Simple one-story brick commercial blocks became popular with investors in the early twentieth century. By economizing on ornamentation and expensive second floor residential fixtures like kitchen cabinets and indoor plumbing, a landowner could develop a large lot with a modest upfront investment. The three storefronts in this building, completed circa 1900, hosted numerous businesses over the years, including a tailor, music store, cyclery, hat shop, and physician’s office. Belgian-born Louis Frank Verberckmoes sold jewelry and eyeglasses from 1913 until 1925 in number 208. After construction of the Bluebird Theater to the west in 1925, Verberckmoes’ shop became the Bluebird Café. In 1913, plumber Herman Ulrich opened a plumbing shop in the 206 and 206 ½ (center) storefronts and lived in a rear apartment with his Norwegian-born wife Engiber and their three daughters. Ulrich’s shop was a fixture on Park Avenue for more than forty years. When Herman died of a heart attack while shoveling snow in 1937, Engiber opened a women’s dress shop, which remained in business here through the mid-1940s.
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