©2008 Historic Downtown Association-St. Charles
220-226 North Main
1906, William B. Rechtern
The Central Building
The Central Building was constructed in 1906 by William B. Rechtern to house the Bruns Machine Co., a hardware and farm implement firm, and his own Wm. B. Rechtern Clothing Co. Professional offices and local organizations utilized the second floor space.
Earlier erected on this site was the Central Mill, built in 1866, and the Constitutional Presbyterian Church, built in 1845 was on the northeast portion of the site. The Central Mill continued to produce flour until 1898 when it was mostly destroyed by fire. Both the Central Mill and the Constitutional Presbyterian Church were demolished during the construction of the Central Building, one of the largest commercial buildings in St. Charles at the time. Traditional cast iron columns and wood framed windows identify the street level and the second story is uniquely decorated above the windows and at the cornice with pressed metal Italianate ornamentation. The Central Building remained in the Rechtern family ownership until 1983. |