Carol Fisher Linn
Buildings tell stories and these walls are talking…
Ellicottville is blessed to have an Historical Society which remains very involved in the history of the town and village. It is a working presence thanks to Ellen Siriani Frank, Town Historian, Dawn Westfall, President Ellicottville Historical Society, and the entire board and trustees of the Society. Thanks to them, Ellicottville presents an impressive, albeit much too tiny vintage building with rotating displays created by Trustee, Cathy Lacy and President, Dawn Westfall. Says Westfall, “We both come up with ideas. I do the research and Cathy makes the displays come to life.” Please take the opportunity to visit the museum any weekend until the end of the month. The final days it will be open until Spring ‘25 are September 28/29 from 1pm to 4pm. There is one more walking tour on 9/21 -1pm, and 4 ghost tours September 27, October 4, 18 & 25 – 7pm. Questions? Ellicottvilletownhistorian@gmail.com
One of the more intriguing, and at the time of construction, one of the most prominent buildings on our main street, is now mostly owned by Dina DiPasquale – home to Dina’s Restaurant. It was a free-standing building in 1852 when it was built. From Living Places by the Gombach Group citing June 1991 Ellicottville Historic District, National Register of Historic Places, “this building ushered in a new industrial age in Ellicottville, introducing the more ornate designs of the Romantic era and modern architectural innovations like cast-iron storefronts and window hoods. Its three-story, ten-bay façade forever altered the scale and appearance of Washington Street. The Brick Block was bankrolled by a group of local lawyers and politicians and included professional offices as well as store spaces and a concert hall (later the Masonic Lodge). It appears to have always been divided in its ownership, thus making it one of the state’s earliest condominiums. Our Mayor, John Burrell tells of a young lawyer, John Nugent, who worked for his grandfather, John W. Ellis, Esq. in the 1950’s. After Nugent left Ellicottville, he went to work in NYC for Equitable Life in charge of Real Estate development. Nugent was working on a condominium development and in researching condominium law he discovered that condominiums in NYS went back to the Brick Block in Ellicottville as being the first.
On May 11,1890 a fire devastated Ellicottville, destroying many businesses on the north (opposite) side of Washington St. About 2 years later, the south side was the scene of a large fire but the Brick Block was spared. Most of the buildings were rebuilt or modified with brick taking their inspiration from the Brick Block. According to various historical records, entertainment and concerts were held in the concert hall. In 1876 Charles McCoy had a dry goods store. In about 1871, a Mr. Smallman had his shoe-shop on the third floor, where he made fine shoes for the gentlemen about town. Around this time, on the second floor, one found the law offices of the “Brick Block Gang” (so named because these lawyers monopolized the political offices – and, who knows what else?) By 1930, 15 Washington became Lon Dreier’s Meat Market; by the 1940’s Clarence (Zeke) Slating created the Red and White Grocery. In 1963, Zeke sold the store to his son, Harry Emke (Nancy Rogan and Paula Ayrhart’s dad) and then he moved it down the street to the Marketplace. (No, not the one on Monroe Street). When the grocery moved out, The Bootery moved in. Five years later, in 1986, Adaire’s Barrell of Goodies took that spot and finally in 1991, Dina DiPasquale left her catering location on Monroe Street (on the alley at the end of what is now Ellicottville Brewing). Moving to the larger space, Dina at first rented from the Masonic Lodge and when they moved to Great Valley, she was poised to purchase the third floor and the left third of the Brick Block, turning the top floor into a large apartment and eventually, the second floor into a bar and lounge.
When you are enjoying a delicious meal at Dina’s, (and if you haven’t, you owe yourself the treat) look around and see if you can imagine all the iterations of that building before she took it over, added her magical creative touch, and created this comfortable, classy, very cool eating/drinking establishment.