, lawyers, ministers, soldiers and statesmen and hear an accurate recapitulation of their life. You will share their joys and tears and successes and failures and go away with more of an understanding of what life in the 1800′s and early 1900′s held in store for those here and living in a much simpler time than we live in today.

There is a modest fee to attend and truly enjoy learning about our ancestors and there is also transportation from site to site for those who need assistance. Come in on Friday or Saturday and take some time to see the community today. Enjoy the Farmers Market on Saturday morning on the National Registry Historic Square where Abraham Lincoln used to practice law. Visit the Christian County Historical Society site on Friday or Saturday and make a weekend of it. There are fun restaurants here with tasty, reasonably priced food. Come and enjoy life at a slower pace. Sit on our porch and sip and read. We’ll look forward to seeing you.

Easter Parade (Promenade)

marketstreet — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 01:02:29 +0000

Many years ago it was a tradition to Parade in one’s Easter finery along the Avenue and meet and greet and see and be seen by one and all. Several inspired young ladies of fashion in Taylorville are recreating this tradition on Saturday, April 23 at 1:30 PM around the National Historic Registry Taylorville Square.

Come and participate in our Easter Parade (Promenade_)

Note!!! This is not only for ladies of fashion but gentlemen as well. Ladies, wear your Easter Bonnet and your finery and gentleman, wear your chapeau and fine suitings as well. Don’t have a chapeau or a bonnet? Go online and Google Easter Bonnet and Easter Parade and create your own. What we want is participation.

The Taylorville Square is on the National Registry of Historic Places and has buildings dating back to the late 1800″s. What a great place to meet and greet friends, both old and new.

Here are a couple of young ladies who have been hunting Easter Eggs in their beautiful attire. Did I mention Easter Egg Hunt? Yes, there will be an Easter Egg Hunt on the green of the Courthouse Square sponsored by the Taylorville Kiwanis Club. Eggs will contain various stuffings for the pleasure of the lucky who find them. You might even expect a visit from the Easter Bunny.

Beginning at 1:30 PM is the Easter Promenade and remember, “This is not all about the girls!” Men, come out and show your manhood by dressing up and parading with a finely dressed lady. Or, perhaps, “Man’s Best Friend.”

Of course, well behaved dogs are welcome, especially when attired in the finest of fashion.

After the Promenade, beginning at 2:30PM, there will be a wine tasting in the Shumway Room at One East Market Restaurant and Jazz Lounge. Please come and enjoy. Make a dinner reservation, go home and change and come back in your dancing shoes to enjoy the sounds of The Big Shake Daddies. You will be glad you did.

Easter is the Celebration of the Rebirth of Christ and what a great to do this. Of course, folks from Miles Around and other well known cities are invited to join in and make this celebration the success it should be. Happy Easter from the Market Street Inn Bed and Breakfast.

George Barber Plan #143 in Central Illinois

marketstreet — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 06:46:48 +0000

George Franklin Barber, Architect, sold plans of beautiful homes all over the United States and in several foreign nations. Many of these plans came to fruition by those who purchased them. We have been told that George Barber sold 78 plans in Illinois and 4 in the Central Illinois town of Taylorville, IL. Two of those in Taylorville, IL have been identified by one of the George Barber experts, Michael Alcorn. There is another strong possibility for identification as well but the 4th seems to be elusive.

One of these plans which was successfully built is a #143 and is located at 220 East Market Street and has been turned into a bed and breakfast. This beautiful home has been preserved very nicely over the years. Oh, some modifications have been done to the exterior in the form of metal siding and, of course, bathrooms have been added to accommodate the 8 guest rooms and the innkeeper’s quarters plus a half bath for guest use near the dining room.

George Barber Plan #143

We hope you enjoy viewing this plan as drawn by George Franklin Barber and having been constructed per his specifications in Central Illinois.

Family does Christmas in Central Illinois

marketstreet — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 04:25:42 +0000

The Williams Family, who traveled from all over the US and from Spain and Scotland to spend an early Christmas with each other at

our Central Illinois Inn. What fun to have 23 fun folks gathering in our commons areas to reacquaint with one another, tell stories of happenings since seeing each other last, telling the patriarch that he is going to be a grandfather once again and playing with and loving on the little children. Patriarch Williams will be 89 in January 2011 and is sharp and spry as is Matriarch Williams.

As innkeepers, we found it much fun to watch, listen and attempt to anticipate the wants and needs of the various members of all ages. At breakfast on Saturday, one of the sisters-in-law gave one of our innkeepers a test on the names of everyone at the table. He passed the test.

Every Saturday morning, the Clock Keeper of our Courthouse Clock will take anyone who is waiting about 8 AM at the South Door of the Christian County Courthouse up into the clocktower while he winds the 7 Day Clock which faces the 4 points of the compass. The Clock Keeper is also very intimate with the engineering and architecture of the Christian County Courthouse and the changes which have been made in the past couple of years. He tells folks about the restoration of the art glass dome, the false ceiling which was removed to expose it once again to view from below and the removal of the second floor center to provide a view from the first floor all the way up.

Christian County Illinois Courthouse

Restored Art Glass Dome

The Clock Keeper also tells folks about the restored Tern and Bittern fountain on the Southwest Lawn and the 4 year old, bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln and the “pig story” on the Northwest Lawn. The entire Williams Family enjoyed the small town hospitality which happens here in Taylorville in Central Illinois.

Just about all of the Williams Family

We hope you come back someday, Williams Family.

Happy Thanksgiving from Central Illinois

marketstreet — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:21:49 +0000

This is just a simple note to wish each and everyone of you who may read this blog a Happy Thanksgiving from Central Illinois and the staff at our Springfield, IL and Decatur, IL area inn. We hope you are having or going to have one of the finest family and friend gatherings of your lifetime. May you all be blessed throughout your lives. Thank you to all of our guests past and future.

All the best to you,

Myrna & Joe Hauser