Long Shuttered Moose Lodge Demolished

JERSEYVILLE - The Moose Lodge in Jerseyville, a long time local institution, is now demolished and the remains are being removed. The building was known for serving many generations of Jersey County residents a heaping helping of fish and chicken on Friday nights as bingo was being played upstairs. On Saturdays the upstairs was generally full of people dancing to everything from local country music bands to the big band sound that appealed to those that returned from WWII.

From time to time the building was raided by law enforcement and gambling devices removed but they always somehow mysteriously returned to the same room with a closed door across from the bar. The building was the home to many wedding receptions as well as important family and local events during the time it was in operation.

The building is no more and now the land will become home to a parking lot.

Demolition was done by Stutz Excavating, based on Fosterburg Road in Alton.

The City of Jerseyville plans to purchase the vacant lot at 120 East Pearl for $189,000 and Tax Increment Financing has been approved by the Jerseyville City Council for the purchase.

City of Jerseyville officials are pleased to see the building going down and believe the added parking space in that Downtown Jerseyville area will be very beneficial. There was opposition to tearing the building down, but the consensus with businesses located in the vicinity is it will be very advantageous.

The demolition has moved quickly.

In a statement, the City of Jerseyville said the parking is desperately needed downtown and the building had become an eyesore.

“I know some people are upset to see it come down, but a lot of people are happy about it,” the City of Jerseyville mayor said in a statement. “The City of Jerseyville will buy it when the Old Moose is completely demolished and it is EPA-approved, graveled and ready for paving.”