Glenn Brothers Building

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Glenn Brothers Building in Hood County. Now, every good building's got a story, and this one starts the way a lot of Hood County stories do: with a man who knew how to get things done. James Farr, attorney and town builder, put this structure up in 1885.

Three years later, in 1888, the Glenn Brothers came along and bought it. And when I say brothers, I mean brothers; Clark B., Dan, John L., and James M. Glenn, four of them, all civic leaders with fingers in a good many pies around town.

The family grocery was right here in this building, but these weren't men who stopped at groceries. They were interested in many businesses, the kind of men a growing town needs if it's going to grow at all. Then came the fire.

It tore through this store and the three buildings standing to the west of it; four structures in its path. Now, that could've been the end of the story. But it wasn't.

Contractors Elliott and Halsley moved in and made extensive repairs in 1891, and they didn't do it halfway. They brought in heavy timbers clad in iron to carry the load, then faced that upper story in brick veneer with what the marker calls handsome Victorian styling. So here's the thing about this building: it was built by one determined man, bought by four ambitious brothers, and then, when fire tried to have the last word, two contractors made sure it wouldn't.

Some buildings earn their place on a street. This one earned it twice.

What the marker says

Erected in 1885 by town builder James Farr, an attorney; bought in 1888 by the Glenn Brothers--Clark B., Dan, John L., and James M. Civic leaders interested in many businesses besides their family grocery housed in this structure. After a fire in this store and the three to the west, contractors Elliott and Halsley made extensive repairs (1891), using heavy timbers clad in iron to support brick veneer front of upper story, with its handsome victorian styling.