PEORIA MAGAZINE October 2023

The menus in Peoria and Springfield are nearly identical, with only a few local tweaks. Those adjustments include the chili. In Springfield, it is more of a tav ern-style chili that is a little “greasy” or “oily” than what some prefer. “That didn’t go over as well” in Peo ria, Karen said, so they went to a more traditional recipe for local diners. Also, the ever-popular artichoke dip in Springfield, made with a blend of ar tichoke hearts, garlic, parmesan cheese, mayo and cream cheese, wasn’t a big sell er in Peoria. So, the recipe was adjusted to add spinach for a spinach-artichoke dip. “It’s a difference in cultures,” Karen said. “We all have our traditions and trends.” And the Conns are forging a new one in the River City, for themselves and their customers. Tom Veirs of Peoria, a retired Lime stone Community High School teacher, is a frequent customer. “If you spend any time in Downtown Peoria, you can’t help but notice the building,” he said. “I sponsored an event in the early 1990s before the renovations. It needed a lot of help. The owners of Obed & Issac’s did a wonderful job maintaining the integrity of the structure and its originality. “They’ve continued to improve it with the addition of games and dog-friendly outdoor areas,” he said. “It’s a crown jewel of Peoria. The city should consider itself lucky that such a beautiful building was saved and is now a draw for the area.” Meanwhile, Veirs’ go-to recommen dation for new diners: “Start with an up side brown coffee ale in cooler tempera tures or a strawberry blonde during the summer, along with an order of Scotch eggs. Follow that with a stinger burger and you’ve got a fantastic dinner.” CELEBRATING HISTORY, MAKING HISTORY Although the building was construct ed as a church, it only served that pur pose for 60 years, the last 12 of those as the First Federated Church following a merger with Second Presbyterian.

The Peoria brewhouse is the Conns’ largest

In 1949, the church was purchased by the Electra Chapter of the Eastern Star with a $120,000 endowment from Ellen Donmeyer. The building was to be used as a chapter house for Eastern Star and eventually would house the Donmeyer Family Monument created by Fredrick “Fritz” Triebel. The Donmeyers — Ellen and husband Isaac — were a prominent Peoria family that owned a lucrative milling business, making and selling flour. Ellen commis sioned the monument following her hus band’s death in 1911. She died on Sept. 28, 1916, having never seen it completed. It would be another dozen years — 1928 — before the memorial was finalized and shipped from Italy to Peoria, where it was warehoused for another 24 years before finally being erected in the southwest vestibule of the then-renovated Eastern Star/Don meyer Temple. The Donmeyer family ashes were interred there on May 6, 1952 and remained until 1985, when they were removed and relocated. The memorial remains in the building today. In 1969, the Eastern Star attempted to have the property rezoned for de velopment of a Shell Oil service station. Local protests led to the failure of that request. The Eastern Star owned the building until 1985. During the next 30 years, the building housed an array of ventures, including an event and banquet operation, offices, a group tour business, dance, art and photography studios. And then the Conns stepped in. It was important for the couple to re tain the historic nature of the building. For one, they needed to take advantage

of the River Edge Redevelopment Zone program, so the building had to be put on the National Historic Register. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity program helps revive and redevelop environmentally challenged properties adjacent to rivers in Illinois. Misselhorn applauds the work the Conns have done. “It’s in a neat little area with the Peoria Diocese across the street, the recently renovated and closed Scot tish Rite, the Ronald McDonald House and the whole medical development going on,” he said. “It really stretches the footprint of downtown. We’re really happy they came. The building survived a number of near deaths over the years.” Karen said it was just meant to be. It was important to pay homage to the Donmeyers, who had a passion for the building, she explained. Obed & Isaac’s opened on Sept. 26, 2016, which would have been Ellen Donmeyer’s 172nd birthday, said the Conns. Around the country and the world, there are many religious buildings that have been renovated, resurrected and repurposed into a variety of uses, in cluding brewhouses and such. “It’s certainly not a desecration,” said Misselhorn. “It’s a great use, sort of a church for good times and good food.”

Lisa Coon is a Peoria native who had a long career in the newspaper industry before moving into marketing and communications

16 OCTOBER 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE