By Anelia K. Dimitrova
A historic building in downtown Cedar Falls is getting a new life this summer and a new purpose to serve the community.
The Cedar Falls Depot at 422 Main St., one of the oldest buildings in town, is soon going to re-emerge as a vibrant spot where families and friends can catch up and enjoy delicious bites and sips in a relaxed atmosphere.
As they indulge in ice cream, coffee or pizza at Frankie’s Ice Cream Parlor, community members will also get a chance to experience a slice of Cedar Falls history. Being inside a building that has evolved with the times and, against all odds, has survived for 156 years as the only depot structure in town, is an experience in itself.
Holding the corner of Main and Fifth streets, situated within a few feet of the now defunct railroad tracks, and next to the Cedar Falls Public Library, the depot is among the most recognizable structures in town because of its architecture, location and longevity, all factors that allowed it to stay resilient with the passage of generations and ownership.
Frankie’s Ice Cream Parlor is the brainchild of entrepreneur Darron Olson, whose family owns the independent bookstore the Nook, and the adjacent Reader’s Cup on Main Street, among other local businesses.
Darron embraced the formidable task of repurposing the iconic depot into a trendy spot where a variety of drinks and food offerings, including breakfast, Scratch cupcakes, and coffee drinks, will be served, among other treats.
And like many businesses that inherit the history of the prior occupants in the spaces they transform, eventually Darron plans to display some vintage images highlighting the evolution of the building. After the trains stopped coming to town, the building was repurposed as an upscale restaurant, which later became a Regents Bank branch, and then a suite of offices.
How the Depot came to Cedar Falls
Built in 1870 as the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railroad depot, the building served its original purpose until the late 1960s to early 1970s, when the last passenger train left Cedar Falls, said Julia Huffman-klinkowitz, the collections manager and curator of the Cedar Falls Historical Society.
“There was a time in Cedar Falls when passenger and freight trains ran in all directions from multiple depots,” she said. “These trains connected the city with distant markets, bringing manufactured goods into the city that would have been otherwise unobtainable and they linked passengers to destinations all over the country.”
Today, in the downtown streetscape, the building is “architecturally and historically important,” Huffman-klinkowitz said.
“The depot is not only a landmark in downtown Cedar Falls but a unique structure and a visible link to Cedar Falls history,” she told me.
Other local depots faded from the map eventually. One, the Illinois Central Depot located north of the Cedar River, for instance, burned down while others collapsed from abandonment.
Why and how the depot at the intersection of Fifth and Main streets was spared by fate and by the people who stepped up to save it at the right time, is intriguing to contemplate, especially because in 1968, the Iowa Commerce Commission permitted the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad to dismantle the structure.
“Thankfully, it was not done,” Huffman-klinkowitz said.
In 2009, the historic significance of the building was recognized with a plaque affixed to the outside wall facing Main Street, issued by the Cedar Falls Historical Society and the Rotary Club of Cedar Falls.
The Depot restaurant and lounge years
Over the years, the building has been a source of fascination, inspiration and at least for the owners of the Depot restaurant and lounge, housed there from 1972 to 1986, a dream come true.
That’s what Shirley (Lechner) Merner, then a 28-year-old budding entrepreneur, saw in it in 1971, when she found herself in a position to save the building.
Now 83, Shirley recalls how her love for trains and appreciation of local history, prompted her to call R. W. (Bill) Merner, a lawyer in town, and later Shirley’s husband for 32 years, with an idea—to turn the depot into an upscale restaurant.
At that time, the depot had been abandoned for quite some time, Shirley told me.
Later, she would jokingly call the decision to purchase the Rock Island Railroad Depot “a moment of madness.”
But that madness had another name—passion. Working in a space where dreams and reality often collide, Shirley reached a realization most entrepreneurs can identify with, namely, that passion alone doesn’t suffice.
“The illusion is converting some dingy dilapidated building into a charming little bistro, which everyone concedes is the perfect reflection of your impeccable taste,” she wrote in a book called Depot Days: Memories of a Restaurant 1972-1986. “A quick reality check reveals that such transformations cost the earth—both in treasure and temper.”
So Shirley and Bill Merner poured themselves into the project with all they had.
The scope of the work was overwhelming, but they were determined to see it through despite the challenges, some expected, some not, that persisted.
While the remodel was underway, a construction worker fell through the roof–he was unharmed–but the accident showed the structure’s state of decay.
Significantly, during the renovation, crews discovered an underground tunnel, running between Fourth and Fifth streets, Shirley told me in a recent interview.
As a practical matter, the workers shuttered the tunnel, but the fact of its existence has prompted theories of its origin and purpose. Shirley said she did not know what the tunnel had been used for, but one of her customers told her that his dad had used it as a bootlegging route during the Prohibition.
Another task, replacing the dirt floor in the baggage room, while seemingly routine, was still a significant undertaking. Thus, the section of the floor in the newly created dining room, was upgraded to carpet, and the section that was in the kitchen, to tiles. Replacing the broken stained glass windows with new ones was next. The owners added leather and velvet chairs to the interior to create a unique train-themed experience, where waiters in conductor uniforms, served among other items, fillet for two, flamed by the table, for $12.50.
With its history and atmosphere it didn’t take long for the Depot to become an entertainment destination in town where local musicians and national acts felt at home. Cedar Falls singer Cathy Craig was the first to perform there, and later Johnny Cash and the Smothers Brothers, brought their popular acts to town, Shirley recalled.
Perhaps one of the most enduring cultural events in town traces its origin to the Depot restaurant—the annual Sturgis Falls Celebration, which marks its 50th birthday this year.
