1124 Jefferson Street
South Side
Present Day: Vacant lot (Missing Building)
About 2006 the building, then known as First Bank was torn down. Stacy Moore, branch president, tried to sell or even donate the building but the cost was more to fix it up than to build a new one. Before demolition began, a portion of the roof caved in and a section on the front of the building began to bow out. The asbestos was removed and the 8000 square foot basement was filled. The bank moved to its new facility at 1805 State St in October 2001.
1945: The name was changed to Lawrenceville National Bank and Trust Co. In 1972 the President was H.F. Tykal.
1918: The Farmer’s State Bank moved into the new building. In 1922 the officers were Leslie G. Gee President; Joseph S. Young, Jr. Vice-President; S. R. Nigh, Cashier; and H. A. Seed and L. S. Bobbitt Assistant Cashiers.
1917: The Bank building was built. For information about the second floor businesses click here.
Oct 11, 1916: Lawrenceville suffered the most disastrous fire in its history early Thursday morning when the entire block of business buildings at the corner of 12th and Jefferson burned. In the block were the Malcolm Hotel, the Fish and Highsmith Furniture Store, the John Ritter grocery, the Western Union Telegraph Office, and the Law Office of S. J. Gee & Son. The loss sustained by the various firms was estimated at $58,000.
1911: The Fish and Highsmith Furniture Store was located in corner building. The Malcolm Hotel had its entrance on 12th Street, then known as Jones Street, with rooms to rent on the second floor.The Lawrenceville Republican May 1911 “Lawrenceville's new hotel, Hotel Malcolm under the popular management of Wm. McCarthy and wife is fast gaining favor at home and abroad. This hotel is located up town and convenient to the business district and railroads. The bus lines all pass it and sample rooms are maintained in connection with the hotel. The rooms are all light and well ventilated and supplied with electric lights and hot and cold water. The Western Union has its offices in the hotel, and long-distance and local telephone privileges are supplied. In fact every convenience known in hotels is granted, (including) a finely equipped dining room with a bill of fare to tempt the most jazzy appetite. This, added to the genial treatment by the management, are making it a popular stopping place. It has become necessary to enlarge the capacity of the hotel. Mr. McCarthy has leased the residential property just by the hotel of Mr. Gordon and has thus established an "annex." Convenient and most desirable quarters are thus secured.”
1909: Slyvester Gee built a large two story building on this lot.
1908: Amanda Musgrave sold her establishment to Sylvester Gee for $5,000, who tore it down to make room for a new business building.
1892-1908: On this lot was a large home owned by Joseph and Amada Musgrave. It was used as a boarding establishment known as the Civil War Inn. When her husband died, the widow continued running an “eatery”. The Chicago Tribune published an article about her cooking on March 9, 1892 and again on October 6, 1894.
Research continues for earlier 1800 property owners.
1124 1/2 Jefferson Street - Upstairs
The businesses located upstairs over the bank and also those over the Gee building to the east are difficult to place in the correct building. The city directories used different street number addresses and often the businesses themselves when they advertised merely said Gee Building, not differentiating between which of the three Gee buildings located I that block was correct.
1966: Industrial Radio Assoc. owned by Whitmer, Billingsley & Cannon
1941- 1972: The Offices of the Red Cross of Lawrence Co were located upstairs with Mrs. Crusse as secretary.
1941: The offices of Gee and Shaw were listed as being located here. Fred W Gee and Raleigh M Shaw, were business partners.
Room 2-3
1956: The offices of Dale Insurance Agency managed by Wm H Dale , Tohill & Gosnell Inc and Gosnell & Fitzpatrick Attys were located here according to one city directory.
1941: Vacant
1935: Mrs Alice Vandament purchased the equipment and good will of the Patsy Ann Beauty Shop over the Farmers State Bank. Mrs. Inez McKelvey was her assistant according to an early newspaper article.
Room 4
1941: Wabash Production Credit Assn offices were here with E. F. Loveless as the Secretary-Treasurer.
Room 5
1941 The Offices of the Peoples Building & Loan Assn with Jas. M. Groff, President; Thomas E. Sullivan, Vice-President; John O. Smith, Secretary; and Leslie G. Gee Treasurer.
Room 6
1941 Shell Oil Co had an office here with G. D. Lambert as the seismologist. The company engaged in oil exploration.
Room 7
1941: Lester & Wichter
Room 8-9
1966- 1972: Tohill & Gosnell, Abstract Office was located here. Sarah E. Ridgley was the manager.
1941: The Law offices of Noah M. Tohill and Maurice E. Gosnell were located here.
Room #10
1941-66: The Office of Joe. S. Young, Oil Producer and Contractor were located here with Joe W. Young listed as Trustee.
1966: The Law Office of Maurice E Gosnell and Edward Benecki were located here.1941 James M Groff, attorney occupied Rooms 10-11.