Long-awaited Belleville bookstore plans days-long grand opening
My Christmas has come early this year, good readers.
An opening date was announced (finally!) by Belleville Books on social media over the weekend.
Mark your calendars: the long-awaited independent bookstore opens its doors on Tuesday, Sept. 24, and the festivities continue through Saturday, Sept. 28. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Belleville Books owner Rob Eckman was out in front of the store letting folks know about the opening during the Belleville Indie Market on Aug. 24, the same day of the grand opening announcement.
He had a small stand with Belleville Books-branded merchandise that included book-themed fans, decals, coffee mugs, notebooks and other fun items.
The lights on either end of the building’s facade, lit for the first time on Friday, made the beautiful building look even more so.
Eckman invited people to come up and look in the windows. String lights zig-zagged above the books gave off a soft glow that made the store feel even more welcoming and magical in a way that only a bookstore can.
The grand opening week will include some fun events, which are still in the works, according to Eckman and his partner, Steve Mathews.
I’m told that I’ll get the details once the week’s events have been confirmed. So stay tuned for that update.
A quick visit
I visited Eckman and Mathews at the bookstore again Monday to see how things are going.
As beautiful as Belleville Books is to behold from the outside, it’s even better from within.
Mathews showed me around the building for a brief tour that included newly vacant office areas on the main floor and upstairs. Hicks & Spector LLC recently moved to 120 W. Main St. in Belleville, while two other tenants remain.
In my mind, more room means more books. Should Belleville Books expand (squee!), they’ll have room to do just that. However, Mathews said that if someone wanted to rent the space, it’s available.
He also showed me a new addition to the display at the front of the store that features the building’s history.
It’s a postcard with an image of the former bank’s old cash office, which had marble paneling all around it. The details were better than the photos found in newspaper archives. Once the bookstore opens, it’s definitely worth a look.
Of course, I scanned some of the bookshelves and even checked my own list to see if a title I found was one I already have (It was, but there are plenty of other books to choose from).
Eckman recently finished a display of first-edition mysteries that are signed by the authors. He pointed out one book, “Wilde West” by Walter Satterthwait, in which Oscar Wilde is on a lecture tour in the American West and becomes a suspect in a series of murders.
Wilde is buried in Paris, so the signed mystery books display has a Paris theme and is adorned with Eiffel Towers.
There’s still a bit of work to be done, but the place has come a very long way since Eckman and Mathews started restoring the building in February.
A big project
Eckman and Mathews bought the building at 20 E. Main St. in January with the intention of opening an independent bookstore.
They worked hard to prepare the 112-year-old building, a big project but one done with love, which I could see every time I spoke with Mathews and Eckman about the progress they made over the last nine months.
This included:
Removing the drop ceiling and clearing out the insulation, ductwork and wiring above the drop ceiling;
Painting the walls and ceiling;
Thorough cleaning of the space and repairs to parts of the flooring;
Installation of new bookshelves and placement of furniture the couple picked up from different places along the way;
Bringing in the thousands of books acquired over time for the bookstore’s inventory;
Cleaning and pricing each book then sorting and shelving them by genre, which Eckman said included around 500 volunteer hours by people in the community who wanted to help.
Belleville Books looks amazing, and I can’t wait for opening day.
Until you’re able to check out the store and peruse the shelves in person, new books are available at bookshop.org. This site supports independent bookstores, and by clicking on “Choose a Bookstore,” you can make sure Belleville Books receives the profits from purchases made on the website.
If you prefer audiobooks, check out libro.fm. It’s like Audible for independent bookstores. Sign up for a free account and choose your bookstore, which will receive a portion of each purchase you make.
About Belleville Books
Belleville Books is located at 20 E. Main St, in downtown Belleville. The hours during grand opening week – Sept. 24-28 – are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
As far as operating hours go from there, Mathews said they will play it by ear and that the store will likely be open Tuesday-Saturday.
Donations of gently used books are accepted noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays.
The bookstore’s website, bellevillebooks.com, is slated to launch in the coming weeks. Check for updates on the Belleville Books Facebook page.
