421 East Webster Street

Benton, Illinois 62812

For Sale $275,000

3 BED · 4.5 BATH · 15,000 SQ FT

  • 3-Story Empty Grocery Warehouse from 1920 turned into 2 Phenomenal Living Spaces in 2007

  • 3 Separate Floors - Each 5,000 square feet

  • Original Hardwood Floors - Refinished and Full of Beautiful Character

  • Original Brick Walls - Cleaned and Polyurethaned on Interior

  • All Hand-Made Interior Doors, Many Double Pocket Doors

  • Freight Elevator

  • Original Chicago Fire Industrial Sliding Doors to Access Freight Elevator on Each Floor

  • Complete Staircase from Basement to 3rd Floor

  • Large Fenced Back Yard with Extra Grass Lot on West Side

  • Massive Double-Paned Windows - Tons of Natural Light

  • Camera Security System through ADT

  • Brand New Rubber Roof Installed in 2017

 

The Layout:

  • Ground Floor:

    • Houses Shop

    • Drive-In Garage Ramp

    • Bathroom

    • Several Storage Rooms

    • Back Porch with Ceiling Fan

  • 2nd Floor:

    • Full Kitchen

    • Full Bar

    • 2 Bathrooms

    • 1 Bedrooms, with a Convenient Space to Easily Add a 2nd Bedroom

    • Laundry Room

    • Massive Entertaining Space

    • Fireplace Joining Living Area and Bedroom

  • 3rd Floor:  

    • Full Kitchen

    • 2 Bathrooms

    • 2 Bedrooms with Adjoining Walk-In Closet between Master Bed and Bath

    • Office

    • Laundry Room

    • Massive Entertaining Space

    • Fireplace on South Wall

Everything in this home is either custom or original!

This former Grocery and Furniture Warehouse still houses a bank teller window and scale for weighing pallets of groceries that came in on the railroad!  The Ground Level contains a shop with bathroom and storage rooms, and parking for easily 5 cars.  In fact, the ramp that leads up to the ground level from the road, can be modified to lead down to the basement for underground parking!  Basement is 5,000 square feet and also has access to the freight elevator.  The freight elevator has transported everything from hot tubs to oversized furniture to a pool table!  On each floor there are the original industrial Chicago Fire doors with a counterweight pulley.  

 

Taking a trip to the Second Floor, you’re immediately impressed by the open floor plan and the Vintage-Industrial-Steampunk feel.  Exposed wood beams and heat vents, industrial pendant lights, galvanized metal ceiling, and visible electrical conduit are just a taste of the flair this floor has to offer.  The kitchen boasts a commercial grade stainless steel 8 burner range and double stove, tiled countertops, and massive island with room enough for a large gathering.  The large bathroom is tiled in slate and contains a white claw foot tub with freestanding telephone tub faucet and a glass shower enclosure, along with a his and hers vessel sinks.  At the far end of the floor you’ll find a custom cherry wood bar large enough to easily seat 8 people, complete with industrial sized sinks and ice tubs.  This impressive floor feels like a throwback to the era of Prohibition.  You will feel as though you’re in an upscale speakeasy!  Charming additions to this floor include a fireman’s water line shut off complete with hose and a dual-room slate fireplace between the master bedroom and living room area.  This floor also has a car enthusiast’s ideal guest bath with a custom vanity made out of a tool storage chest!  Galvanized metal custom doors and cabinets continue throughout to round out the steampunk vibe.

 

Going up to the Third Floor, you’ll find a warm and inviting, and still very large area for entertaining.  A fireplace stands at the opposite wall, evoking a Southwestern feeling.  Stucco-style and impressive, this gas fireplace has brick on the inside and has small round vents near the floor and ceiling for great heat dispersal.  Terracotta tile surrounds the fireplace and 6’ wide arched windows flank either side of it.  You’ll find arched doorways with custom arched double-pocket doors throughout this floor, along with custom pillars through the expanse Cedar planks on the ceiling help to create the warm, inviting atmosphere of this floor.  The Kitchen has a large, beautiful, terracotta tiled island, a custom vent hood and an oversized stainless refrigerator.  No need for a tile backsplash when you have large, polished red brick original to the building!  The ceiling has a custom copper tile and the overhead lighting around the room casts a warm glow.  Moving across the space to the bathroom, terracotta tile extends to surround the Jack and Jill vanities and wraps around the jetted tub.  A walk-in closet connects the master bedroom to the bath, and the vaulted cedar plank ceiling and the warm original hardwood on the floor really bring coziness to an otherwise expansive bedroom.  On the opposite side of the floor is the office, echoing the warmth of the master bedroom.  Nearby the office is a bathroom with custom cabinet doors, granite countertop, and a glass standing shower.

 

Outdoors, there is a very large fenced yard and a large lot on the west side of the property.  Lots of room for events and entertaining outside!

 

The possibilities are nearly infinite for this property.  

You could:

  • Live on one floor and rent the other

  • Convert the basement into underground parking and convert the ground level into apartments

  • Put a business into the ground level and live in and rent the other floors

  • Turn it into a bed and breakfast, spa, antique outlet, specialty retail store, artist loft, workshop, live music venue, etc.

 

With 15,000 square feet of living space and a freight elevator, anything you can dream up can be done!  Call today to schedule a viewing of this phenomenal property!

 

Note:  Sellers are willing to sell some furniture and interesting feature pieces to the buyer of the home, if desired.