Historic Petersburg, Illinois brings to mind thoughts of Abraham Lincoln and Ann Rutledge the young woman Honest Abe is said to have loved when living in nearby New Salem, Illinois. Ann Rutledge’s grave is located in Petersburg which is also the Menard County seat. Petersburg is also the location of Edgar Lee Master, author of the Spoon River Anthology. Masters childhood home is open for tours between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The town is also famous for B.F Stephenson and Peter McCue, the famous race horse.

In this town filled with history and beautiful old homes is the antique mall run by Betty Winchester & her husband Bill, Estep & Associates Mercantile. The Winchesters are a fixture in the Petersburg antique business. The couple started out buying antiques and collectibles at garage sales, then in 1989, expanded their efforts.”

Betty and Bill collect several things. “We collect Lefton china figurines and Christmas, Crackle glass, brass bells and silhouette pictures, I have over 200 and I am now starting to buy duplicates!”

Over the years, the couple kept adding to their items until they bought a building to store their antiques in. They opened on weekends then after a flood nearly entered the building they bought a house on Sixth Street. “We then had enough vendors to open five days a week. In 2002, we purchased the historic Robbins Building in downtown Petersburg and have been open seven days a week ever since.”

The Winchester’s antique adventure is outlined on their website, “With humble beginnings in the “old cheese factory” on 3rd street, Bill & Betty Winchester had started what would become their passion in 1989. They moved their small antique shop in 1995 to a two story Victorian house across from the bank on Route 97, originally built by a family who’d run a small store in town. Taking the name “Estep” from a founding father of Petersburg and mercantile in honor of the Levering family who’d owned the house, Estep &associates was born that year.”

The current business location has a history of its own in Petersburg. The building was originally built by J.A. Brahm in 1872. Brahm opened his store that he named the business Broadgauge Store offering clothing, dry-goods and groceries all under one roof. Betty shared, “It was hailed a mega-store of the era. As fortunes shifted, so did the ownership, being sold to H. H. Schirding in 1890.”

Betty continued, “Ran by a Mr. Thompson & Mr. Rosendahl, the physical appearance of the store didn’t change much until two Brothers took over and began to extensively remodel. Possibility the shortest tenants, the Kenyons are credited with a taste for the ornate, putting in a grand staircase and a balcony that stretched the length of the interior. Around this time the entrance got a facelift as well, with two large plate glass windows.”

The store would change hands over the years until the Robbins family who had run it for another tenant for years took ownership in 1950. The Robbins, a father son combination of Rosy and Roy would create elaborate displays around Christmas in the window that became a Petersburg tradition. Betty Winchester who loves Christmas items and collects them loved this.

The store was expanded in 1977 taking in a couple previous businesses. Betty added how everyone in town felt about this icon of downtown Petersburg. “More than a place to buy goods, the Robins building was interwoven in the tapestry of the town. After 59 years of loyal service, the family decided to close the doors on the iconic shop December 24th, 1998.”

Loving Christmas and wanting to continue a town tradition, in 1999 Betty went to Mrs. Robbins and got permission to continue to decorate the store’s windows for Christmas. She did this for a couple of years then eventually in 2002 bought the building and that is how the former Robbins store became Estep & Associates Mercantile.

Today the store is filled with big items, small items, personal mementos and commercial oddities. Betty shared, “We have six dealers one booth has new gifty items, one of has knives, and one as coins and one booth has great primitives.”

Betty and Bill have an array. “I do everything from primitive to Victorian to jewelry, to tools and Christmas. My whole balcony is Christmas. We also have a large book room which is great because that carries me in the winter.”

What is it about this business that brings Betty to her shop day after day? “I love it. I love the people and have become friends with a lot of them. We have a really unique old building and I am so glad we are downtown.”

Watch for special events in Petersburg. The last Saturday in April is the Citywide garage sale, and Harvest fest is the third week in September, but anytime is a good time to visit Estep & Associates Mercantile. Open seven days a week. They are Monday – Saturday 10-5 and Sunday noon to 5:00. Located at 101 N. 7th Street on the Petersburg Square, contact them at their phone number of 217-642-5154 or log onto. http://estepmercantile.com/index.html for more information.

Betty added, “We invite everyone to visit Petersburg whether it is for shopping or touring!”