Cheney’s oldest commercial brick building
This building is believed to be the oldest brick commercial building in Cheney, though our pioneer ancestors would not recognize it today. Only a few details from the original building remain on the front façade.


We can’t answer the question about what was here before because this building appears on the earliest maps. Mr. Griswold opened his Gem Saloon in 1881, perhaps it was in a wood frame building at this location. We do know that he held a grand opening celebration on November 29, 1883. His fine new two-story brick building housed the Gem Saloon on the ground floor and a large multipurpose hall on the second floor.
The building had a flat roof with a built-up upper-level façade and a front cornice made with an overhanging corona and brick corbeling. On the upper level, there was a large central arched window flanked by two narrower windows with smaller arched caps. The ground floor had a windowed door with a transom above at the far right that opened to the stairway to that upper floor. Next to that was the windowed commercial display with centered double doors with a cloth awning above.

The 1884 map shows that the ground floor space was occupied by Griswold’s Billiard Parlor while the second floor held a large hall, as well as offices of the City of Cheney. The former City offices had been destroyed in a fire February 1883. Griswold’s hall was the site of many concerts, balls, and events, such as a benefit concert in January 1885 to raise funds for pews for the Baptist church and a Valentine’s ball the following month.

By 1891 E.N. O’Brien’s Cash Grocery occupied the ground floor.

Louis H. Houck, pioneer merchant of Cheney, will establish a strictly up to date department store in this city requiring a capital of $25,000. Mr. Houck's business has completely outgrown its present quarters and it is a matter of necessity to expand in order to keep pace with his rapidly increasing trade. He has purchased the two-story brick building adjoining on the east. The two buildings will be connected into one mammoth department store to be conducted along modern lines in every respect.
Cheney Free Press 5 July 1907

Houck’s was the largest retail business in town. The Free Press wrote this promotional piece for the Christmas season 1910:
“Louis H. Houck, one of our pioneer merchants, is now at the head of one of the largest and best managed department stores in the country. From a small beginning his business has grown wonderfully until now he is able to supply the trade with anything under the sun belonging to his numerous lines. The business is conducted strictly along business lines and customers will find the very best of treatment at this store. His clerks are always obliging and accommodating. Eugene O’Brien (who does not know him?) is at the head of the grocery department and he is always “there with the goods.” John Engel or “Spike” as he is endearingly called by his friends, attends to the gents’ furnishings department and to appreciate his good qualities as a salesman you will have to go there and see for yourself. Miss Margaret Engel presides over the ladies’ furnishings and dry goods departments, and as a sales lady enjoys the confidence of all the numerous customers …… While Houck is also very much in evidence in the store and his services are distributed where they are most in demand.”

Louis Houck died in 1916 and with him the store that had been a fixture in Cheney for 20 years.
Albert Powell had been in the pharmacy business since 1887. He purchased the Owl Pharmacy when he came to Cheney in 1916.
He and his wife, May, were active in the business, civic, and social life of the community. Albert’s son, Walter Powell, worked with his father and slowly took over the operation.
In 1927 Walter married Miss Valois Compere, the art instructor at the Normal School. Walter continued to grow the business which was equally known as Owl Pharmacy and Powell’s Drug. In 1944, he bought out the stock of the old Cheney Drug Company.
The Owl Pharmacy, one of the old business firms of Cheney this week passed from the Powell family to Ted Stahlborn, who has been connected with the store since 1940.
Cheney Free Press 12 March 1948

In 1953, Stahlborn was one of several businesses downtown to install the new electric neon signs to add “sparkle” to his business. The Free Press described the renovation and modernization of the store in 1955:
“Display shelves painted in coral and rose are being placed the full length of both side walls of the store.
Proprietor Ted Stahlborn said the graduated width shelving affords almost 50 per cent more display space than the former cupboard shelving. The prescription counter, on a raised floor level from the store, is complete with the latest pharmaceutical facilities, including lazy-Susan type trays to hold medical supplies for prescription filling.
Adding to the general appearance of the drug store are modern card cabinets in natural wood finish and new tile flooring throughout the building.”
When the block long steel awning was installed on in 1962, Owl Pharmacy was one of the businesses that remodeled their front façade to create better visibility from the street. It was during this remodel, the upper-level façade was covered with stucco and gravel panels, giving the building a modern but blank-faced appearance. In 1967, Ted Stahlborn moved Owl Pharmacy from 416 1st Street a new building 120 F Street. .

The next tenant was the Cheney Public Library which occupied the building until the new library was erected two blocks to the east. A couple of retail shops, Bicycle Shop and The Clothesline, followed.
Then Tom Showalter purchased the building in the mid-nineties to expand Showies Tavern out from 414 next door.

A building inspection in 1988 had declared the second story a danger to the integrity of the entire structure as well as those adjacent, and the upper structure was removed. Former windows of the side elevations were removed or filled in.
In 2002, the street awning was removed by the city over the protests of the tavern.
Today, only the view from the alley and from the building basement can give us glimpses of the oldest brick building in Cheney’s commercial district.
Joan Mamanakis
