Central Illinois Bed and Breakfast the Market Street Inn

We are going to make this the simplest blog yet by just adding a link to the Christian County Fair website.  The fair runs from July 10 through July 15.  Come and attend and have lots of fun.

Brenda and Gary Spurling, owners of Spurling Title Service have embarked on a facelift of their location on the South Side of the Taylorville, IL Town Square. The Square and a block or so in each direction have long been designated on the National Registry of Historic Places and restoration of many of the building facades are taking place.

Facelift for an old building

Please note the date on the peak of the facade as being 1892. This building and the Market Street Inn were both built in the same year, only 400 years after Columbus discovered America.

The pressed metal facade has been scraped of loose paint and is being painted in a complementing color scheme. Prior to this the building front was all white which is still visible in the lower right corner.
If you note the building to the left, a brick structure, you will see a facelift which was accomplished several years ago by Brett Mason.

Architectural enthusiasts will find cast iron facades by Mesker Brothers and Capitol Iron Foundry in our historic district as well. We love it when folks walk and gawk at the remaining beauty of our square. 

We had a house full all weekend and our guests really enjoyed the fare. Memorial Day breakfast consisted of Egg Strada with fresh dill from our garden, sausage patties, watermelon and buttermilk biscuits

This entree was followed by a “sweet ending” of St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake.

We had guests from all over Illinois, New York City and St. Louis

 October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Myrna, our chief innkeeper, is a survivor of  6 months. Our effort in promoting Breast Cancer Awareness Month is to invite you to a stay at the Market Street Inn Bed and Breakfast for the weekend of Friday and Saturday, October 29 and 30 or anytime through November 21, 2010 AND  10%  of your room rate will be donated to Cups for the Cure and/or Breast Cancer Research.  The donation will be in your name.

Some special events in Taylorville, IL   

** One East Market Restaurant invites you to make a $15 donation to attend a tasting of five fabulous wines and a complimentary, hand painted wine glass.  11 am to 5 pm    You may purchase any of the wines either by the bottle or case and all proceeds will go to breast cancer awareness and research in a ten-county area in Central Illinois.

** Lunch on the “Pink Plate Special” for $8.50 and $1.00 of each lunch will go to breast cancer research.

** The drink of the day at One East Market Restaurant will be the Flirtini Special for $7.50. Each Flirtini Special sold makes a $2.50 donation to Breast Cancer Research.

** There will be a 50/50 drawing and Gift Basket Raffles.

** There will be Art Bra’s on display, one by your innkeeper, and you may let your $$ vote for your favorite and, of course, all proceeds go to breast cancer awareness and research.

** There is NO COVER CHARGE for live music by 48 Connection from 5 to 8 PM. This band is known for their roadhouse blues and rock music.

Have fun, donate to a very worthy cause and enjoy Central Illinois finest lodging.  See us at www.marketstreetinn.com/

On Sunday, October 31st, Garlic Fest II will happen at the K of C Hall in Morrisonville, IL  just about 9 miles from the Market Street Inn Bed and Breakfast.  Tickets are $8 at the door and what a good time you will have.  Garlic!!!!  The doors will open at 1 PM and Bagna Cauda will be ready about 1:30 PM.  This gives you time to soak up a bunch of Bagna and beer preparing for the meal which will be at approximately 3:30 PM consisting of Garlic Sausage, Slaw & Mostaccioli.  There will be music by “The Music Men” from 3:30 to 7:30 PM.  Garlic Fest II is a revived area tradition and golly, did we miss it when it was gone.  Thanks for the revival.  You cannot have more down home fun than is available here.      

Bagna Cauda Recipe

Garlic Fest II Where Garlic is King

See Great Livestock at the Christian County Fair

This week, guests at our Central Illinois Bed and Breakfast will be able to attend the Christian County Agricultural Fair, hosted at the fairgrounds from July 7 – 15. The Fair is a meeting place for people from all walks of life, especially folks who live and work miles from any city. For them, this is an opportunity to learn about new products and techniques, and to swap tales with people in the same line of work. For city-dwellers, this event provides a rare glimpse into American agricultural/rural life. How often do folks from Chicago or St. Louis get to watch bull riding and tractor pull competitions? This is a great opportunity to learn about where our food comes from. What makes a prize-winning pig prize-winning? What characteristics do people look for in their beef cattle and dairy cows? The livestock shows are fascinating when you consider these questions.

Our Taylorville Illinois Bed and Breakfast is the perfect place to stay while you attend or participate in the Christian County Agricultural Fair; we are located just twelve blocks away from the fairgrounds. Fill up on a tasty homemade breakfast before heading out for the day, and share your experiences during our social hour over complimentary wine, beer and cheese after you return. We look forward to seeing you at our Victorian Bed and Breakfast in Central Illinois.

It’s true that Taylorville is a quiet town, but that is what makes it appealing. In fact, quite a few celebrities have been drawn to Taylorville for one reason or another, and many have even found their way to our charming Taylorville Illinois hotel. What follows is a tribute to the folks who have helped add a little spark of celebrity over the years to the Market Street Inn.

Mickey Rooney stayed at our Taylorville b&b

Mickey Rooney and his wife once stayed in the Chimney Room, while other members of their entourage stayed in other rooms.

Fans of The Office will be happy to learn that Jenna Fischer stayed in the Lilac Room, soon to be renamed the Hoover Room. Her parents plan to return to us.

Singers since the early 1960s, The Lettermen are together again and frequently on tour. Tony Butala had the Chimney Room, Darren Dowler (no longer part of the group) stayed in the Rose Room, and Donovan Tea stayed in the Lilac Room .

Singer Sammy Kershaw stayed in the Rose Room, while the rest of the group spread out in the main house.

Known to some as the greatest country band in the universe, the Sawyer Brown group once took over the third floor which is comprised of the Clocktower Room, Summit Room and Eagles’ Nest.

Before his gubernatorial days, Governor Jon Corzine and his then wife were the first people to stay on our brand new third floor in the Summit Room. Other guests and family were spread out in the main house.

Not all of our “celebrity” guests are known to the public; some gain celebrity here, at our Taylorville Illinois bed and breakfast. For example, one gentleman stayed with us for 4.5 years, occupying the Sweet Violet room. He worked for a local firm while his family stayed back in the Albany, NY area. After the daughters graduated from high school the man and his wife built a home here. (Their daughters were deeply involved in ballet at a level that is not available locally.)

Another long-term guest from the same company stayed with us for 2 years. Being from the Los Angeles, CA area, he preferred the cozy Spring Garden Room, which has a gas log fireplace.

We welcome all sorts of folks to our Taylorville bed and breakfast, and we treat them all like celebrities.