It all began as a vision. 8 E Main St was the fourth attempt to own a building in downtown Main St Shawnee. The other building offers didn’t work out, and after all the grime, sweat and tears, it’s for the best. From condemned to spectacular, Speak8Ery endured a complete transformation starting in Feb 2018 until March of 2023. Once complete, the owner, proprietor, and hands on creator of this stunning refurbished 100+ yr old building stepped back and realized it was an embodiment of herself and her art style in the form of a building. Originally it was 2 store fronts that were a narrow 12ft wide each by 125ft long. Shawnee residents may remember it as formerly a location of Bachelor’s Hallmark, or Fusion Effect Skate shop, or way back in the day it was a pool hall and barber shop.

The restoration process opened up the split building to be a still somewhat narrow 24ft wide by 115ft deep, with an enclosed patio space of 250sqft complete with drop down bar tops. The bathrooms are brand new and ADA compliant with a vintage charm including restored period pieces found under the building’s floor the during remodel. Brick walls have been exposed of their plaster and the beams where a drop ceiling once hung have been revealed. Below you can see the dramatic changes in the Before and After photos. The history of this building is fascinating, from the construction, it’s addition at the back around WWII, and the tunnels that stretch from beneath the building to under the alleys behind the building, it offers a buffet of secrets and curiosities and a glimpse into a time long ago.