Category: Anthe Building

I’m not sure what counts as an update in Christopher lexicon – but this is the fourth numbered update on what’s been happening at what will become the new Lost Art Press headquarters, so we’ll go with No. 4! (You can read an FAQ about plans for the new space in this June 28 post.)

We received the stamp of approval from the county last week to proceed with the plans as drawn by our Cincinnati-based architect and friend, Trenton Bradford (whom we first met as a student in an ATC class, and we’re awfully glad we did!). Our general contractor, Bill Kreidler (BK Remodeling), has been working at warp speed on framing the walls to replace the old and falling-down ones (and salvaging the old beadboard for re-use) and get all the subcontractors in for the drywall, plumbing, electric, painting….

The Floor
Chris and I sprayed the floor with two heavy coats of shellac to encapsulate some residual machine oil odor after multiple floor scrubbings, and to offer a modicum of protection for the original floorboards (and the new patches that were installed where necessary).

The Bathroom
We got the OK on the bathroom framing two weeks ago – so that’s the most visible and functional change to report: We have a functioning bathroom, complete with tile (that you cannot see much of it in the picture below because it’s currently protected with cardboard). The bathroom is ADA compliant, or will be, as soon as we get the grab bars on the walls. Oh – and we need to get the door installed.

The bathroom exterior is clad in beadboard that has been painted and glazed to look like the 100-year-old beadboard that was salvaged from the “front of house” (we’ll be using that salvaged stuff on the interior of what will some day become the storefront). The interior is white painted-and-glazed beadboard. I’m fairly certain the end of the rafter tails will be left unpainted (this is, after all, a warehouse!). Atop the bathroom, we’ll be storing boxes and other packing materials.

The Slop Sink
I love our Watermark Fixtures slop sink. In a fit of moving too quickly, we initially got it for the bathroom – but of course it would be impossible to get a wheelchair up to it, so we chose a different one to use in that space. Instead, we have an awfully fancy utility sink hanging on the outside back of the bathroom. In hindsight, that’s a better place for it anyway – it’s more visible. Most important though, we now have easy access to running water!

The Framing
BK and his tireless employee, Eric, are done with the first-floor framing and are getting started in the basement on Monday. I just have to find some not-ugly fire doors to install in the two openings that will lead to the stairwell before we get the drywallers in to add two layers of type X drywall to the walls and type C to the ceilings up front. For the basement, an ugly door will do. (If anyone can point me toward a not-butt-ugly Shaker, Craftsman, or otherwise plain-but-not-flat-slab pre-hung 90-minute fire rated door, 32″ or 36″ wide, I’d greatly appreciate it. Finding doors that meet requirements at which we can also bear to look has proven to be a difficult challenge!)

In order the apply for temporary occupancy, we have to have the safety requirements in place in at least the basement and first floor, so we’re trying to move as quickly as possible on these fronts.

The Shelving
We are allowed to use the space for storage for now; all the shipping work we’ve been doing in Covington has been out of the editorial offices and machine room at Willard. And it’s been getting awfully crowded with the necessary packing materials and tools, so our new employees, Gabe and Mark, erected some shelving (out of the way of BK’s work) to provide some much-needed storage. And when they need more boxes, the Anthe building is less than a mile away.

And that’s about it for now – but stay tuned: If we can get the fire doors in place and the drywallers in quickly, we should be able to move all shipping operations to Anthe soon!

– Fitz

p.s. If you’d like to learn more about the Anthe Building, and perhaps help with renovations, please check out this page on our main site.

p.p.s. We’ll be giving tours of the new space at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. during our open house on July 29, leaving from 837 Willard St. More info here.

We will open our doors to the public on Saturday, July 29, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 837 Willard St. in Covington, Ky. We’ll be selling our complete line of products, signing books and – most of all – talking about woodworking.

I’ll display a bunch of the furniture I’m building for my next book, “The American Peasant.” Plus, I’ll be happy to demonstrate the grooving cutters I use to add spells and wards to the furniture.  

We’ll also show off the Anthe building – the 1890s-era factory we are restoring to become our new headquarters. If you would like a tour of the Anthe building, we’ll lead walking tours that leave from Willard Street to 407 Madison Ave. The tours begin inside 837 Willard St. (our current building) at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.  

If it’s too hot for you to walk (or you have mobility concerns), you can drive your car the 0.7 miles to the Anthe building and meet us there.  

Please keep in mind that Anthe is under construction, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes with good traction. There is, however, electricity, plumbing and HVAC there. Other than the two tours, the Anthe building will not be open to the public that Saturday. Our fulfillment employees don’t work on weekends. So if you show up there (outside of the tours mentioned above), you’ll find the doors locked.

— Christopher Schwarz

In April 2023, we purchased the Anthe Building at 407 Madison Ave. in Covington, Kentucky, to become our new editorial headquarters and fulfillment center. We are in a multi-year restoration process to clean and preserve the building for future generations.

Here are some of the frequently asked questions about the building and how Lost Art Press will use it now and in the future.

Q: What are the plans for the Anthe Building?