Rosemary Beach, a former waitress at the restaurant, recently told me that it was at the depot where she, along with Judith Cutler, who worked for the city, and Tom Klemuk, a designer with a shingle on Main Street, first started talking about how to organize a town celebration in conjunction with the 200th anniversary of America’s birthday in 1976. The ad hoc trio pulled off such a memorable event in Overman Park, albeit just for one day, the last Sunday in June, that it promptly became a staple in the town’s annual summer schedule, celebrating local pride, spirit and heritage. The festival has now grown to one of the biggest free events in the state, spanning over several days, and featuring a fabulous parade, a talent show, multiple musical acts and other summer amusements.
The depot’s years as a bank
After the restaurant closed in 1986, the following year, Midway Bank and Trust opened a location there, and eventually, a branch of Regents Bank was housed there for many years.
Over time, the depot has stood witness to countless happenings and lives that have filled its walls with their untold memories.
The building fosters a special connection with the people around it. Like a magnet, it draws the attention of casual visitors who see it for the first time. Like a museum, it stirs up memories for those who have walked past it on their daily routes for years. And like a loved one, it stays with those who have worked in it in any capacity, at any point in its existence.
It has also tugged at the heartstrings and the talents of many in town. One Cedar Falls citizen who treasured that building was artist Marcia Milner-Brage, a correspondent for Urban Sketchers, the global nonprofit dedicated to the on-site sketching and sharing of places. When Regents Bank left the building, one of the tellers who worked there for 19 years, commissioned Marcia to draw it. She did so on a freezing March day in 2015, capturing its character and the white clouds floating above the long roofline, as she wrote in a post.
Most recently, the building stood dormant for several years, framed incongruously by an empty parking lot and rusty looking railroad tracks pierced by irreverent weeds, alongside a hopping Main Street, complete with quaint storefronts, flower baskets hanging from light posts and public art sculptures. A vibrant mural encapsulating the essence of Cedar Falls, which was unveiled last year, stood in stark contrast with the empty depot building.
Frankie’s Ice Cream Parlor at 422 Main Street
Once the parlor’s doors open for the public in short order, customers will marvel at the renovated space, no doubt. Some may try to remember how this or that feature looked when the building was a train depot or a restaurant, or a bank, and whose office was in that corner when it was a financial suite.
But for all, Frankie’s Ice Cream Parlor is bound to charm with its mix of history and renewed use. It adds a freshly minted food venue with indoor and outdoor seating for gatherings and relaxation, and it further boosts the character of a thriving Main Street with ambiance and a quality experience.
On a recent afternoon, I stopped by the building, prompted by a big sign in the parking lot announcing the arrival of Frankie’s Ice Cream Parlor.
I had tried to peek in through the window on earlier occasions, but the inside was quiet and dark.
With the summer rolling out quickly, I knew an ice cream place would have to hurry up to grab the opportunities of the season.
I kept returning to the depot until finally, on a recent Monday afternoon, I heard the shrill of a power saw, a sure sign that hectic work was under way inside.
Darron answered the door with a wide smile and invited me in to see his progress.
I am always intrigued by the unglorious labor that brings an idea of a new business to fruition, so I was curious how the work was coming along.
For me, walking into the unruly space under construction is a more revealing experience than entering the space on opening day. Darron was a generous host, both with his time and with his explanations.
He had just finished a wide, wooden handcrafted 16-foot-long counter in the walk-in area, where eventually, the trays with ingredients will be inset, and where customers can make their choices and watch as their orders are being put together. In addition to soft serve ice cream, Darron said he is exploring options for frozen yogurt.
Right next to that counter will be a kitchen, where food items, including traditional pizza, will be prepared. In the area to the right, where the windows overlook Main Street, Darron has already built counters along each window. High chairs will soon be put there.
The drive-thru window, which was installed when the building operated as a bank, will also be used as a walk-up window.
An outdoor patio
During the remodel, Darron found a door in the back that was covered by a wall. Now it will lead to the back patio, which will be surrounded by a white fence.
Darron told me that it will be especially convenient for people with strollers and pets to enjoy their treats there, as there will be plenty of space to accommodate everything. There will also be a small grass area where the dogs may use for their urgent needs while their owners enjoy ice cream.
If you wonder how the parlor got its name, know this—it is named after one of the family dogs, a charming 8-year-old pup, Frankie, who greets you with a friendly bark of acknowledgement before becoming your buddy. At my request, Darron brought Frankie on a Thursday morning so I could take a memorable photo of the two in front of the building in progress.
“We were trying to think of something that was meaningful to us, and it just flowed,” Darron said of the name.
Similar to what they have done at the Reader’s Cup, which features Bambino’s cookies and pastries, Frankie’s Ice Cream Parlor will offer Scratch Cupcakes here.
“Scratch was on Main Street, and they left Main Street for a larger location, where they could combine all of their baking and retail stuff,” Darron said. “But we approached them to see if they want to come back to Main Street and they’re pretty excited to do that.”
Darron said the experience of renovating the building to open a new business has only reaffirmed his appreciation for the city and Community Main Street, especially its director, Kim Bear.
“I think that more people should take advantage of it,” Darrion said. “The City of Cedar Falls, they’ve all been great to work with. If somebody ever wanted to open a business, other than, I would say, money, I would think that there is no reason not to [open a business] because you have so much free help.
“Our goal and objective is to provide more of a customer experience and quality product,” he added. “What we’re gonna do is something different than what you’ll find anywhere else.”
