11/01/2026
The Landmark has lived many lives over the past 100+ years and were grateful to be a part of her rich history!
CHESTER, ILLINOIS — THE MANY LIVES OF THE LANDMARK
At 111 Ferry Street, an old brick-and-stone building holds several chapters of Chester’s history beneath one roof.
The Landmark’s beginnings reach back to the 1830s, when Chester’s business district grew along the Mississippi River. Thomas Mather, an early Illinois businessman and abolitionist, is credited with constructing its original commercial building.
Its appearance and purpose changed over the years. A local newspaper history identifies an upstairs addition built in 1892 by William and Nellie Reid. Known as St. Louis Flats, that portion housed apartments. The downstairs served uses including a bakery and buggy shop.
In 1935, the property passed to Walker Hylton, who operated it as a hotel.
Think about the different reasons people once came through those doors: buying bread, shopping for a buggy, climbing the stairs to their apartment, or finding a room for the night.
As Chester’s businesses gradually moved uphill, much of the old riverfront commercial district disappeared. The Landmark survived. An extensive renovation in 2018 prepared it for another chapter as the St. Nicholas Landmark restaurant and brewpub.
Its story is more than the age of its walls. It is the history of a building repeatedly finding a place in the life of its town.
What do you remember about the Landmark? Did you know it under an earlier owner or business?
Original photograph: Matt Meacham, Illinois Humanities, A Bicentennial Crossroads, CC BY 4.0. Edited with AI for autumn color, composition, and title; this is not an unaltered photograph.
