Businessmen hope to restore building owned by Struthers founder

STRUTHERS

The big blue building next to Yellow Creek Park at 19 Lowellville Road has been home to multiple businesses the past two centuries.

It started as a carriage business for John Struthers in the 1800s, was a sawmill in the 1900s and a T-shirt shop in the early 2000s.

“The building is fascinating,” said Marian Kutlesa, president of the Struthers Historical Society. “I don’t know more recent history with it, but I know it was used by John Struthers as a livery stable in the early 1800s for one of his businesses.”

Struthers founded the city, she said. She added that carriages outside the big blue building would be used as transportation for visitors in town.

“If you got off a train in Struthers and needed a ride, you could get a carriage from the livery stable at that location,” she said.

In more recent years, the building has become home to End Time Grafix, a family-owned full-service sign shop.

“We do signage for all sorts of people — dance studios, soccer teams, politicians,” said Vito Consiglio, owner of the business.

He said Daniel Rossi, his father-in-law and CEO of FEIC Financial, bought the building in January.

Consiglio added that if all goes according to plan, he hopes to see the building with a “colonial, 1700s look” by next summer to highlight the history of the building.

Read more about plans for this piece of Valley history in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.