A: The first phase of the project is to restore the first floor of the old factory. The rear of the building will become our fulfillment center, a function that is now handled in Indianapolis. The building’s storefront will become our commercial space – a book and tool store. That will be open by the end of 2023, we hope. The second floor will be restored in 2024 or 2025 to become our editorial offices at the front of the building and long-term storage at the rear. The third floor will be fixed up sometime in the future. We have ideas for how the third floor will be used, but nothing we are prepared to discuss.

In general, we are trying to alter the building as little as possible. The biggest tasks are cleaning the place and remediating any lead paint we might find. There are many partition walls that need to be repaired so they are sturdy. And we need to remove out-of-code electrical stuff, add HVAC to the upstairs floors and make a safe working environment for us.

Q: What will happen to the storefront on Willard Street?

A: The classes and workbenches will stay at Willard Street, as will the mechanical library and my woodworking machines. Lucy and I will continue to live above the storefront until we croak. So basically, Willard Street will look the same and function the same.

Q: How far is the Anthe Building from the storefront on Willard Street?

A: Less than a mile from our shop on Willard Street. I walk it in less than 10 minutes.

Q: Will people still be able to visit the Willard Street storefront to buy books and tools?

A: The Willard Street storefront will remain a commercial space until we have the storefront established at the Anthe Building. After that, all commerce will move to the Anthe Building. This will give Lucy and me a little more privacy, especially during mealtime.

Q: Why did you purchase the Anthe Building?

A: We have always loved the Anthe building and will be its second tenants since the building was built in 1897 as the Anthe Machine Works. Anthe made woodworking tooling and cutters, especially for shapers. The business closed in 2019 and was, at the time, Covington’s second-oldest business. The building is a time capsule with many original features, including the line shaft on the first floor.

Q: There is a gap between the Anthe building and the neighboring building on the third floor. Is the building tilting? Structurally unsound?

A: The building was inspected by a structural engineer in 2023 and they told us not to worry about it. Early on in the life of the building it pulled away from its neighbor a bit. Several metal plates and bars were added to reinforce the area. Many old buildings in this district of Covington have tilted a bit during the last 150 years.

Q: Will you change the storefront?

A: No. The store front has remained almost unchanged since the building was built. The main structure is cast iron, with the original frame-and-panel walls. The trim around the first-floor windows is painted steel. Our plans are to remove excess paint and repaint the storefront in a similar shade of green, hopefully matching the original color. We do have to replace the awning as it is beyond repair. We will eventually repaint the building’s cornice. And we are now planning repairs to the mortar in the brick work. The brick will remain unpainted, which is how the building was original built.

Q: What sort of neighborhood is the Anthe building in?

A: The building is in the city’s Downtown Commercial historic district (Willard Street is in the Mainstrasse district). On our block we have law offices, a pawn shop and a LaRosa’s Pizza. Behind us and across the street are two banks and a former insurance office that is being converted to a large restaurant and distillery. The most exciting part of this area is that we will soon have a new neighborhood behind us. A 23-acre parcel of land that used to be an IRS building is being returned to its original use as a neighborhood with residents and stores. (Read more here.) The Anthe building is located diagonally to Trinity Episcopal Church, where Chris and Lucy were married in 1993. One block away from the Anthe building (at Scott Boulevard and Fourth Street) is the former site of Grote Drugs, one of the drug stores that Lucy’s family ran.

Q: What architectural style is the building?

A: Neoclassical.

Q: How can readers help with the restoration?

A: The restoration requires a group of skilled tradespeople all working in concert with one another. And they need to be licensed in order to comply with county and state regulations. As we get into the future phases of the restoration, we might ask for help cleaning up the second and third floors, which can be done by anyone good with a brush and a broom. Mostly, you can help by continuing to buy our books, tools and apparel, which helps us fund the restoration.

Q: What are you going to do about the freight elevator?

A: For now, nothing. We hope to get it certified as a material lift (no passengers) so we can move books to different floors. But that is a future project.

Q: What are you going to do with the old TV antenna at the rear of the building?

A: It stays. Megan has to watch her soap operas – or else she gets grumpy.

Last week an amazing thing happened a block away from the Anthe Building (the site of our new headquarters). Workers began removing the ugly brick cladding from a building at the corner of Fourth Street and Scott Boulevard. What was below the brick was a link to our family’s past.

Lucy’s family ran the chain of Grote Drugstores in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati in the 20th century. They had two stores in Covington. One was at the corner of Pike Street and Madison Ave., what is now The Hannaford, a trendy bar. 

The other store was at Fourth Street and Scott Boulevard. But Jane May nee Grote (Lucy’s mom) couldn’t remember exactly which corner it was on – the area has changed a lot.

On Sunday, Lucy and I visited the construction site at Fourth and Scott. The work had revealed a gorgeous storefront that still had some intact glass. Two windows said “Prescriptions” and one said “Hy-Pure Drugs,” an old brand.

I showed Jane the photos and she confirmed that yup, that was the drugstore her father owned and ran. Jane said she worked the lunch counter there when she was 15 or 16 and would fill in for the employees who were on vacation. The lunch counter was inexpensive, close to the courthouse and a quick place to get a bite.

It also is one block from the Anthe Building. We are thrilled that the drugstore storefront is coming back to life and can’t wait to see what it will be in its next life. 

— Christopher Schwarz