‘Getting to Know You: The Historic Centralia House Comes Alive — Once Again’
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By Chip Forrester
If its walls could speak, what history would be told? Those who have dined and stayed at the Centralia House constitute an unimaginable list of distinguished guests for over 160 years since its opening in 1854. To name just a few dignitaries who have dined or stayed at Centralia House let’s begin: President Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, President Teddy Roosevelt, Ulysses S. Grant, William Sherman, Jefferson Davis, “Buffalo Bill” Cody, John Phillip Sousa, Susan B. Anthony, Carrie Nation, Clarence Darrow and Clara Barton.
And now, under the careful guidance and leadership of Executive Chef and owner of operating company Cooney Hospitality Group Shannon Cooney and wife and COO Mindy Cooney, this historic place for repast and conviviality lives yet another life to create the history of 2025 and onward. A rebirth has taken place in downtown Centralia, revitalizing a once decaying and shop-worn inner-city to a new and vibrant community.
The Cooney’s are transforming downtown Centralia one project-at-a-time. Here is their story.
Purchased in November of 2024 from Danny Ramey, who owned the restaurant for 30+ years, the Cooney’s began an extensive renovation and will reopen to the public, if all goes as planned, on November 6th of this year.
The story of how the Cooney’s eventually ended up as serial entrepreneurs in Centralia has taken them down a long and winding and less-traveled road.
Mrs. Cooney was born and raised in Germantown, IL and attended Mater Dei Catholic High School in Breese, IL and after graduating went to Washington University in St. Louis, getting a degree in Chemical Engineering. How a degree in Chemical Engineering ended up resulting in the rest of her career as a successful entrepreneur is a fascinating story in itself.
Her husband, Mr. Shannon Cooney, hails from Forty Fort, PA and attended Bucknell University, getting his BS in Mechanical Engineering. With his Mechanical Engineering degree, he did engineering work in Connecticut and New York City but eventually ended up as a recruiter for the technology recruiting company Aerotek where he and Mrs. Cooney met, eventually getting married in 2009 and ending up in Los Angeles, CA.
With the birth of their first child, Posie in 2013, the temptation to move to Southern Illinois became too tempting with a yearning for, ironically, a simpler life and two doting grandparents nearby and they moved from Los Angeles in 2014 to be closer to Mrs. Cooney’s parents and the opportunity to operate and grow a horse farm and winery, Crooked Creek Winery, that they purchased in 2014 after a serendipitous holiday trip to IL for some “clarity” in December 2013.
When first touring the winery as a patron, Mr. Cooney, a curious sort and aspiring vintner, began asking questions of the winery owner who then asked, “Would you like to buy it?” This opened a dialogue that eventually resulted in the Cooney’s buying Crooked Creek Winery and eventually expanding with the opening of restaurant at the winery, Farmstand 161, open Fridays and Saturdays from 12 noon to 7pm and Sundays from 12 noon to 6pm offering incredibly delicious rustic Italian foods for fare. A farm-to-table culinary experience for all to enjoy.
With the purchase of Crooked Creek Winery came the birth of a second child, John, born in 2014. Both children now attend New Horizon Christian School, off State Route 51, under the careful leadership of school principal, Grace Malekovic.
While Mr. Cooney serves as the enterprise’s Executive Chef, which has always been a dream, Mrs. Cooney is the de facto COO of the Cooney Hospitality Group and Re:purpose Development and the various other companies the couple operates and oversees. The ownership structure of the hospitality group is as an ESOP, an employee stock ownership plan, where employees actually have vested stock ownership in the company giving them ownership-incentives to make the company as successful as possible. Currently, the company employs about 14, but anticipates growing as the restaurant and other enterprises thrive and grow.
The new head chef, Aaron Lorence, an avid Louisiana State University (LSU) fan now that his son attends LSU, crossed paths with the Cooney’s, with his Baldy’s BBQ and Catering food truck at downtown Centralia events. With a flair for Cajun flavorings, he will bring a new and exciting culinary experience to the soon-to-open historic Centralia House for dining enjoyment. And under the watchful eye of General Manager Alex Hyer, the restaurant will be a key revitalization engine for downtown Centralia.
And they are even bringing back the longstanding piano player, Jim Kirchoff to entertain dining guests bringing a familiar feel back to past dining patrons.
