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Sponsoring this People page:

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Historic Stillman's Greenhouse property
to begin new chapter as Public Market

The following was provided to The Odessa File by Brian Eslinger and David Hertel, who plan to transform the long-vacant Montour Falls landmark into what they described as "a year-round market, country store, cafe, farmers and artisan market, community gathering place, ice cream parlor and lodging destination."

Special to The Odessa File

MONTOUR FALLS, Sept. 21, 2026 -- A property that has been part of the fabric of Montour Falls and Schuyler County for generations is preparing to begin a new chapter.

Brian Eslinger and David Hertel, through E & H Capital Properties LLC, purchased the former Stillman’s Greenhouse and Garden Center property at 251 / 257 South Catherine Street in Montour Falls in May 2026. Their vision is to restore, preserve and redevelop the long-vacant property as the Montour Falls Public Market -- a year-round destination centered around local food, small businesses, farmers, artisans, hospitality and community.

For Eslinger and Hertel, the project is about much more than renovating buildings.

It is about bringing a historic property back to life while honoring the generations of local families who came before them.

A PROPERTY WITH DEEP ROOTS IN MONTOUR FALLS

The story of the property reaches back more than seven decades.

George and Louise Vickio Stillman established Stillman’s Greenhouse in Montour Falls and built a business that became known throughout the area for plants, gardening and service to the community.

The Stillmans themselves were deeply connected to Montour Falls and Schuyler County. George Stillman served as Mayor of Montour Falls and as a Schuyler County legislator. Louise Stillman became one of Schuyler County’s most respected historians and preservation advocates, serving as Montour Falls and Town of Montour historian and working extensively with the Schuyler County Historical Society. Her efforts helped preserve and document much of the history that residents know today.

The business later passed to Stanley and Sharie Beaver, who continued the Stillman tradition for approximately four decades.

Sharie Beaver, a Cornell University graduate in Food Science, served as owner and operator of Stillman’s Greenhouse. Together, Stan and Sharie maintained Stillman’s as a familiar local business and gathering place for generations of area residents, gardeners and families.

Following a later change in ownership, the greenhouse operation eventually closed. The once-active property remained largely vacant for years, its buildings and greenhouses slowly deteriorating.

But its history -- and its potential -- remained.

SEEING SOMETHING OTHERS COULD NOT

Eslinger and Hertel moved to the Finger Lakes in October 2012 and opened the Blackberry Inn Bed & Breakfast in Watkins Glen in 2013.

From the beginning, their approach to business has been straightforward: work hard, build carefully and reinvest what they earn back into their businesses and their community.

In 2020, they purchased 309 North Franklin Street in Watkins Glen, and in 2023 opened the Blackberry Inn Kitchen, Bakery & Café.

The café was built around freshly prepared food, David Hertel’s baked goods that had become favorites of guests at the Blackberry Inn Bed & Breakfast, and what would become one of the café’s signature products -- New York-style bagels, boiled and baked fresh daily. The response exceeded their expectations.

In 2025, the business had grown to the point that Eslinger and Hertel began looking for a larger property where they could expand their food, bakery, and hospitality operations.

Their first choice was to remain in Watkins Glen.  However, after evaluating several opportunities, they concluded that asking prices for available properties did not align with what they believed the properties could reasonably support as business investments.

As Eslinger has jokingly said during the search, “Sometimes it seemed like people think their property was on Park Avenue in New York City.” Rather than overpay for a property and begin an expansion burdened by excessive real-estate costs, Eslinger and Hertel continued looking. Their attention kept returning to a property they had driven past countless times: the former Stillman’s Greenhouse in Montour Falls. They had always been drawn to it. They were equally surprised that after years of vacancy, no one had found a way to bring the property back to life.

Then, in January 2026, following a subdivision of the property and a reduction in the asking price, an opportunity emerged. Eslinger contacted their Realtor, Kenny Wilson, and asked him to see the property. What they found was not an easy redevelopment project.

