232 E Main - Fine Threads / Little People's Boutique

John J. Craig was in business as a wholesale and retail dealer in groceries, produce, “stuffs,” china, glass, rope and brooms, located on Main Street in Madison, opposite the Court House, according to an ad in the local Daily Evening Courier, dated October 15, 1862. By August 14, 1863, the Daily Evening Courier reported, “Our city is continuing to improve. We notice that Mr. Craig has begun the work of tearing down the old building corner of Main Cross and Main streets, preparatory to putting up one of the finest buildings in the city.” At that time, Craig had entered into a partnership with Fred Dubach to build a new dry goods store on that location.

That new 3-story building was constructed of masonry in an Italianate commercial style with brick exterior walls. The flat parapet roof included a decorative cornice with brackets. (The parapet height was required to be 42” to prevent anyone from falling off the roof.) Floral roundels adorned the windows.

The partnership with Dubach only lasted about a year. Craig’s brother Henry then joined the business, which was named Craig and Brother Wholesale Grocery. Although John Craig died in 1886 of asthma and bronchitis, the 1887-88 City Directory listing shows: J & R Craig Co., located at 232 & 234 E. Main St., Grocers and Commission Merchants, Dealers in Flour, Bacon, Pure Wines and Liquors.

By 1889, Nicholas Horuff took over the location and opened a dry goods store. His sons William H., Joseph A. and Charles N. joined the business in 1895. The business was so successful that they were able to purchase the building from Thomas Graham in 1897. The Horuff Building was associated with department and dry goods for a long time. Nicholas Horuff managed retail operations on Main Street for 68 years, 60 of those years in this building. The Horuffs enlarged the building twice, to the current 60’ frontage and 100’ deep. Two generations of Horuffs operated retail sales in Madison for a total of 90 years.

They modernized the façade with three large historic steel casement windows with brick headers that are spaced across the front of the building at the second floor and at the third-floor levels. Similar smaller windows can be seen on the east side of the building, facing the Courthouse. The ground floor featured full-light windows and with glass sidelights and transoms surrounding the doors. Carrara glass bulkheads completed the renovated exterior.

Carrara glass was a brand of pigmented structural glass developed in the United States in 1900, but became widely used around the world. The opaque white glass was a less expensive alternative to Carrera marble. The glass was much stronger than marble. It made an old building look updated and modern. Libby-Owens-Ford Glass produced a similar product which they named, “Vitrolite.” That name soon became the generic word used to describe all structural glass.

By the 1940’s many elaborate 19th century store fronts, had been replaced with the updated clean lines of structural glass. The shades of white, beige and black soon were expanded to include many striking colors such as green, blue, tan and marbleized colors.

Although Nicholas Horuff died in 1914, the business continued to operate as Horuff Sons through 1927, per the Hoffman City Directory of 1927. His son, William H. Horuff is listed in the City Directory as the vice president of the First National Bank as well as an owner of Horuff Sons. When the Horuff sons retired, the building was sold in November 1934 to R. Gold and Company of Cleveland, Ohio. Gold’s Department Store operated in that building for seven years. During that time, the building suffered a devastating fire. Following the fire, shoppers lined up on Main Street to buy discounted merchandise at the fire sale. (See photo)

The building was then sold to George M. Daily of Highland Park, Ill., in 1941. Extensive renovations were completed by Daily. Daily hired Dwight (Speedy) Mills. Daily’s Department Store operated until May 24, 1944 when it was sold to Abraham Goodman and Major T. Jester. More remodeling and renovations were completed prior to the opening of the Goodman-Jester Store on November 29, 1945.This new store was described as a fairyland of modern decorations and merchandising.

Dwight (Speedy) Mills was promoted to manager. Mills is credited with the growth of the Goodman-Jester Store. The store was known as one of the best department stores in the area.

In 1954, it was tagged, “Madison’s Leading Department Store.” Major T. Jester took over the store in 1957. (See photo)

Mills eventually purchased the store from the Jester Family in 1970, renaming it the Mills Department Store. The second floor Bridal Shop was THE place to find that perfect wedding dress. Speedy operated the store until his death in 1978.

After Mill’s death, the building was vacant for a short period of time. It reopened in 1979 as a collection of small shops. By 1984, one of those shops was the Little People’s Boutique, owned and operated by Joy McDole, with her daughters Rhonda Sauley and Jill Taylor.

In 1986, Rick and Rhonda Sauley purchased the building with his parents, Sam and Phyllis Sauley. Together, they remodeled the building to create “Main Street Village, Jefferson at the Crossing,” a collection of individual retail stores plus a restaurant. The concept was modeled after a similar facility in downtown Indianapolis. They spent about five months building out individual stores within the previously open floors of the department store. Thirteen shops participated in the grand opening in November 1986. The individual shops included ladies’ apparel, children’s clothing, ladies’ shoes, uniforms for nurses, lingerie, oak furniture and accessories, sweaters, activewear, handmade baskets and specialty crafts, natural-dried flower arrangement and antiques, children’s toys, candy plus ice cream, nuts, popcorn and the Village Kitchen – a deli-style diner, owned and operated by Damon Welch, later a Mayor of Madison.

In 1993, Rick Sauley opened RLS Insurance with an office entrance at 325 Jefferson, on the side of the building. Today, Rhonda Sauley still owns and operates the Little People Boutique and also Fine Threads women’s clothing on the first floor of the building. The “Puttin’ On the Ritz” School of Dance, operated by Robin Oaks and Teresa Eversole, occupies the lower level.