Buffalo Rising Online

Aug 30th 2007, 12:15am By queenseyes

When I first ran into Andrew Eisenhardt it was when he had first opened his antique shop, Antiques Allentown, with his partner Scott Utke (138 Elmwood). That was six years ago. Since then the two have run a successful enterprise that has catered to many antique aficionados in the area. All total there are approximately nine antique stores still in Allentown... not as many as there used to be, but enough to attract browsers from a wide area. For six years Andrew and Scott have rented a storefront... and that's where the story really gets interesting.

Anyone can tell you that there’s a big difference between owning and renting. If you own your own business, then that's a good start. If you own your own business and your own building... then that's even better. Owners take better care of their buildings (for the most part), and they end up with a tangible profit instead of throwing their money out the window. It was always a goal that Andrew and Scott would someday own their own building… and they always knew it would be in Allentown.

About five years ago Andrew was rummaging through an estate sale on the city's West Side when he came across a box of photos and began to examine them. As it turns out, he ended up purchasing some of the photos that (he was told) depicted Allentown. Little did he know that five years later he would be purchasing one of the houses seen in one of the photos that he acquired that day. "I knew it was a house in Allentown," Scott told me. "I soon discovered which one it was. The windows had been changed and the double doors were gone... but it was the same house. When it came up for sale I remembered that I had the old photo."

The photo that Andrew handed me was from the '40's. There were two houses featured, and lucky for the new owners, the details of the facade (pre-alterations) were shown clearly enough for them to realize what a treasure they really had. "When we poked around we discovered that the arched windows had been stashed in a crawl space inside the house," explained Andrew. "We know that the original house must have been built in the late 1800's and then there was an addition put on in the 20's, and then sometime after this photo was taken came the aluminum siding and replacement windows. It's a good thing that they didn't throw them away."

When Andrew and Scott heard that the house was going to be sold they jumped at the opportunity to buy. "We bought the house for $52,000," said Andrew. "We'll have it paid off in five years and we'll be paying less every month than we would have if we were renting. It has an apartment, a storefront, a two-car garage and a large attic.” As he spoke he began to screw a new switch-plate onto the wall (see photo).

The antique shop will consist of two general antique rooms, a primitive room and a retro 50's-70's room. Andrew is also the office manager for the Allentown Association, which means that he cares deeply about the area. "Our eventual intentions are to restore the house as much as we can. Once we're established we'll get to work on the roof. The facade will take some time, but that's our goal. As you can see [pointing] the wood floor is in pretty good shape. We'll also get to that some day."

When you think about it, there are a number of genuine investments being made by the two new property owners. An investment in their future together, an investment into Allentown, and an investment into a wonderful old house that has been neglected and defaced for decades. Hopefully Andrew and Scott will be able to put the pieces back together to make this forlorn property as proud as it was when the photo was taken back in the '40's.

Antiques Allentown will now be located at 146 Elmwood Avenue. 716-882-9535. When you stop in, be sure to say hi to the cats Liza and Sammi... they're part of the 'rat pack'. The plan is to have the shop operational by late September.