But this is only part of the story.
Mr. Cooney is re-opening the “Sporting House,” contiguous to the restaurant to offer a place for sports fans to have a few beers, watch their favorite games on the multitude of TVs and enjoy “bar fare” to include chicken wings and hamburgers. Playing on the “double entendre” of the original Sporting House from the 1800s, where “sporting” had another distinct and less wholesome meaning, and as a very avid fan of all Philadelphia sports, Mr. Cooney now hopes to bring families and friends to the bar for conviviality and fun.
But this is not the end of the story. The Cooney’s ambitions to revitalize downtown Centralia range far and much wider than Centralia House.
If you survey the Centralia House footprint you will see a myriad of construction projects underway. Jackhammers and heavy equipment are remaking all the contiguous spaces around Centralia House. A lot is going on.
In addition to the operating downtown wine bar next to Centralia House, there is a new restaurant coming to 102 E Broadway in 2026. The Winery Block project with projects next door—including 5 apartments, elevator, wine cellar. The Yard—an outside gathering and entertainment space. The Hoffman Hart Building remediation about to start at 122 East Broadway. And the Colden Brewery at 117 East Broadway, in the old State Theater, that owner and founder, Ric Neikes, will open in the next month paying homage to the Southern Illinois coal mining tradition featuring a coal mine ambiance and décor. When asked how it has been working with the Cooney’s on this new project he noted, “They have been easy and extremely helpful. When I call Shannon with a question, he always has an answer or gets me one quickly.”
When asked how it has been working with the City of Centralia, Mr. Cooney stated, “It takes a village to do this, and the Mayor and the Chamber of Commerce have been super helpful. We’ve built great relationships there.” The City of Centralia is fully invested in the success of these projects.
And as Mr. Cooney also noted, the local banking relationships have been extremely important, working closely with Bo Baer at Peoples National Bank and Diane Cole at Bradford National Bank to make all of these development efforts a financial success.
And the State of Illinois, with their grants of loans and support through the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) have provided material support for their efforts too.
All anyone has to do is look at the Cooney’s grand vision to see their incredible commitment to the revitalization of Downtown Centralia. They hope it inspires others.
When asked what the Cooney’s do for relaxation and personal time it becomes clear that they are as adventurous in that time as their professional time.
Mrs. Cooney has been an avid marathoner, beginning in her college days as an All-American track star at WashU in track and cross-country. Post college she ran marathons in San Diego while living in California and eventually Chicago. But her Denver, CO marathon time qualified her for the prestigious Boston Marathon which she ran in 2008, a seminal event for her in her running career.
But with two children at home, she ended her marathon running spree but that did not stop her from becoming a certified Baptiste Power Yoga instructor at the Centralia Recreational Complex.
But Mrs. Cooney had a bit of personal shock this year when she was diagnosed with cancer–eccrine porocarcinoma, a rare and malignant skin cancer that originates from the sweat glands (eccrine glands). But this had not deterred Mrs. Cooney in the least. It’s just given perspective. She continues to run daily and as she notes, “I am the catcher of the balls in the air,” for all company decisions.
And as Mr. Cooney notes, “She is in charge of telling our story. All the marketing, design and forward-facing images of our company.”
Mr. Cooney on the other hand is as Mrs. Cooney describes, “The leader of the team. The executer of it all. He’s a great dad, but he’s also a phenomenal executive, a creator, a relationship-builder, a chef, a real renaissance man. It took extreme courage, but he walked away from a corporate job he had given everything to in 2022, because he saw more for himself and family and community. And he was made for this. It’s fun to watch.”
This is just the beginning of an amazing commitment of two individuals to the revitalization of downtown Centralia.
As both the Cooney’s said, “Purpose led us here. Our sidewalk out front used to say that. We want to create a revitalized, walkable and thriving downtown for our city. A place where we want to spend the day with our kids and not have to leave. A Centralia that they never want to leave. That is our goal. That is our dream.”
Centralia and Jefferson and Washington County neighbors watch it unfold. You will not be disappointed.
This week’s photo is by Laurel Dingman. Contact her at: contact.laurellane@gmail.com for family photos, events, weddings and other photos. The photo of the author is by Nina Wilson. (If you know of other interesting people, we should interview please contact us at gettingtoknowyoucolumn@gmail.com).
