Clocks, watches keep ticking, but time stands still at Christianson’s
| By CHAD SIEVERS KENDALLVILLE — As the clocks on the walls of Christianson Jewelry, 125 S. Main St., tick and tock, time slowly moves on. Although time has passed, it has not changed the inside of the building much, as a jewelry store has been in the building since it was built in 1874. When a person walks into the north storefront (Christianson owns two storefronts), it is like stepping back in time — to a vintage, quaint jewelry store. Visitors will see the antique mahogany display cases and cabinets filled with necklaces, rings, bracelets, watches and more. In fact, on the north wall, the designs for the mahogany cabinets and display cases that are still in the store hang on the wall. Louis Beckman, the original owner of the building and co-owner of Gotsch & Beckman Jewelers, installed the cases in 1915, store owner David Christianson said. (Before 1875, the store was at 201 S. Main St. where Klinkenberg’s is now.) The name was later changed to L. Beckman & Sons after Julius Gotsch, one of the co-owners, left the business to Beckman. Beckman’s son, Charles Beckman, joined the business soon thereafter, Christianson said. In 1916, the older Beckman died unexpectedly and Charles Beckman ran the store alone until Reuben W. Christianson joined him in 1951, forming Beckman & Christianson. In 1955, Christianson became the sole owner and formed Christianson’s Jewelry, Inc. David Christianson joined his father in business in 1975. Reuben Christianson retired in 1984 and died in 1988 at the age of 68. Throughout all of these changes, the antique display cases and small-town jewelry store remains, for the most part, the same. |
 LONG HISTORY — Dave Christianson, owner of Christianson Jewelry Inc., stands beside the antique cases that were built by Louis Beckman, an original jeweler in the store. The cases hold watches, rings, necklaces and other jewelry items in the store. (News-Sun photo by Dean Orewiler) |
 Christianson Jewelry, 125 S. Main St., a jewelry business since 1875. |
Christianson said until the
1920s a doctor’s office occupied the second story of
the north storefront. It now is an apartment. It was in 1991 that Christianson expanded, acquiring the storefront to the south of the store. This building, which at one time had been a wholesale grocery store, allowed more room for Christianson Jewelry’s speciality — rebuilding and preserving antique clocks and watches. This building also was built by Louis Beckman in 1875. Christianson said the store has two clockmakers and one watchmaker that rebuild antique parts of old clocks and watches to get them ticking again. He said the store is known throughout the country for this craft. A graduate of the Kansas City School of Watchmaking, Christianson said the store does all the work in-house in its repair shop. He said there has never been an antique clock or watch that the craftsmen haven’t been able to restore. In addition to this part of the business, Christianson said the store has two bench jewelers that repair, appraise, restore and work with all types of jewelry. Moreover, this repair shop has become one of the largest in the area. People from a four-state area have been referred to the store. A few areas of the building have been remodeled and updated, Christianson said, but it still has a unique atmosphere not seen much these days. |
