A Little Beacon Blog Goes Underground: Moves ALBB Space and Tin Shingle Out Of The Telephone Building

With a heavy heart, the day has come to report on the closing of my event space, known as A Little Beacon Space. After three years of hosting community events, pop-up shops, and business retreats in Beacon's historic Telephone Building at 291 Main Street, I have closed that space, along with Tin Shingle’s new CoWork space, which was located in the basement of the building. Both spaces may begin again elsewhere, but for now, they are nestled into my attic, basement, and other living spaces. Happily, A Little Beacon Blog is continuing to publish all the news that you need to know about happening in and around Beacon.

To address some FAQs:

“Did the building sell?”

The Telephone Building sold to The Telephone Building Beacon, LLC, represented by Shady Twal in December of 2019. After negotiating the lease package that was presented to me, it became clear that leaving the building was the best decision for my business.

The weeks leading up to the negotiation, and then the final week of it, were emotionally thick. Making the decision to leave was one of the most difficult I have ever made, and I am so, so grateful for the warm embrace of support I have felt from the Beacon community - friends and family - even if they did not know the details of what was happening. I will take that sensitivity with me as ALBB covers other businesses that must move or close up shop for whatever reasons any other small business owner might face.

“Can I buy your furniture?”

I’m so glad people are asking this question. I miss having the space to offer to people, and I’m really glad you love my new interior design skills. :) However, no, you may not buy all of that new gorgeous furniture because that vision may rise again. Right now, that bar with the love story behind it and those dope purple chairs are in my newly converted home office-living room, and I’m back to work-from-home life. (I did it for 11 years before taking the storefront on Main Street.) I can become quite like a hermit, so ask me out for coffee! :)

“Where are you going next?”

I’m property shopping! I love looking at new properties. What I created in the Telephone Building was unique to that space. My experience in the Telephone Building enabled a test kitchen environment, and I want to keep that level of comfort and offer it to others. I plan to take all of those feels with me to the next spot, wherever it might be, which will allow for meetings, community gatherings, and pop-up experiences.

I’ll be looking at the luxury buildings. The run-down buildings. The buildings in the fringe areas (I love the fringe!). Business friends of mine are encouraging me to come up to Wappingers Falls and over to Newburgh. One never knows which way the wind will blow.

It’s Back To Blogging As Usual

I have a new little P.O. Box, so I’ll be popping into my new post pffoce community of fellow P.O. Box checkers. In fact, I’ll probably see more of you because the A Little Beacon Blogging Team will be blogging from coffee shops and park benches and cars and my cozy living room. So stay tuned…the pop-up side of me may rise again!

One Of Beacon's Historic Buildings From 1907 - Telephone Building at 291 Main Street - Is For Sale

You know this building as the brick building across from Key Food. 291 Main Street is the building whose owner and restorer - Deborah Bigelow - is always outside sweeping trash, scraping cigar spit, raking the driveway and tree filler (yes, raking it into a meditative pattern), and who was up on the boom last year gilding the words "Telephone Building" in gold leaf by hand. If you went to her presentation for the Beacon Historical Society, you would have learned that those gold leaf sheets came in small squares that she needed to take up to the top of the building, in strong winds, and do her thing to gild it to the iconic letters.

This detail was her signature and the final piece of work on a building she rescued 27 years ago. Deborah has reached her point of retirement, and is selling the building. She has listed it in A Little Beacon Blog's Real Estate Guide, and is representing it herself. You can read more about the full renovation of the building at the Telephone Building’s website, which has lots of pictures.

Learn more about the love story behind this bar in A Little Beacon Space.

When buildings go up for sale, a wave of uncertainty goes through the community. A Little Beacon Blog is Deborah's tenant in the front office, with windows overlooking Main Street. We did this to physically connect with the community to offer pop-up shops, workshop space, and more in what we call A Little Beacon Space.

We always knew that at some point soon in her life, Deborah would embark on her sale of the building. Therefore, we are 100% supportive and thrilled for her. In fact, it has launched a million dreams of where A Little Beacon Space might pop up next. We wrote a Love Note To Deborah and discussed possibilities of our future plans in this article, which you can read here.

PS: Our South Avenue Elementary School kids are practicing songs from "The Greatest Showman" for their next recital, so it's a nice coincidence that this really inspiring soundtrack is fueling a possible move to... we don't know where! Or maybe staying right here! We wrote a Love Note To Deborah As She Sells Her Building, which you can read here.

New Shingle In Town On The Telephone Building

Look who got a new shingle! Our building, Beacon’s own Telephone Building, which was built in 1907 and restored almost a century later. A Little Beacon Blog’s office and venue space is located inside on the first floor, sharing the building with other great business tenants.

Owner and master gilder Deborah Bigelow has completed her renovations to this building, a project that has taken her many years. Yet you’ll always see her outside tinkering on something with the building, such as securing the food compost bin or cleaning marks from the limestone.

We are honored to be a part of her journey as a tenant, and also as her branding partner with the designing of her first website to showcase the building. A Little Beacon Blog’s sister design agency, Katie James Inc., designed her website so that you can learn about all the building and the work Deborah and her team put into it over the years: www.telephonebuildingbeacon.com.

Putting Up the Spooky Lights on Main Street

We’re setting up the spooky lights in the office ... After seeing orange, purple and pink Halloween 🎃 lights going up already on front porches of Beacon, we had to join in the spooky spirit!

Usually Home Depot has the glorious spread of Halloween yard decorations, but this year, Rite Aid in Beacon has enough choices on the shelves to do in a pinch. Brett’s Hardware, down on West Main, has the mums (flowers, not mummies!) and some other colored lights.

Happy Fall!