DES MOINES, Iowa — A building that was once home to a historic Black barbershop is beginning its next chapter. While its new owners have moved in, the barbershop's story is still very much alive.
The building has a story that dates back to the early 1900’s. It’s a part of Des Moines history its new owner wants to preserve.
“What drew me to this space, to this building was its story, its character," said Steve Wilke-Shapiro, the building's current owner.
What now stands as Sequel Architecture and Interiors was a grocery store in 1913. Later, in 1968, the building started its next life as Harlan and Bill's Imperial Hairstyles.
Former regulars have described the barbershop as a place of community.
"It wasn't just about getting your hair cut, he would talk to you about 'hey, what's your aspirations in life, how's how's your grades been doing?'" Richard Randal, a longtime customer, told Local 5 last year.
While the building is now the home of Sequel Architecture and Interiors, Wilke-Shapiro wants to preserve its legacy.
“We made a big effort through the entire planning design process all the way through construction to make sure that key pieces, the things that tell the story about the building, were maintained," he said.
You can find markers with descriptions of historical pieces throughout the building. For instance, there’s a sink and mirror as well as wood paneling that used to be part of the barbershop.
“We also ended up saving one of the front windows where there was a barber pole painted on it, so we’re having that cut out of the window, which was cracked, and we’re going to actually mount it on a frame and hang it on the window again,” Wilke-Shapiro added.
He told Local 5 News that the building is officially a local historic landmark. What that means is, not only is this building eligible for state historic tax credits, it also protects the building from change. Anyone who wants to change the building will now have to go through the Historic Preservation Commission.