The Westside Neighborhood Betterment Association has many older buildings along the Route 66 corridor that have historical significance to the area and today are being repurposed. While the function of the buildings have changed to fulfill the current needs, the buildings remain as a reminder of the Route 66 era.
Springfield is considered “The Birthplace of Route 66” because the designation of Route 66 was made in Springfield on April 30, 1926. While the west Route 66 corridor is just a small stretch of the 2,448 total miles of Route 66, it is a jewel that is treasured and deserves to be preserved.
The building at 1634 W. College is situated along historic Route 66. The building was built in the 1950s and was once a 20,000-square-foot warehouse and offices for Paramount Liquor. In 1980, Guy Mace purchased the building from Paramount Liquor and converted the building to start the business Semblex. In 1987, Mr. Mace started the business Turblex in the building, which operated there until 2007 when the business was sold and moved to another location. Mr. Mace retained the building and started to store unique and classic vehicles as he acquired them.
As with any collector, Mr. Mace began his collection with one car in 1990 and his collection has grown annually to the 70 vehicles currently at the museum.
[pullquote]In 2016, the 90th anniversary of Route 66, Mr. Mace opened the Route 66 Car Museum to share his collection with the public. Mr. Mace estimates that 15 percent of the visitors to the museum are tourists from other countries who are traveling the path of Route 66.[/pullquote]
The front wall of the museum has been changed to an eye-catching checkered flag design which has also been applied to the walls of the nearby College Street Cafe, sure to attract locals and tourists alike.
Another building along historic Route 66 is located at 2906 W. Chestnut Expressway. According to the current owner, Jeff Hammock, the building was built in the early era of Route 66 and was a longtime liquor retailer. Most recently the building was a Brown Derby store and at one time had a fishing supply section which was the beginnings of Bass Pro Shop.
Mr. Hammock had a State Farm Insurance office in Springfield, but saw the need and importance for a State Farm Insurance office on the west side. Mr. Hammock searched the area for a business location and one day in 2008 he attended an auction for this Route 66 location and purchased the building. After Mr. Hammock purchased the building he initially planned to demolish it and build a modern structure for his office in its place. Mr. Hammock soon realized the unique design and character of the building needed to be preserved. He had the building interior renovated to meet the needs of his business and to accommodate his customers. The large walk- in coolers were retained as usable office space and add to the character of the building.
Mr. Hammock is happy with his move to the west side location and the ability to fulfill the need of a State Farm Insurance office location. Mr. Hammock speaks with pride about preserving this historic neighborhood building along the Route 66 corridor.
Mr. Mace and Mr. Hammock, along with many others have made the decision to invest in store fronts on the west side. This trend will continue and make the west side corridor a destination rather than a pass-through area, if we all support west side businesses.