345 S. Main Street
Hannum Building
This building traces its roots to 1866, when Eber Sherman constructed a dry goods store on the site. After serving as a cigar factory, it was later demolished and rebuilt by Phillip Hannum in 1899. The building housed Walter Harrington's cigar and news store and H. P. Hall's jewelry and music store.
In March 1901, a dramatic fire* destroyed much of the building. Contemporary reports suggested that safecrackers may have deliberately set fires elsewhere in town to divert firefighters before robbing Harrington's safe. Although the fire destroyed several businesses and professional offices, neighboring buildings were saved through the efforts of firefighters and local citizens. The building was quickly rebuilt and Hall's business returned within months.
Over the next century, the building housed a wide variety of businesses, including clothing stores, millinery shops, medical and legal offices, J. C. Penney, Singer Sewing Machine Company, and Montgomery Ward's catalog office. In 1972, an aluminum façade was installed over the deteriorating upper story. Restoration efforts in 2018 removed the covering and returned the building to much of its early twentieth-century appearance, including the reinstallation of a historic awning discovered in the basement.
*The 1901 fire remains one of the most intriguing incidents in Carthage history. According to reports in The Evening Press and the Jasper County Democrat, suspected safecrackers may have set a fire near 10th and Clinton Streets to divert the Fire Department. While firefighters battled the blaze, Harrington's safe on the Square was reportedly blown open, igniting a second fire that quickly spread through the building.
The Fire Chief and two firefighters rushed to the Square while others remained at the original fire. Through the efforts of firefighters, former volunteers, and local citizens, neighboring buildings were saved. However, the contents of Harrington's cigar and news store and H. P. Hall's jewelry store were destroyed, along with offices occupied by attorneys, physicians, a dentist, the Bell Telephone Company, and others. The nearby Press Building was also heavily damaged.
Although only $65 was reported stolen from Harrington's safe and Hall's jewelry-filled safe was left untouched, public suspicion soon turned toward Harrington himself. This was the third time he had experienced a fire under similar circumstances. Attorney T. B. Haughawout, who lost his law library, furnishings, and papers in the blaze, later filed a lawsuit alleging insurance fraud. He claimed Harrington collected approximately $5,000 in insurance proceeds despite having only about $2,000 worth of merchandise. The case was ultimately settled and dismissed.
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