The Empire Block

The Empire Block. . Constructed in 1907, Henry Schwarz and Frank Greulich named the building The Empire Block for their business, the Empire Meat Market. At the dissolution of the Schwarz and Greulich partnership in 1916, the building was purchased by Frank Greulich and was maintained by his heirs for many years. The five ground floor store fronts were occupied by many different retail businesses. On the second floor, the Empire Rooming House, later named Spur Hotel, was of questionable reputation, the proprietress being jailed in 1916 for immoral behavior. , Ironically, the preservation of the original store fronts is primarily due to the low rent tenants in the building for many years who weren’t interested in remodeling as the tenants on Main Street were. The result being that all five of the store fronts are essentially original. , The basement network interlinked access for the seamy enterprises of the era: prostitution, prohibition, gambling and persecution. All is now the core of the Pendleton Underground. Together with the Hendrick's Building and Empire Meat market to the east and the Masonic Hall Association Building across the street, this block provides a remarkable glimpse into Pendleton's history.