121 S Main St · Waterloo, Illinois
BUILDING
HISTORY
From a 19th-century mercantile and the City Hotel to the smokehouse on Main Street today.
1830s–1840s
Early Roots
The site's active commercial history began when prominent early settlers used the location for a general store and gathering space. Enoch Moore and his son, McKendree Moore, operated a notable mercantile store here until 1840.
1871
A New Structure
The core structure associated with the later multi-story commercial and lodging use was erected. Over subsequent decades, the building and adjacent spaces transitioned through various local uses, including a hall, saloon, and boarding quarters.
20th Century
The City Hotel Era
For decades leading up to the mid-1940s, the building operated as the community's familiar City Hotel, managed by local families who anchored the center of downtown near the Monroe County courthouse square.
Mid-century
Changing Times
After WWII, ownership shifted and upper and lower spaces served alternate commercial and residential functions.
Early 2000s
Modern Restoration
Local preservationists purchased the heavily weathered building and undertook extensive structural restorations, salvaging and repurposing antique materials to honor its 19th-century facade.
Present Day
Shorty's Smokehouse
Following modern top-to-bottom interior updates, the historic building currently houses Shorty's Smokehouse, contributing to the ongoing commercial revival of downtown Waterloo.
From the archives
MAIN STREET, THEN