The property had been abandoned for years. Utilities had been shut down. Water and electrical infrastructure would need extensive work. Buildings had deteriorated, and years of vacancy were evident everywhere. But when Brian and David walked into the South Building, something happened. They fell in love with it. Where others might have seen cobwebs, deterioration and an overwhelming amount of work, they saw possibilities. As they continued through the remaining greenhouse and into the North Building, the pieces began coming together. They could envision food being prepared again. They could see families shopping for locally produced goods. They imagined farmers and artisans filling the greenhouse and lawn. They could picture people sitting together, eating, talking and listening to music on a summer evening. They could see the property alive again.

FROM AN IDEA TO A PLAN

Before moving forward, Eslinger and Hertel brought contractors through the property to understand the scope and cost of restoring the buildings and infrastructure. Eslinger then met with Judy Cherry of FLX Gateway to discuss the concept and business plan. Cherry responded enthusiastically to the vision and its potential contribution to the local economy.  Eslinger also met with the Village of Montour Falls Mayor James Ryan. Ryan was supportive of the concept but offered a candid observation: many people had sat across from him over the years with ideas for redeveloping the Stillman’s property, but those ideas had never come to fruition. He wished Brian and David success and expressed his willingness to support the project where possible. Next came a meeting with Ryan Hallings of Lyons National Bank to discuss the concept, redevelopment costs and financing. Based in part on Eslinger and Hertel’s history of building and operating hospitality businesses in Schuyler County, the initial response to the project was encouraging.

With their due diligence underway and support growing around the concept, Eslinger and Hertel decided it was time to act. On February 3, 2026, they submitted an offer. Within approximately one hour, it was accepted. On May 8, 2026, E & H Capital Properties LLC closed on the property. The adventure -- and the Montour Falls Public Market -- had officially begun.

WHAT IS A PUBLIC MARKET?

The name was chosen deliberately. A public market is more than a place to buy something. Traditionally, public markets bring together independent merchants, farmers, food producers, artisans, and customers in a common place. At their best, they become community gathering spaces -- places where commerce and community life intersect. That is exactly what Eslinger and Hertel want to create in Montour Falls. The redevelopment is planned around five complementary concepts, each designed to serve local residents while also creating another destination for visitors to Schuyler County.

BLACKBERRY INN COUNTRY STORE, BAKERY & CAFÉ

The South Building is planned to become the Blackberry Inn Country Store, Bakery & Café, a year-round market designed first and foremost to serve the everyday needs of the surrounding community. Plans include a traditional deli featuring John F. Martin & Sons meats and cheeses, fresh local produce, fresh meats and poultry, dairy products, bulk foods, groceries and an artisan bakery including their New York bagels that are boiled and baked fresh daily. A café will serve breakfast, lunch, and early dinner. The Country Store is planned to operate seven days a week, year-round.

The goal is simple: give Montour Falls and neighboring communities another convenient place to purchase fresh food and everyday groceries while supporting regional farms, producers and suppliers whenever possible.

STILLMAN’S HERITAGE GREENHOUSE

One of the property's remaining greenhouses will be preserved and repurposed as the Stillman’s Heritage Greenhouse. The name is intentional. Rather than erase the history of the property, Eslinger and Hertel want the Stillman name and the property's agricultural heritage to remain part of its future. The greenhouse is envisioned as a seasonal home for farmers and artisan markets from March through December, as well as a distinctive venue for community gatherings and special events. It will be a new use for an old structure -- and a visible connection between the property's past and future.

BLACKBERRY INN CREAMERY

The ground floor of the North Building is planned to become an ice cream parlor and drive-through food and beverage operation. The concept is expected to offer ice cream along with breakfast items, coffee, lunch and dinner selections, creating a convenient option for local residents, commuters, families and visitors. The drive-through component is intended to make the market more accessible to busy families and customers who want freshly prepared food without having to leave their vehicles.

BLACKBERRY INN LODGING

The second floor of the North Building is planned for a small lodging operation designed to help meet the needs of visitors and transient guests in the Montour Falls and Watkins Glen area.

The lodging component will complement the market while bringing additional overnight visitors into Montour Falls who can support other restaurants, shops, attractions and businesses throughout the community.

STILLMAN’S COMMUNITY COMMONS

Perhaps the most community-focused portion of the project will be the property's South Lawn. Eslinger and Hertel envision transforming the lawn into Stillman’s Community Commons -- an outdoor gathering place designed to bring people together.

