HULL, ILL. -- It's served this small community for decades.
The former Hull Elementary School is a place where generations of families went to school.
Smith has many memories of the old school where her father worked as a custodian for many years. Smith purchased the building in February 2011 after the Western School District to closed the building in May 2010.
"Of course I knew I wanted to take the chance," Smith said. "I had worked a long time tearing down buildings to build a daycare and of course when the building came available I waited two years to be able to get it with the hopes of getting it, so being able to purchase it is something for the community."
The idea started small, but one of the big hits is the Schoolhouse Café. It's open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. People from across the area are glad to see the school come back to life. For June Stolte and her bridge group, she's happy for more then the obvious reason.
"In my first six years were at New Canton and the rest of them were here," Stolte said. "So it's wonderful getting back and then the teachers are all so close that it's just fun. It makes my day and or course Lisa is a special person, so that makes us come back a little more too."
Smith said she is working on getting her day care license from the state. But she also said she has parties booked at the facility for later this year and even some baby showers and class reunions. She feels it puts a smile on her face knowing that she was able to bring life back into a building that served the community for 60 years.
If you'd like to contact Smith you can call her cell phone at 217-242-5165 or find her and the Hull Community Center on Facebook.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKHQA