MOUNT MORRIS – Two Mount Morris residents decided to invest in their own community in 2021.
Josh Nelson of Nelson Family Farms and Jeff Warren of BerryView Orchard have taken on a new role as owners of the property located at 13 S. Wesley Ave., including the adjacent lot where the Penner building was.
They said couldn’t stand the thought of more historical buildings facing a similar fate as the Penner building. So they decided to form Wesley 1895 LLC in order to restore the buildings to their former glory.
The buildings on Wesley Avenue were originally constructed in 1895 so the name was purposely chosen as Wesely 1895. Nelson and Warren said they will be renovating the historic property and have sought out advice from Gary Anderson, an architect who has been instrumental in many successful community development projects involving historical buildings.
Nelson and Warren intend to complete the renovation of the buildings by September in time for Labor Day. In their country store they will offer an artisan bakery, butcher shop with locally raised meat products, and a general country store with fresh, seasonal produce, and a variety of locally sourced items.
They said the vision for Wesley 1895 will be to create a beautiful, inviting space for people from all over to visit and source locally grown items for their table. The food will be grown and made locally by farmers and bakers who take the time to put care and attention to detail into every bite. These growers, bakers, farmers, and cheese makers will all have space in the store
The second phase has plans to expand to a restaurant with an outdoor patio to enjoy the summer concerts.
They said the Village of Mount Morris has been extremely helpful and supportive.
