MAIN Street studios
& Gallery
History
Building history:
Main Street Studios has a very rich history throughout the one hundred plus years that it has stood in the Elkhorn area. The building was completed in 1915, when the Lincoln Highway ran from Omaha and through Elkhorn. It was first used by the Witt Family as a simple garage able to serve the family business. The garage had a large electric sign on the roof that was emblazoned with red, white, and blue bulbs to match the signature colors of the Lincoln Highway. It has been A distributor of Goodrich and Firestone tires, the Witt and Goodhard Chevrolet Agency, The Lincoln Highway Garage, Elkhorn Oil Co., and more. This lasted until the late 80's and then sat dormant until the present owner, Tyler Curnes, bought it at auction in the fall of 2014. Main Street Studios is a very positive influence on the Elkhorn community and will continue to be so!
Tyler bought the building on October 24th, 2014. His family had history with the building as his grandfather used to travel through the area and get gas at this exact location, and twenty years earlier his parents had tried to purchase this property. The building was in dire shape when Tyler, and his father Terry, started the demolition of the interior of the building. With no heat and lots of cold days they proceeded to rip out an apartment and two rooms in the build. With the condition of the building, it needed a new roof, flooring, and windows as soon as possible.
When everything was done that the city would allow Tyler and his family to do, they hired Phoenix Construction to complete a majority of the work on the interior. They had to pour a new floor, add studs, insulation, and drywall. One that was finished plumbing and water were finally installed into the building. Much of the wood from the demolition was re-purposed to do the baseboard and trim. The structure has an industrial design as a nod to the building's origins of a garage. It is resplendent in the details that have been used throughout the building to make it just as intriguing as it was in times past.