Allison Building

Location: 74 North 9th Street

Date Built: 1880s

History of the Building:

In the 1880s, Margaret Allison built a two-story structure that housed many businesses including a jewelry store, cigar factory, barber shop and a millinery.  In the 1920s, Emmett Armstrong opened a unique shoe store featuring an innovative X-ray machine which gave customers an outline view of their foot within a new shoe, helping to size those hard-to-fit customers.  At the same time, the facade was transformed with Art Deco black carrara glass.  Today, it still surrounds the terrazzo entry floor bearing the scripted Armstrong name.  Armstrong Shoes closed its doors in 1993 leaving a long legacy of retail success.

Current Use:  Asian Grill