501 Walnut Street

The history of the once crumbling brick building on Walnut Street is intriguing, and 501 Walnut has housed various businesses over the years.  In the earliest days of Washington, however, there was a solid house on the property, with oak timbers and rafters, and walnut and pine shingles that were never replaced.  In 1868, Benjamin Frederick and Caroline Stormer were married.  501 Walnut was purchased by Caroline's parents and gifted to the newlyweds, where they remained until their deaths: Benjamin in 1923 and Caroline in 1925.

In 1930, the property was sold to the Washington Service Company, and the old homestead was torn down in June of that year, making way for a brand new garage and service station with more space than their location at 120 Walnut Street. John Scheerer was contracted for the demolition work and the garage construction. It was a gutsy move in the middle of a depression.

Within two months, the station opened under the management of Jay Byron (J.B.) Hoke (owner of the building), with Sam Hellweg in charge of the shop and Adolph Schmuck as his assistant.

In 1931, the Washington Service Company canceled its contract selling new Chevrolet automobiles.  This was followed by a lawsuit brought by Hoke in 1932 against the lessors of the building known as the Washington Service Company, who had taken over the business from him.  The investors in the service company signed a 10-year lease with Hoke and wanted to back out after two.

Hoke took over the garage again in 1932, carrying Phillips 66 gasoline and peddling Chrysler automobiles led by head auto salesman Ray Wistehuff.  The business, Hoke Sales & Service, then expanded to include a restaurant and bus depot.

In 1935, the Hokes added a second story to the east side of their building as their living quarters.

In 1940, the automotive section of the building was leased to Earl Johnson (pictured below), a Peoria dealer, who opened Earl Johnson Chevrolet Company.  Hoke's Cafe remained open.

J.B. didn't live long enough to see his hard work and investments pay off. In 1943,  J.B. Hoke, 54, passed away in his apartment above the businesses.  By 1945, Henry Essig had purchased the entire property, and Essig Chevrolet Company thrived.

Essig Chevrolet grew quickly, and in 1950, Essig moved to the new Essig Chevrolet building on the West side of town, now the area of Mt. Vernon Plaza on Peoria Street.  A couple of years later,  Ed Essig, owner of  Ed's Sales & Service located at 120 Walnut, needed more room.  He moved his auto dealership from its cramped location to the recently vacated building at 501 Walnut.  It was Ed Essig who constructed the glass display room on the front of the building.

In 1955, Radio Manufacturing Engineers Inc. (RME) converted the building to an industrial factory, moving from Peoria, where they had been in business since 1933. The business was locally managed by Russell Planck of Washington. RME also had a similar factory in Eureka, and both would close in 1963.

Trasco Corporation, manufacturers of boring tools, milling cutters, and tool holders, moved into the building in August 1964.

In 1968, Trasco consolidated the operation of several factories, including Washington, to its local plant in Ferndale, Michigan, which led to a three-year vacancy at 501 Walnut.  In 1971, a new player arrived in town:

Mary Levery owned an antique shop in Morton for about a decade before she moved it to Washington at 501 Walnut, where it was called Mary Rachel Antiques. The store opened on July 1, 1971. The name "Mary Rachel" came from the two women who originally started the business in Morton: Levery and Rachel Pescaglia.

Mary Rachel Antiques' 18-year run at the Walnut Street location is by far the longest-tenured business to make a go of it there. Upon the store's retirement in early 1989, the property again sat vacant for a time before Production Supplies, a paint supply store, opened in 1992-1993, followed by another multi-year vacancy. In 1998, A&A Fabric Supply had a two-year stint at 501 Walnut.

Curves Fitness operated from 2000 to 2004 before moving to Cherry Tree Center from 2005 to 2013.

Except for a brief period when a company named 309 Customs operated there in 2006, the property has ceased to be a commercial business site.  

In 2023, two exterior walls partially collapsed, prompting city officials to pursue demolition. However, the property was sold before demolition was scheduled to occur, and the building underwent a makeover.  In 2025 the private property became the Washington Motor Museum.

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