On March 2, 2007, we took possession of a derelict 1891 Victorian mercantile at the time limited to beer, cigarettes, and new / old stock left over from the late seventies, that was slated to be demolished by the City of Portland, due to the extensive structural lean that the building had succumbed to over the years of use, abuse, and lack of maintenance. After nearly three years of extensive renovations (new foundation, racked building 20 plus inches back into square, rebuilt storefront face, all new spray foam insulation, windows & doors, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, sheetrock, trim, paint / varnish etc.), we have successfully broken through to the other side and opened a small artisanal coffee roasting operation!
Many locals who grew up in the neighborhood remember the various iterations of corner groceries (Slim’s, Suzie O’Connell’s, Sindee’s), but only a few remember when it was the Wm. Landauer Grocery. We would like to think that William Landauer, the original owner and builder, would approve of the level of preservation of one of the oldest remaining mercantile buildings in the Portland area, and that the restoration of his original sign advertising “Groceries, Cigars & Tobacco,” would put a smile on his face.
This was the first day that we saw our soon-to-be home. If you look carefully, you can see the considerable 22″ lean at the Southeast corner. Also, it looks like the 70 foot elm tree is growing into the basement (it was)… Click the pic to explore all the steps we took to save our building from the wrecking ball (we go deep).
