Allstate has been a part of Lisa Plumb’s life for nearly 40 years.
Her father, Jack Readicker, was an Allstate agent operating at a kiosk inside Sears at White Oaks Mall in the late 1980s. From a young age, Plumb watched her father in action and eventually followed his footsteps to join the insurance business.
Plumb now owns the all-female Plumb Family Insurance Allstate agency, and she recently relocated the growing business to 926 S. Seventh St., the historic building that housed the Iris and Ivy boutique for 25 years. She also is launching a new bookstore — Elderberry and Plumb Bookstore — on the building’s first floor.
Allstate was founded as part of Sears, Roebuck and Co. in 1931 and became an independent insurance company in 1995. Following Allstate’s separation from Sears, Readicker relocated his agency to the north side of Springfield and grew the business. Plumb’s husband joined the business and led the agency from 2003 until his retirement in 2024.
Upon her husband’s retirement, Plumb decided to take over the business to honor all of the family’s work that came before.
The business has been in growth mode in recent years and needed a new location with more space. In March, Plumb and her team moved into the historic John Cranmer Cook home on Seventh Street in the Aristocracy Hill neighborhood. In collaboration with her brother, Tom Elder, they are opening Elderberry and Plumb Bookstore in the front half of the building’s first floor on July 1.
While looking for new space, Plumb fell in love with the historic house and its rich history. Just as she is committed to honoring her family’s legacy and history, she is committed to preserving and sharing the history of the influential people who lived in the house and had a profound impact on Springfield and beyond (see sidebar).
The Allstate insurance offices are in the back of the first floor of the building and on the second floor. The agency offices aren’t your typical office cubicles. Each room is a separate office space, and Plumb married the décor for each office to the team member’s personality. For example, Plumb’s office has a New Orleans vibe, which is one of her favorite places.
For Plumb, Allstate is not just a business; it is a family. Several team members have been with the business for decades, and the agency has many long-term customers with whom they have shared major life events. They have several clients who represent three generations of the same family.
Anyone can buy insurance online, but Plumb says their business culture, honed over four decades, is to have an avid team of people who care about you and your family.
“You can’t get that everywhere,” she said. “This group of women is special.”
The Elderberry and Plumb Bookstore on the building’s first floor also has a unique feel, with multiple intimate rooms that each have their own theme, vibe and décor. With tall ceilings and windows and colorful decorations, it has a welcoming atmosphere with what Plumb describes as a French-boutique touch.
The bookstore’s shelves feature more than 3,000 titles that include various genres — new books and classics, fiction and nonfiction, sci-fi and romance novels, bird and nature books and more. A cozy room designed to appeal to kids features children’s books, and another room is targeted at teens. Related merchandise includes puzzles, literary card games and other items such as candles and perfumes that support a relaxing reading environment.
Plumb’s goal is for the bookstore to be an inviting place that is peaceful and quiet. It is a “well-loved house and we want that to be reflected when visitors come in,” Plumb said. She hopes the store will attract the clientele who are visiting Incredibly Delicious on the other side of Seventh Street.
Sarah Kiliman is the bookstore manager. She is an avid reader, worked in bookstores for many years and has degrees in literature. Kiliman says Springfield has a rich community of readers and writers.
“What makes us unique is that we can have conversations with customers,” Kiliman said, adding that they then can offer selections that customers want.
The bookstore currently is partnering with other businesses to host pop-up events and activities. In addition, the goal in the near future is to make an outbuilding on the Seventh Street property available for meetings of book clubs and other events.
After its official opening on July 1, Elderberry and Plumb Bookstore will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. It is also at the Farmers Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The John Cranmer Cook house was built in 1877. John Cranmer Cook, who raised cattle and thoroughbred horses, bought the home for his family in 1887. He and his wife, Mabel, had one daughter, Susan Cook House, who later inherited the home. The charitable Susan Cook House Educational Trust remains to this day and has benefited local schools and arts and cultural organizations for years.
Cranmer Cook’s father (John Pope Cook) was mayor of Springfield, sheriff of Sangamon County and a Civil War general. Springfield’s Cook Street is named for him. Cranmer Cook’s grandfather, Daniel Pope Cook, was the first attorney general of Illinois, a highly influential U.S. representative and the namesake of Cook County. He married the daughter of Gov. Ninian Edwards. Many individuals connected to the John Cranmer Cook home came from distinguished families who had a profound impact on the community.
As the newest resident of the historic house, Lisa Plumb hopes to preserve this aspect of Springfield history and share what she is learning with the community. Her commitment to honoring the legacy of her family business mirrors the legacy of the historic building.
“The house tells a story,” Plumb said. “Stories are what we remember.”
This article appears in July SBJ 2026.