G.W. Grocery Store

906 Main Street

The G. W. Williams Grocery was established in 1901.  The store offered groceries, notions, glassware, and crockery.  In the 1920’s, it transitioned to the “Williams Pool Hall” with billiard tables on the first floor and snooker tables in the basement.  The overhead scoring system is still hanging in the basement.  In 1954, the property was purchased by Dr. Harold Banwart and the first floor was renovated for his dental practice 1956. Matta Family Dental occupied the space until 2025 and the building is currently available to lease.

  • G.W. Williams Grocery Store

  • Matta Family Dental

  • Decorated for Christmas

Architectural Survey Research

Narrative Description

This is a 2-story, brick commercial building. Although the storefront has been extensively remodeled and its storefront windows infilled, the design appears to retain the building's original door openings. A canvas awning extends across the top of the storefront. The second floor features a symmetrical arrangement of four windows. They feature 1/1, double-hung sash and are crowned with segmental arches. The wall plane containing these windows is inset slightly from the surface of the facade, giving the illusion of brick pilasters flanking the building. A deep cornice-featuring three inset panels above denticulated brickwork, four cast concrete pinnacles, and a cast concrete coping-surmount the facade.

Statement of Significance

The building calls attention to the surge of new construction in this block of Main Street during the late 19" and early 20" centuries.

This building is National Register eligible under Criterion C. The building calls attention to the influence of Late Victorian and Classical Revival styling on its design. While the pinnacles at the top of the building continue to reflect the influence of the Late Victorian styling, the segmental arches above the second floor windows show the influence of Classical Revivalism in Adel. As such, this building stands as a transitional example between the two styles in Adel. (See cover document.)