A Springfield monument shop with more than 70 years of history is closed indefinitely after an SUV tore through the side of its building earlier this month. The crash happened at Arnold Monument Company's location at 1435 Monument Ave. on Oct. 20, leaving the vehicle's hood buried inside the main shop and the company unsure when, or if, the building will reopen.
According to The State Journal-Register, the driver had intended to back the vehicle out of the parking lot but shifted into drive instead, sending the SUV into the building. The front hood of the SUV fully submerged into the left side of the structure and into the main shop, according to the same report, which also noted that no one was hurt in the crash. Arnold Monument owner Mary Green said as much but did not disclose whether a police report had been filed, per the outlet's reporting.
The vehicle has not been moved since the crash. Structural engineers have recommended that it stay in place until they can assess the damage to the historic building, the report states, and the ultimate fate of the property remains undetermined depending on repair costs and whether the structure is found to be stable.
A 70-Year-Old Family Business Takes a Hit
Arnold Monument Company describes itself on its company website as a family-owned business with more than 70 years of experience in granite and bronze monument carvings, serving a broad swath of central Illinois from its Springfield office. The 1435 Monument Ave. location is part of that legacy, and the crash has knocked the historic storefront offline for the foreseeable future while the company and engineers sort out next steps.
The company's services, according to its About Us page, include bronze marker refinishing, gravesite reconstruction, and cemetery lot maintenance in addition to monument work. For now, customers who rely on those services can still reach the business at its other location, 1621 Wabash Ave., which has remained open and continued taking clients since the crash.
Images of the Crash Circulated Widely
Photos of the SUV embedded in the shop's wall were described as surreal, reflecting just how jarring the scene looked to anyone passing the historic building. The extent of the damage, with the vehicle's hood punched straight into the main shop, left little question about why the location needed to close while the structure is evaluated.
Vehicle-into-building crashes have made headlines elsewhere in Illinois in recent months. A driver struck a police car before slamming into a local business in Edwardsville in August, according to FOX 2, and a vehicle crashed into a car dealership on Ogden Avenue in Berwyn, forcing an evacuation, according to ABC7 Chicago. In each case, as in Springfield, no injuries were reported.
For now, the historic Monument Avenue building sits closed with the SUV still lodged inside, awaiting word from structural engineers on whether repairs can save the longtime shop. Arnold Monument has not said when a decision on the property's future is expected.
