The Kickapoo Building is an iconic building located at the bottom of the hill on Main Street. It was built in the early 1900’s and is Peoria’s only flatiron building. You can read more about the building and the landmark status it recently received at this post on this Whiskey City Collaborative blog. The Central Ilinois Landmark Foundation (CILF) is celebrating the recently achieved landmark status by giving out free coffee and drinks at thrity-thrity Coffee which is housed in the Kickapoo Building along with Margie’s Cleaners. That’s the good news—the bad news is it starts at eight o’clock in the morning! I’m not a morning person, but this seemed like a great tribute to a wonderful building on Main Street, so let’s try and peel our eyeballs open at this early hour and hit the road.
Morning has broken...all over my head. I really don’t function well too at this day of time. Wait a minute...strike that, reverse it...thank you.
I will say that even though I fucking hate this rotten time of the day, the Kickapoo Building certainly looks majestic in the morning sunlight.
Here’s the other side of the building where thirty-thirty Coffee is housed.
Let’s go in and see if this coffee party has started percolating yet.
Here’s one of the organizers of this event, Erik Reader. Erik’s been a special guest on MBIP in the past (click here and here for those posts) and he’s on the Board of Directors for CILF. I asked Erik what exactly happens when a building gets landmarked and he explained that in addition to making sure that the history of the building is a matter of public record, it also protects the building and they also get a little bit of a break when the taxman comes around. I need to look into landmarking my apartment!
Hang on to your hat if you happen to be wearing one, it’s time for another exciting edition of, “Dueling Photos” with Jamie Shirley! Jamie’s a professional photographer for Nefalhim Photography and she was there to take photos and document the event. I think I’ll just follow her around and take whatever photos she takes!
She points and shoots the infamous Jumer’s Bear...
And so do I. Hey, this is easy!
In addition to free coffee there’s also postcards for the taking, very cool. I just wonder when night time comes if they’ll be free hookers and eight-balls of coke in here? Probably not, but hey, one can dream!
I heard my name being called and almost ran out the door for fear it was the cops, but it turned out to be MBIP pal and owner of The Costume Trunk, Steve Spain! Good to see him again and he had good news on the plastic chicken drought that has crippled this area for more than half a year...stay tuned for more on that tomorrow!
Steve meets his friends, Sharon and Don here on a regular basis, and they didn't know about the free coffee, but were pleased about it when they found out. Drink up, everyone!
Wow, it's starting to fill up in here, looks like word of the free coffee has gotten out! Let's go say hi to some of the people that have arrived here in search of some free caffeine.
Who is this masked man? I wish I could tell you, but I was still trying to wake up and didn't ask his name. Plus I forgot my notebook, so I never would've remembered it anyway. Sorry about that, Chief!
Here's another satisfied customer who's name I didn't get... I need to get some tea and wake up!
Let's get in line at the counter.
Here's Phil (finally I remember to get someone's name!) who took my order for a large green tea with a little honey. See the tree how big it's grown...
What's Jamie taking a shot of now?
She's shooting these empty cups up here on the counter. But they won't be empty long...
See, I told you so. The free coffee is flowing...
Black gold...Texas tea...well the first thing you know old Jed's a millionaire!
Erik's chatting with guests and simultaneously shuffling a deck of postcards, what a multi-tasker I tell ya!
Here's Bill Ordaz who is the President of CILF and a great guy who gave us a tour of the GAR Hall a while back. Wonderful to see him again!
Bill brought along the application needed to get the building landmarked. You can see the entire 73 page document via a PDF online file by clicking here.
Thanks to Erik, Bill and the CILF for the free coffee and tea, now I'm taking off with this guy to steal a pic-a-nic basket, we'll see you all tomorrow!
thrity-thirty Coffee Co.
734 Main St.
Peoria
309-713-2983
Related Posts: A Tour Of The Grand Army of the Republic Hall With Bill Ordaz, A Private Tour Of The Apollo Theatre and My Favorite Building—The Scottish Rite Cathedral.