INDUSTRY · HISTORICAL MARKER
Kaysing Building
Industry
3
Henry Kaysing, a native of Rhenish Bavaria, settled in Belleville in 1834. After working as a butcher and later owning a flour and feed store, he retired in 1868 and built this two-story rental building. From the 1870s to the 1890s, the first floor housed Bernhard Strohmberg and Son's grocery, while the second floor was residential. Kaysing also built an adjoining single-story building that for decades contained a boot and shoe shop and a cigar factory. In 1899, Ubaldo Stoltz acquired both buildings and used the larger one for Stoltz Supply House, his plumbing business. In 1908 he replaced the smaller building with a two-story commercial structure and remodeled and extended the Main Street front to unify the two buildings, though the two sides continued to house different businesses. H.L. Rentchler Electrical Shop moved into the older section in 1917, followed in 1932 by Belleville Electric Company, which remained until 1959. Later occupants included Lester Fischer's property management and real estate company and Youngstown of Belleville storm-door company in the 1960s and 70s. On the newer side, the earliest known business was a lunchroom, replaced in 1915 by Benjamin Rutz's cigar factory and tobacco shop. Beginning in 1946, a series of lunchrooms occupied that side, including Bill Schrauth's Snack Bar, Meyer's Sandwich Shop, and Such Subs, which closed in 2006. CeLeen's LLC acquired the building in 2011 and used the second floor until 2021, while CeLeen's Gallery and Gifts occupied the entire first floor from 2011 to 2014. Bridget Lybarger purchased the building in 2022 for Absolute Chiropractic and Acupuncture and for Stages Wellness Holistic Center.
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