Plans call for weekend farmers and artisan markets from approximately May through October, along with concerts, community events and outdoor movie nights during July and August. The objective is to create a space where families can spend an evening together, neighbors can reconnect, local musicians can perform, farmers and makers can sell their products, and residents can simply enjoy their community. Eslinger and Hertel are also exploring the feasibility of establishing a community garden on the property, providing residents with opportunities to grow fresh produce while continuing the land's long association with gardening and agriculture.

INVESTING EVERYTHING BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY

The Montour Falls Public Market did not begin with a large corporate development company. It grew from two local business owners who have spent more than a decade building their businesses one step at a time. Since moving to Schuyler County in 2012, Eslinger and Hertel have worked alongside their employees, renovated properties, baked early in the morning, welcomed guests, served customers and continually reinvested what their businesses earned into the next improvement. Rather than taking profits out of the community, they say they have consistently chosen to put those dollars back into their businesses, their properties, their employees and the community where they live and work.

The Montour Falls Public Market represents their largest undertaking yet. “This project is very personal to us,” Eslinger said. “David and I have worked incredibly hard for everything we have built. For years, virtually every dollar we made went back into our businesses. We didn't build them overnight, and we didn't build them by taking shortcuts. We built them one guest, one customer, one bagel and one improvement at a time.”

That philosophy is carrying over to Montour Falls.

“We don't want to simply develop a piece of real estate,” Eslinger said. “We want to build something that belongs to this community. We want a place where you run into your neighbors, where local farmers and artisans have an opportunity to sell what they produce, where families can come for dinner or ice cream, where kids can watch a movie on the lawn, and where visitors can experience what makes Montour Falls and Schuyler County special.”

For Eslinger and Hertel, preserving the Stillman legacy is an important part of that responsibility. “For generations, this property meant something to this community,” Hertel said. “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.

A NEW CHAPTER FOR AN OLD LANDMARK

The work ahead is substantial. Years of vacancy and deterioration cannot be reversed overnight. Buildings must be rehabilitated. Utilities and infrastructure must be restored and modernized. Plans must move through the appropriate municipal review and approval processes. But work has begun. The redevelopment has already received recognition through a $10,000 Climate Smart Communities business mini-grant supporting high-efficiency improvements to the property. The project has also been awarded a $25,000 Schuyler County Façade Grant to support improvements to the property's exterior and help restore the appearance of this highly visible South Catherine Street property, and a $20,000.00 NY Foward Small Business Grant intended for infrastructure expenses. After years of sitting quiet, the former Stillman’s property is beginning to show signs of life again.

The goal is a Grand Opening in March 2027, with components of the property opening as construction, permitting, and approvals are completed. For Eslinger and Hertel, however, success will ultimately be measured by something larger than opening day.

Their hope is that decades from now, residents will once again think of 251 / 257 South Catherine Street not as an abandoned property, but as one of the places that helps define the Village of Montour Falls.

A place to shop.

A place to eat.

A place for farmers and artisans.

A place to stay.

A place for music, markets and summer evenings.

Most importantly, a place for the community.

“George and Louise Stillman started something here generations ago, and Stan and Sharie Beaver carried that tradition forward for decades,” Eslinger said. “David and I consider it a privilege to write the next chapter. We want to honor the people who built this property, invest in the community that has supported us, and create something Montour Falls and Schuyler County can be proud of for many years to come.”

ABOUT MONTOUR FALLS PUBLIC MARKET LLC

Montour Falls Public Market LLC is a planned year-round public market and community destination located at 251 & 257 South Catherine Street, Montour Falls, New York 14865. The redevelopment of the historic former Stillman’s Greenhouse and Garden Center property is being undertaken by Brian Eslinger and David Hertel through E & H Capital Properties LLC. Plans for the property include the Blackberry Inn Country Store, Bakery & Café; Stillman’s Heritage Greenhouse; Blackberry Inn Creamery; Blackberry Inn lodging; and Stillman’s Community Commons, featuring seasonal farmers and artisan markets, entertainment and community events.

Photos in text: Artistic renderings of planned Public Market. (Provided)