Jason and Catherine Conlon received a facade grant from Main Street Warsaw to spruce up the exterior of the building at 106 E. Center St., Warsaw. The building formerly housed Jason’s parents’ Joe and Joyce Conlon’s business Celebrations. From left: Main Street Warsaw Executive Director Rob Parker, Catherine Conlon, Cotter the dog, Jason Conlon and Main Street Warsaw Board Member Jan Orban. InkFreeNews photos by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Jason and Catherine Conlon are preserving part of Warsaw and their own family’s history thanks to a Main Street Warsaw facade grant.

On Thursday, Dec. 22, the Conlons and MSW representatives posed with a replica check for $5,000 in grant funds in front of the building the former are renovating at 106 E. Center St., Warsaw. The couple contributed $5,000 of their own as well to be eligible for the grant to redo the outside of what formerly housed Celebrations.

“My mom and dad (Joe and Joyce Conlon) used to run (it),” said Jason. “It was a gift store (with) cards, balloons, costumes, fudge. So I bought the building from them and it needed a rehab.”

Before Celebrations was there, the building housed a shoe store. The Conlons’ goal is to either have someone else operate a business at the location or put in one of their own, though they’re not sure yet what that would be.

“Prior to us starting … it hadn’t been renovated at least since the early ’80s,” said Jason. “I think the thing that we were the most happy with was that we were able to restore the old wood floor, which was probably the hardest job here because it had black tar on it which took a long time to get off.”

He noted that the hardware flooring is original and dates to 1883.

“We re-exposed the brick walls on the inside. We put in a new ceiling because the old ceiling had a fire at some point,” said Jason. “Those were kind of the major changes to happen on the inside.”

As for the outside where the facade grant was spent, the Conlons put black walnut on it.

“Our contractor spent a lot of time putting on a finish that’s guaranteed for life to hold up to the elements,” said Jason.

The outside also includes “some reclaimed Indiana barn wood,” he said. The couple’s contractor also spruced up the store windows and is working on the terrazzo flooring.

“We have pictures from (the 1920s or 1930s) showing this display window filled with shoes, so (the windows and flooring are at least from then),” said Jason.

The Conlons also renovated the upstairs floor where they currently live.

“We wanted … to try to keep as much of the original charm of the building,” said Jason. He noted others are also remodeling buildings next to them.

“So I think definitely downtown Warsaw is on the upswing,” he said.

The Conlons also renovated the building’s interior, shown here. The hardware flooring that was fixed up is original to the building and dates to 1883.