Barrow Block

This building was built in the early to mid 1880’s by William H Barrow. Mr. Barrow was born in Roodhouse, June 7, 1832, and was only seven years old at the time of his father's death. His mother was left with six small children to raise, and she did weaving in order to support them and send them to school. When his mother died, William H. Barrow left home and began his life as a successful farmer and stockman. He acquired approximately two thousand acres of land. He was one of the three founders of the Roodhouse Bank. He was married November 25, 1856, to Miss Mary Jane Bingham, and they became the parents of five children Addie, Joseph, Annette, Alfred, and William. Alfred and Annette were the only two to live to adulthood. He would wed again November 29, 1903, to Nora Witty.

The Barrow family was originally from Kentucky. William’s Grandfather, Benjamin Barrow, was born and died in Kentucky, having spent his entire life there. He was the father of twenty-one children, of whom Joseph Barrow, Williams father, was the youngest. This family is related to the Jones, Holiday, Allen, Brown and other leading families of Greene County. The first settlement made by the Barrow family in Illinois was at Alton, locating on Shoal Creek. Joseph Barrow was born in Kentucky and in 1820 became a resident of Illinois, entering a claim of eighty acres West of Roodhouse, whereupon he built a log cabin and established his home, living there until his death in 1839. He was married July 13, 1826, to Elizabeth Taylor daughter of John Taylor. Mrs. Barrow’s mother was the first white woman to die north of Apple Creek. The Barrows had five children, Nancy, Levi, Alfred, William, and Lavenia.

William Barrow

The Barrrow Block is a two story business style building reused as a downtown apartment building. On the first floor there are three units complete with original tin ceilings. The second floor boasts two efficiency apartments and a hall style meeting space once used by the Roodhouse Rotary Club. I am sure that many people’s parents or grandparents can remember climbing the stairs to the hall for bingo on a random Saturday night long ago.

The building was once covered in “Mesker Style” catalog façade that was destroyed in an 1950’s fire.

This building has housed some of Roodhouse’s more notable businesses: Todd’s Café, Spencer’s Barber Shop, The Marianne Shop, and possibly the most important, the Stimpson Jewelry Shop.

Milton Stimpson was a native of Onarga, New York and moved to Onargra Illinois then on to Roodhouse in 1888. Here he engaged in the jewelry business and was the watch inspector for the Chicago and Alton Rail Road. Most of the trainmen of the line were required once a month to have their watches set by a regulator clock brought to Roodhouse by Stimpson from New York.

We can only assume that while renting the store building, Stimpson met Annette Barrow as they were married in 1889. Milton and Annette lived most of their married life on a farm West of Roodhouse bought for them as a wedding present by William Barrow. To this marriage was born William and Helen “Marie” Stinpson.

Marie wed Lee Hopkins and to them was born Lee Edwin and Frank Alfred.

Frank Hopkins

Frank was the Owner-Operator of the Hopkins Jeweler-Gift Shop in Roodhouse for 29 years. Frank was very active in the community. He had served as president of the Roodhouse Chamber of Commerce, and later was a member of the North Greene Chamber. He served on the committee to encourage the city to purchase the Roodhouse Lake property to maintain a city park. He was on the Economic Board to persuade Bunn-O-Matic to locate in White Hall and name it Whitehouse Corporation. He was chairman of the 1966 Roodhouse Centennial. He was one of four people who initiated the Roodhouse Alumni Association and was a past president. He was a member of the former Twin City Community Care organization, which planted 20 memorial pear trees along the highway in both Roodhouse and White Hall, and was one of the organizers of Concerned Citizens for Better Health Care in an effort to keep White Hall Hospital open. He also was an organizer of the Roodhouse, White Hall and Greenfield Meals On Wheels program, serving as Roodhouse chairman for 14 years, and was a committee member of the Roodhouse YMCA facility. He was chairman of the "Welcome Home" committee for Col. Phil Smith held prisoner in China during the Vietnam War. He also was a volunteer for the Greene County Boot Camp for 7 1/2 years, assisting in the graduations of more than 1,500 graduates.

We lost Frank in March 7th of 2010. In the absence of immediate family Frank will be missed my many friends. The Barrow Block Quilt was independently sponsored and designed after a quilt gifted to Marie Hopkins by her long time friend. Mrs. Day.

Barrow block