Historic 1850s Belleville Building Restored as New Harp Pub

BELLEVILLE - A historic building in Belleville has been restored.

Located at 1112 West Main in Belleville, the new Harp Pub opened in December, but the journey to restoring the building was several years in the making. Co-owner Glen McElligott shared that the community has expressed excitement about a new restaurant in town, with many people thanking him for keeping the building’s vintage roots.

“She’s an old building. She dates back to 1850, and she had a few little quirks with her, but she’s got good bones,” McElligott said. “I just couldn’t see an older building with good bones just dressed up to look brand new. So for me, a lot of it was material to kind of keep her looking the vintage style. And I think we did a good job.”

McElligott, a plumber by trade, has partnered with Greg Partelow to open the Harp Pub. Though McElligott works in St. Louis, he is a Belleville native and wanted to give back to his hometown.

The two men had talked about opening a pub or bar for years. But the decision was finalized when they saw the building on West Main was for sale.

“When this building came up, we were like, ‘Well, it’s either now or never,’” McElligott remembered.

Friends and contractors came together to restore the building alongside McElligott and Partelow. They sought out mahogany panels and found a mahogany bar that dates back to the Art Deco period. The old front doors were repurposed into bathroom doors.

Though McElligott said they’ve “changed just about everything,” community members have commended the owners for their work to restore the building to its former look. As the pub settles into its new building and the Belleville community ventures out to try its food and drinks, McElligott encourages people to experience the Harp Pub for themselves.

“If you’re looking for an old-world experience, a little Irish-themed American pub, come here,” he added. “You’ll come in, you’ll hear some Irish music playing, you’ll just feel a good little warm vibe, and hopefully you just want to stay for a while.”

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