The Santa House

The Santa House on the Square was a small cottage that hosted Santa Claus and, later, the Easter Bunny during their yearly visits.

Prior to the dedicated house for these visits, both Santa and the Easter Bunny had visited the Square. In the 1930s, the American Legion started sponsoring Santa's appearances. Santa would appear in the center of the Square or at Casper’s Grocery Store to visit with the children and hand out little gifts.

In 1946, the Chamber of Commerce sponsored a short-lived traveling Christmas program put on by promoter Jay Gould on the Square. From 1945 to 1948, Gould performed his mini-circus with Santa and other acts throughout Central Illinois.

After the 1946 Gould experiment, the Legion returned to sponsoring the annual Santa visit through the 1960s, often in conjunction with the Tazewell Theater.

In 1968, the Easter Bunny was added in the spring, riding in a horse-drawn carriage and visiting the children in a large fiberglass egg.

When the Texaco Station at 100 N. Main closed in 1973 (it is now the property of Jim Maloof Realtor), Santa Claus visits were hosted in their building until Martin Barber Shop moved into that location in 1975.

Needing a new spot, a new structure was built on the empty lot on the southwest corner of the Square to host the annual Santa Claus visit. The lot had sat empty since 1967 when the J.J. Roehm building was torn down. This little cottage became an extremely popular spot for the Christmas and Easter visits from 1975 until 1988.

For a few years the cottage would be moved in the off-season and stored in a barn, but as time went on it became a permanent fixture on the Square.

After 1988 the cottage was removed and moved to the backyard of the home at 116 S. Elm Street, where it remains to this day.