Third Wolfe Brothers Building

Hi. My name is Karla Steffens-Moran. I purchased this building from its previous owners in 2003. I have always been interested in the unique quality of this town and know in my heart that this is because of this community’s efforts in historic preservation. It takes strong partnerships between business and building owners to maintain this type of historic integrity. I am happy to do my part as I know that building owners such as myself are mere stewards in this regard. I have brought many people here for dinner and am delighted to say that I am regularly told by out-of-town guests that meals eaten here have been of the best quality anywhere.

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This building is another merchant block that was constructed by a Mr. Thomas and the Wolfe brothers, Thomas and John, who were both local doctors well-known for their real estate dealings. When it was completed in 1894, the building housed a restaurant and a barber shop.

The façade, with its heavy use of decorative pressed tin on the upper level, has remained largely unchanged through the decades.

Among the businesses to occupy this building through the decades has been the Lincoln Café, a restaurant that was named in honor of the Lincoln Highway, the first improved transcontinental highway in the United States. The Lincoln was routed through Mount Vernon in 1913, right down First Street in front of this building. The Lincoln Highway passed through thirteen states and covered over 3,389 miles when it was first created. In later years, much of the route of this pioneering roadway became U.S. Highway 30.

It is the only single story building on the north side of street in this block. The space on the right once housed a small hardware store where you could buy one of most anything and replace cooking utensils. Drawers of all kinds reached from the floor to the ceiling. A rolling ladder enabled the clerk to reach any self quickly. It has been said that small boys were sometimes entertained by standing on the ladder and pushed across the room.

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Map

115-117 1st Street Northeast