Tax Credit Program Highlight: Simon's Department Store

History

Simon’s Department Store served its community as a grocery and general store from 1906, until its reopening as a department store in 1922. The department store remained in operation selling furniture and sundry gifts until it closed in 1998. As part of the Elgin Commercial Historic District, Simon’s Department Store and the surrounding buildings developed around the railroad as a center for trade: particularly lumber, cotton, and brick, which were the town’s most important industries. Commercial stores like Simon’s catered to the community and profited from the boost in trade activity. Like most structures in the Elgin Commercial Historic District, Simon’s Department Store was constructed with locally-produced bricks and contributes to the fabric of a well-preserved downtown commercial core.

Rehabilitation Project

This retail space was too large for Elgin’s typical business needs, so the building was separated into two storefront units at the front, and two small apartments at the rear. Historic features such as the polychrome brickwork and historic storefronts on the exterior were retained, along with original interior features including hardwood floors, decorative tin ceiling tiles, and skylights. This is one of a series of recent tax credit projects in downtown Elgin, all of which have revitalized underused storefronts, and many of which have created downtown housing units.