Callas Sweet Shop facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Callas Sweet Shop
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 Location in Kentucky
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| Location | 420 Frederica Ave., Owensboro, Kentucky |
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| Area | 0.1 acres (0.040 ha) |
| Built | 1921 |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts |
| MPS | Owensboro MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 86000661 |
| Added to NRHP | March 28, 1986 |
The Callas Sweet Shop in Owensboro, Kentucky, is a historic building that opened its doors in 1921. It was designed in a fancy style called Beaux Arts. This special shop is so important that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
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Discovering Callas Sweet Shop
The Callas Sweet Shop is more than just an old building; it's a piece of history! It stands at 420 Frederica Avenue in downtown Owensboro. Imagine a place where people gathered for sweet treats almost a hundred years ago.
What Makes It Look So Special?
The Callas Sweet Shop has a very elegant and unique look. It's made with buff-colored terra cotta and decorative tiles. These tiles form cool designs like brackets, shields, and fancy edges called cornices. All these details give the building a simple, classic appearance.
On the first floor, you'll see a recessed storefront. This means the entrance is set back a bit. It still has its original main doorway and windows above it, called transom windows. Big display windows, perfect for showing off candy, sit on marble panels. Above these windows, there's a modern steel awning. Look closely, and you'll see the word "CALLAS" carved right into the terra cotta above the storefront!
The second floor has three large window sections. A slightly sticking-out tiled frame surrounds all three of these windows. The top of the second story has a decorative cornice with brackets. The very top of the building has a curved wall with a fancy shield in the middle.
Inside, the shop still has its original counter and booths where people enjoyed ice cream. The walls are even decorated with old postcards from the early 1900s, showing what downtown Owensboro used to look like!
Why Is It So Important?
The Callas Sweet Shop is considered very special because it's the only building in downtown Owensboro with a complete terra cotta tile front that still exists. It's also unique because it's not overly decorated like some other Beaux-Arts buildings. It has a simpler, refreshing style.
The original owner of the shop was a European immigrant. Many immigrant families came to Owensboro and started their own family businesses, just like he did. He arrived in Owensboro as a young man and his very first job was shining shoes.
A Sweet History
Before building the Sweet Shop, the owner had a different candy shop called Progress Candy. It was on Main Street in a rented building. Then, in 1921, he built his very own Sweet Shop on Frederica Avenue. It was right next door to the Empress Theater, a popular spot at the time.
Later, when the owner's health wasn't good, he rented the shop to a person named Barney Elliott. Barney added sandwiches to the menu, making it a place for both sweet treats and savory meals. The Callas Sweet Shop became a true "tradition" in Owensboro, a place many people remember and cherish.
