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Warsaw Public Works employees uncovered pieces of history along Market Street while beginning construction work on the sidewalk recently.
Construction crews began curb construction Aug. 28 along the north and south sides of Market Street.
While preparing to build a concrete wall below the Shop Around The Corner on Market Street Aug. 29 to prevent dirt from getting into the building, workers discovered an old door, door frame and window.
They also discovered old coal shoots from the 1800s and a fuel tank.
Workers were impressed with the building's history.
"It was interesting to learn how things were built in the past and learn that there is more history than people may think," said Richard Pierson, public works employee.
Pierson and other workers learned the location where they were constructing the wall consisted of a stairway leading up to the street, and where they were working, businesses were located. They also learned the building used to have a balcony above the store.
Randy Ingle, supervisor for the Warsaw Street Department, said he also made interesting findings.
He noticed differences in brickwork and the windows below the store.
"It was neat to see how the brickwork was more detailed and how the windows were more curved than they are today," Ingle said.
Similar sidewalk projects previously were completed along Center and Buffalo streets. Ingle said while the projects were being completed, a big tunnel below Buffalo Street and old sewers and sewer lines made of brick below Center Street were discovered.
The Market Street project is part of the city's downtown rehabilitation project stemming from the HyettPalma Inc. Study in 2001. The company is a national firm specializing in the economic renaissance of downtown and older business districts.
The project includes planting trees, flowers and planters 3 to 4 feet from the curb along Market Street. New benches, trash cans and tri-globe lights are part of the project.
Construction crews will continue work and once curb and planter projects are completed, Market Street will be repaved.
The project costs approximately $200,000 and should take no more than 90 days to complete, according to Street Superintendent Lacy Francis.
The Shop Around The Corner, on the northeast corner of Buffalo and Market streets, was known as the Phillipson's Clothing Store and was founded in 1864, according to the book, "A History of the City of Warsaw: Preserving the Past for the Future."
Foster's Drug Store used to inhabit the side of the building that connected with Phillipson's Clothing Store. The Phillipson's store was widely known as a "meeting place" and had a table and some chairs in an alcove beneath a balcony that stretched out over the first floor.
According the the book, the downtown streets always were bustling with people on Saturday nights. Like other stores in the era, Phillipson's stayed open until 11 p.m. on Saturdays, the busiest day of the week.
