Grace Building

1916 Chillicothe Business College DUX, on file at the Livingston County Library archives.

​In 1914 the Grace Building was commissioned and occupied by Drs. Clarence M Grace, H. M. Grace, and Arthur J. Simpson. They bought the lot from Mr. Meek. The building was designed by local architect R. Warren Roberts. The new building opened for business by late 1916. It provided offices for the doctors as well as apartment space above for renters to occupy. 

Other doctors practiced in the building until 1962 when Dr. Neal relocated to a different facility. By then, the only occupants were renters in the upstairs apartments.

In 1964 MFA Insurance opened there under the management of Gilbert Cox. The apartments were rented by Mabel Grace and Evangeline Wiley. Miss Grace, daughter of Dr. Haynie M. Grace and sister to Dr. Clarence M. Grace, worked at the Industrial Home for Girls and taught at the Chillicothe Business College for many years. Miss Wiley was the daughter of the ice house manager and a teacher. Miss Wiley moved to the Grace Apartments in 1959. 

In 1974, the Chillicothe Baptist Temple utilized this building along with residential renter Mabel Grace.

Around 1978 Cosmo Corner beauty salon and A & T Real Estate moved into this location. Bill Gibson also opened an office here at about that time. In 2004 Curl Up & Dye hair salon took over Cosmo's space, while A & T Real Estate and Bill Gibson continued their businesses here. By 2014, the salon has been replaced by a gift shop, JK Sales and no other businesses are listed.

* Many thanks to the Livingston County Library for their information!