NIAGARA FALLS — For more than 90 years, 1609 Main St., had been home to the printing business. Started in 1915 by George Converse, it became Kellick Printing when his partner, William L. Kellick, took over the business in 1945 after his death. One of the first union print shops, Kellick’s became the place to go for political printing, as well as wedding items.  

William Kellick’s two children, Dick and Jean, continued the business on Main Street and joined organizations, such as the Main Street Business & Professional Association. Dick was personally involved in the annual golf tournament, the group’s largest fundraiser. They decided to retire and around March of 2008, they sold the building.

But, life goes on and the building is now in the hands of Doug and Michelle Vanstrom of Youngstown. They are being honored with the Niagara Beautification Commission August Spotlight Award for their restoration work. This building, which is home to the offices of Wild Ones Niagara and the Niagara Beautification Commission, has combined a beautiful interior design in the Arts and Crafts style with attractive, year-round window displays and matching exterior planters filled with native plants.

This has been a full-time project for Michelle. When asked why they undertook this large-scale renovation, she said, “They saw possibility and potential for Main Street, and wanted to be a part of its resurgence.”

 While Doug is involved in the family business, she wanted a location to house her interests, which include Wild Ones and Just Words. Wild Ones, according to its website, www.for-wild.org/aboutsit.html, “promotes environmentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration and establishment of native plant communities.” They are a not-for-profit environmental education and advocacy organization.  Just Words is an organization formed to sponsor and promote literacy.

The original Kellick Building included a small, attached office at 1605 Main St., which was rented to many diversified tenants. It has been home to the Niagara Beautification Commission for at least four years, and it goes without saying that we were worried when Dick and Jean decided to sell. Our fears melted away when the Vanstroms invited us to stay as long as we were willing to share the conference room and endure the renovation process.

This process has been worth the minor inconveniences we felt during the past year, as our quarters are simply beautiful with paneled walls throughout, an updated restroom and a shared kitchenette with every convenience, including a small dishwasher, refrigerator and coffeemaker.  We were even provided with new furniture to correspond to the wood used throughout on the walls and doors. How sweet it is!  

Work continues on the Kellick side of the building. Its second floor will be residential. A tour of this area included a stairway that goes nowhere. Tucked in the back room where Jean did bookkeeping for many years, the stairs led to a storage area, which is now blocked. The stairs will remain as a conversation piece. They discovered some other hidden places, which are normal in buildings of this era.

Some of the large counters and display items left from the printing era also remain and will be restored and used in the large common room at the rear of the building. This area will be a workshop for the study and growth of native plants. A large safe formerly occupied a corner of the center office space, that is now the shared conference room. As the Vanstroms had no use for this, it was removed. Michelle is not exactly sure how it was taken out, as it simply disappeared during the work in progress. All of the walls were deconstructed down to the studs and replaced by modern drywall, painted a fabulous shade of green.

Outside, the influence of the Wild Ones clearly dominates the front and back areas as native plants fill large boxes along Main Street in front of this building.  Michelle tends to these pollinators, such as golden rod and hemlock, on a daily basis and even lends her hand to the flowers in front of other businesses. Sitting in the parking lot in the rear of the building are two large containers also containing native plants. Their carpenter built a “boat” that now contains two oak trees, bee balm, native grasses and other plant life.  Also sitting back there is a horse trough, probably found at a house sale, now filled with golden rod and hemlock.  

This is a bright spot on Main Street and even though we at the Niagara Beautification Commission are part and “partial” to this spot, it is very deserving of the monthly Spotlight Award. Dick and Jean would be proud and pleased to see the building — still a busy spot on their beloved Main Street.  Michelle tells me the building shall forever be known as The Kellick Building with a new sign installed last year and a formal dedication tentatively scheduled for October. With the restoration continuing, we are confident it will be there a long time in the future. Hats off to this enterprising couple.

Norma Higgs serves with the Niagara Beautification Commission and Niagara Falls Block Club Council. Her columns appear Mondays in the Gazette.