Jackson’s Ismon Building (Former Home of the Fairy Garden): 1853-2020s
Okay, so officially this structure is called the Ismon Building...but to me, it’ll always be the home of the best Chinese restaurant Jackson had some decades ago: The Fairy Garden.
The restaurant was upstairs – I don’t remember what was downstairs at the time, and I didn’t care. I just wanted to get upstairs and eat.
The building itself was constructed for Horace Ismon, who opened up a dry goods store in 1853. Ismon also had businesses in Paw Paw, so it’s not as if he was exclusive to Jackson. However, Ismon was a founding director of the Jackson County Bank in the 1870s.
Ismon had a tannery, grist and sawmills, while dabbling in the Paw Paw woolen trade. His fortunes went to help finance the Paw Paw Railroad.
Horace and his wife Clara were childless and turned that attention to guiding the local youths who were interested in entering the mercantile business.
When the building opened on February 22, 1853, 300 people – including future governor Austin Blair - attended the gala event. Since then there have been a good number of various enterprises that occupied space, including a drug store and health service.
As for the Fairy Garden, it opened in 1927 and lasted until 1972. It’s also been said that the Garden was the first business in Jackson to have air conditioning.
Located at 103 S. Jackson Street, the Ismon has its own Historical Marker which was erected in 2001.
