452 Washington Street
This was once the office building for Drs. Grace and Simpson, becoming just Dr. Grace's offices soon thereafter. It has housed many businesses and apartments since. Currently Shooters Bar & Grill operates in the front.
This building was purchased by Nathan Zabka in about 2015. According to his Facebook post, "I bought this building because both my grandma, Mickey Cox, and my grandpa, Gilbert Cox held offices in this building at one point or another. There are so many years with so many people influenced by this little corner, I just had to be a part of it."
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About 1978 Cosmo Corner beauty salon and A & T Real Estate moved into this location. Bill Gibson also opened an office here at about that time. In 2004 Curl Up & Dye hair salon took over Cosmo's space, while A & T Real Estate and Bill Gibson continued their businesses here.
In 1974 the Chillicothe Baptist Temple utilized this building along with residential renter Mabel Grace.
1964 saw MFA Insurance here under the management of Gilbert Cox. The apartments were rented by Mabel Grace and Evangeline Wiley. Miss Grace, daughter of Dr. Haynie M. Grace and sister to Dr. Clarence M. Grace, worked at the Industrial Home for Girls and taught at the Chillicothe Business College for many years. Miss Wiley was the daughter of the ice house manager and a teacher. Miss Wiley moved to the Grace Apartments in 1959.
In 1963 the building was mostly vacant.
Dr. Clarence Grace's son, Charles Melvin, practiced medicine in the Grace building. In 1959 he shared the facility with Dr. W. L. Fair. In 1954 Dr. Neal also had an office in the building; he was still here in 1959. In 1961 it was only Dr. Fair here and he moved business locations by 1962.
Doctors Haynie Melvin Grace and his son Clarence Milo used the office space and rented apartments in this building from 1923 until 1959. Dr. H.M. Grace died in 1944 at the age of 78 while undergoing special treatment in Kansas City. According to Nathan Zabka, Dr. Grace left his building to his wife and family along with one cow and whatever poultry was left alive at his death; the family had farmland at the northeast edge of Chillicothe.
Clarence tragically died in 1950 in a car accident in Waverly, Missouri along with architect R. Warren Roberts.
In 1914 the present beautiful building was commissioned and occupied by Drs. Clarence M Grace, H. M. Grace, and Arthur J. Simpson. They bought the lot from Mr. Meek. The building was designed by local architect R. Warren Roberts. The new building opened for business by late 1916. It provided offices for the doctors as well as apartment space above for renters to occupy. The old hospital owned the two doctors on 11th Street was rented to Mrs. Clark by November 5, 1923. By early December of that year, the doctors officially dissolved their partnership. It was rumored that they got into a fist fight and Dr. Simpson moved his office out of the building (to his residence at Elm and Webster Streets which still stands).
The picture looks south down Washington Street. Note Washington Street south of Clay Street became a dirt track. This new doctors office was placed at the edge of the bustling downtown at that time.
A two-story wooden structure used as a hotel was on the lot prior. In 1901 it was known as the Marcum House, having moved from the 450 Locust Street location. Marvel B. Marcum was the owner. By 1905 the hotel had been sold to Fred Seider. It seems the hotel burned down shortly thereafter, around 1908, leaving only the two story brick building in the far corner of the lot by the alley standing.
In 1896 the building was known as the Downey Hotel or Downey House. This was a two-story wood building facing Washington Street.
In 1885 this location was the Swartz House.
The map below shows a two-story building at this location in 1869 but it appears to face Clay Street. This may have been a home, a store, or an early hotel/boarding house.