Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Illiff Academy--Photo of the Day

ILIFF ACADEMY AND PAYSON BUSINESS COLLEGE
    Today, as we go around the curve in the highway at 100 North and 100 West, we see a corner that is much different that it appeared more than 100 years ago.  At that time there was no curve in the street but it had a square corner like all other street intersections in town.  The curve was installed in 1935 when the main highway was moved from Main Street that was much too narrow to handle the traffic.
     In 1890, the Methodist Church built a new building on the property where we find the One Man Band restaurant today.  The L-shaped building was constructed of red brick.  It was designed in Gothic style with beautiful arched windows. The building housed the Iliff Academy and the Payson Business College. 
    At the corner of the L-shaped building was a vestry, a room used for religious meetings.  The vestry supported a bell tower that was topped with a cross.
    The school closed sometime after 1900.  The building was used for various purposes until 1920.  In that year, Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Porter purchased the building.  They converted the building into their home.  It is not known when the north-south portion of the building and the vestry portion was torn down.
    After the Porters moved out in about 1926, the building was used for different purposes until it was sold and remodeled into the Central Apartments. 

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