Oldest home on Main? Belleville’s 1840s bakery-turned-lofts needs new owner

A home built before the American Civil War along Belleville’s West Main Street is on the market.

According to the Belleville Historical Society, the property at 204-206 West Main St. might be the oldest surviving building on West Main Street.

In 1848, a German immigrant named Jacob Maier purchased the property. Seven years later, he constructed a bakery and saloon on the site, with Maier and his family living upstairs until his death in 1877. The bakery was popular in the community, and the Belleville Historical Society says it led to a tradition that continues today.

“A recollection of life in early Belleville reported that the bakery was a favorite stop for farmers, who bought a piece of gingerbread and a beer from the Swabian baker before returning to the farm,” according to the society.

“That story was the inspiration for the Christmas Gingerbread Walk.”

Plenty of renovations have taken place over the years, including the installation of a “modern plate-glass front” in 1911.

Various owners and tenants have occupied the property, including a tailor, a shoe store, barbers and a jeweler.

If walls could talk, they’d tell stories of the Reliable Loan Corporation, which rented the space for nearly 40 years beginning in the 1930s. Later, KBR Engineering owned the building from 1987 to 2001, while Berutti and Associates occupied it from 1998 to 2017.

The house at “204-206 West Main is an interesting building, especially the cellar,” says Belleville Historical Society historian Bob Brunkow. “The Belleville Historical Society has thought it worthy of a building plaque.”

Despite its historical significance, the building has been updated for safety and contemporary aesthetics while retaining much of its original charm.

The home is dual-zoned for commercial and residential use. The lower floor contains a business space currently leased to Shelter Insurance. Prospective buyers have the option to continue the lease or rent the property to a different business, according to real estate agent Jim Federer, who is selling the property.

The second floor—which can be accessed through a separate entrance from the lower level—features a two-story loft-style apartment with an attic. Visitors arriving at the top of the stairs are greeted by an open living area with exposed brick and a winding iron staircase. The staircase was recently updated to meet code and pass safety inspection, while the brick was recently tuckpointed.

A bedroom, full bathroom, and modern kitchen are located on the second floor. New luxury vinyl plank flooring runs throughout, but thick, original wooden ceiling beams preserve the historic character.

The spiral staircase leads up to another floor, where a second bedroom sits amid several small closets built low to accommodate the roofline. At the rear of this floor is another closet, with a small staircase leading to an attic that offers ample storage space.

Behind the home, a stone path curves around to the back of the building, where one of the property’s most unique features is found. At the edge of the parking lot lies the entrance to an underground chamber. Lifting the cover and descending a steep passage—part stairway, part ladder—brings visitors to an old cellar reminiscent of an 18th-century Parisian catacomb.

Brick archways and hanging lights form a long corridor that has served many purposes over the years, including as a Prohibition-era storehouse. The home’s original foundations are visible, and the aged brick floor provides tangible evidence of the home’s long past.

“We were going to lay concrete down here,” said Jim Federer, “but then we saw the brick and knew it was part of its history.”

The home is currently listed for $199,000, following a $100,000 price drop since its initial listing in June. It’s hard to imagine a better place for someone who wants to live near Belleville’s shops or for a history enthusiast.

With its potential for passive income from the lower-level office, this property stands out as one of Belleville’s more distinctive listings.

You can find the listing to the house at this link.

This story was originally published January 20, 2026 at 5:00 AM.