Dorchester, Il Landmarks

In 1933, a young couple, Leland Maxeiner and Josephine Gaskill, wanted to marry, and decided upon a unique and affordable alternative to purchasing or building a house--they purchased and remodeled a 1900 Pullman chair car, from a salvage yard of the Chicago and Alton Railroad.

The car was in line to be sold or burned, and Mr. Maxeiner made arrangements to have it moved from Bloomington to Dorchester on three flatbed rail cars. It was moved to a lot on skids, and the young couple spent their honeymoon remodeling the railcar, adding two partitions, maple hardwood floors, and all the amenities of the day.

The entry leads into a cozy bedroom, a short hallway with a small but complete bathroom, a large living room and dining room, and a spacious eat-in kitchen. The Westinghouse electric stove on which Mrs. Maxeiner cooked so many meals is still in use today. A few years later, a foundation and basement were dug across the street, next to Mr. Maxeiner's Lubrication Shop, and the cozy home was moved to its permanent site.

The Maxeiners lived out their days in the home they had created, and upon their deaths, it was sold at auction to Mary Belle Smith. Three years later, it was purchased by its present owners, Judy and Steve Maxson, who continue to enjoy and appreciate the vision Leland and Josephine Maxeiner first had in 1933. The coach is now 107 years old, and is just as satisfactory a residence today as it was back then. In fact, it seemed meant to be, when the "Old Maxeiner Place" became the "New Maxson Place".