The people who bake the bagels at Blackberry Inn Kitchen on North Franklin Street are taking their biggest project south. Brian Eslinger and David Hertel began looking for a bigger place to grow their food, bakery and hospitality business. They hoped to stay in Watkins Glen, but they decided the properties available there weren't financially workable for their plans. So the next year-round grocery, bakery, creamery and market in the Watkins Glen area is being built at the former Stillman's Greenhouse in Montour Falls.
That one property decision is part of a bigger pattern this fall. The same stretch of Catharine Street, which is Route 14, got its county history museum back on October 1. A September state grant is paying for a new playground at the Montour Falls marina. And a handful of small businesses on and near the corridor received state money earlier this year. If you live in Watkins Glen, more of the places worth a stop are now just south of the village line.
The offer that took about an hour
The Stillman's property at 251 and 257 South Catharine Street had been mostly empty for years. Its buildings and greenhouses had been deteriorating. Then in January a subdivision of the parcel and a price cut made it a real option for the Blackberry Inn owners, who had driven past it many times.
What they found was not a quick fix. The utilities had been shut off, the water and electrical systems needed major repairs, and several buildings had decayed. Before making an offer, Eslinger and Hertel brought in contractors to estimate the cost. They also met with Judy Cherry of FLX Gateway about the business plan, with Montour Falls Mayor James Ryan, and with Ryan Hallings of Lyons National Bank about financing. According to the Finger Lakes Daily News account, the mayor supported the idea but pointed out that several earlier plans for the property had never gone forward.
They made their offer on February 3. It was accepted in about an hour. E & H Capital Properties LLC closed on May 8.
Five pieces on one lot
The plan calls the whole site the Montour Falls Public Market and divides it into five parts:
- Blackberry Inn Country Store, Bakery & Café. This goes in the South Building. It's planned as a year-round market with a traditional deli carrying John F. Martin & Sons meats and cheeses, plus local produce, meats and poultry, dairy, bulk foods, groceries and an artisan bakery that will make the business's New York-style bagels. The café would serve breakfast, lunch and early dinner seven days a week, all year.
- Stillman's Heritage Greenhouse. One of the remaining greenhouses would be saved and used for seasonal farmers and artisan markets from March through December, along with community gatherings.
- Blackberry Inn Creamery. The ground floor of the North Building would become an ice cream parlor with a drive-through for coffee, breakfast items, and lunch and dinner.
- Blackberry Inn Lodging. A small lodging operation would go on the North Building's second floor.
- Stillman's Community Commons. The South Lawn would host weekend farmers and artisan markets from about May through October, with possible concerts, community events and outdoor movie nights in July and August. The owners are also looking into a community garden.
Put those calendars side by side and the site would rarely be quiet. The greenhouse markets cover ten months of the year. The lawn markets add weekends during the warm season. The country store and café are planned to stay open through January and February, when much of the area slows down.
Compare that with the Blackberry Inn café on North Franklin Street. Its website lists daily hours of 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., but it says days and hours are cut back seasonally and suggests calling ahead in the off-season. The Montour Falls plan is built for year-round traffic from the start. No published report says what happens to the Franklin Street café once the market opens, so it's best not to assume anything about it either way.
A greenhouse with two families behind it
Many people know the property's history without knowing the names behind it. George and Louise Vickio Stillman started Stillman's Greenhouse more than seven decades ago. George served as mayor of Montour Falls and as a Schuyler County legislator. Louise was historian for Montour Falls and the Town of Montour and worked closely with the Schuyler County Historical Society.
Stanley and Sharie Beaver then ran the business for about forty years. Sharie Beaver is a Cornell food science graduate. The greenhouse closed after a later change in ownership, and the property sat for years.
That's why the new names include "Stillman's," and it's how the new owners describe their role:
"For generations, this property meant something to this community. Our responsibility is not to erase that history. Our responsibility is to respect it, preserve what we can and give the property a new purpose that can serve another generation." David Hertel
Up the street, the museum already reopened
The Stillman's project is still a plan. The Brick Tavern Museum at 108 North Catharine Street is open now. The Schuyler County Historical Society's main museum closed for construction in late November 2025 and reopened October 1, 2026. It is now fully accessible to people with disabilities. Some work is still ongoing, but the Odessa File reports it won't affect daily operations.
The renovation plans included an annex and elevator, new exhibition, archive and work areas, a new accessible bathroom and entrance, and an effort to recover original flooring. Masonry, painting and accessible parking were described as later phases.
Hours as of the October 2026 reopening:
- Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Admission is $5 general, $3 for seniors and Museums for All, $4 per person for groups of 10 or more, and free for Historical Society members.
The Historical Society's older visitor page still shows free admission and different Thursday hours, so check with the Schuyler County Historical Society before you plan a visit around them. The exhibit "Schuyler County 250: Revolution, Culture Clash, Our Legacy" has moved here. It was first shown at the Seneca Lake Event Center at Clute Park, and part of it later went to the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce visitor center on Franklin Street.
The museum's renovation was one of six projects funded by the village's $4.5 million NY Forward award, which was announced in February 2023. It received $792,000 for preservation, accessibility work and an extension, and its reopening means visitors can now see that money's results. Other funded projects include the Main Street streetscape and new lighting on Catharine Street. As of this fall, there's no public update saying they've started or finished.
Smaller checks, familiar storefronts
Part of that state money went to businesses many Watkins Glen households already use. In February 2026, the village announced $160,000 from its NY Forward Small Business Fund for three recipients. Jerlando's Pizza Corp. received $85,000, FLX Studio and Makers Market received $55,000, and H.L. Stevens Furniture received $20,000. Each recipient has to put up a local match.
Jerlando's is at 322 West Main Street, and FLX Studio & Makers Market is a few blocks away at 220 West Main. FLX Studio combines an art studio for all ages and skill levels with a shop for handmade goods, art kits and gifts. The announcement didn't describe what each grant will pay for, and there's no public word yet on whether the work is done.
The Stillman's site has its own funding. That includes a $10,000 Climate Smart Communities mini-grant for energy-efficient upgrades, a $25,000 Schuyler County façade grant, and a $20,000 NY Forward and NYS Homes and Community Renewal matching grant that Mayor Ryan announced on September 18. Village officials put the site-improvement budget at about $130,000.
Down by the lake, the village received a $600,000 NY PLAYS grant on September 22 for an inclusive playground and ADA-compliant restrooms at the Village Marina on Seneca Lake. With the village's $150,000 match, the project totals $750,000. That's the same amount that went into the all-inclusive playground at Watkins Glen's Clute Park, which had its ribbon-cutting in May 2025.
What still has to happen before March
The owners are aiming for a grand opening in March 2027. Some parts could open earlier as construction, permits and approvals are finished. The Star-Gazette's September 22 report says the buildings still need major rehabilitation, the utilities need upgrading, and the project needs municipal approvals. None of the coverage so far reports a planning or zoning board decision.
The village's public meeting agendas are the place to watch for the next step. When the Stillman's property comes up for review, it will be the first clear sign of whether the deli counter and greenhouse markets will be open in time for next spring.
If the drive down Route 14 has you wondering what Catharine Street's changes mean for homes in Watkins Glen and Montour Falls, I'm glad to talk it through. Call Mary St.George (REAL Broker Finger Lakes) for a Lakefront Consultation. We can go over what's actually funded and underway on that corridor and what it could mean for a home near Seneca Lake's south end.
