(ABC 6 News) – The owners of a local Rochester restaurant are now regaining attention after a car crashed into their apartment building on Sunday.
Marrow, in Rochester’s historic advertising district, is now closed while renovations are carried out to repair the damage.
Less than 24 hours after the accident, maintenance has already begun, as contractors worked Monday morning to fill a gap in the building where a window once stood.
The restaurant’s owners, Sarah and Jeff Schwenker, were at the construction site when they heard a deafening noise a few feet away.
“We’re sitting at the bar with some of our staff,” Schwenker said.
They were cleaning up after Marrow’s first Mother’s Day brunch and were just minutes away from getting home.
“Our last dish was almost ready, we probably would have left here in about 20 minutes,” Jeff Schwenker said.
The Rochester Police Department said a 73-year-old woman’s fuel pedal was stuck, which eventually led to the crash site.
RELATED: Car crashes into Marrow in Rochester
“It was like a bomb went off,” Schwenker said.
While they’re thankful that no one was hurt, the same can’t be said for their beloved building.
The Rochester Fire Department deemed Marrow volatile and closed the doors to the city’s oldest brick building — for now.
It was the historic charm of the building that first caught the eye of its current owner, Bucky Beeman.
“I’ve had a genuine love for the oldest historic buildings downtown. One thing I really appreciate about them is the life they can have with other companies, other groups and other people who can bring them to life,” Beeman said.
Have been an advertising asset since at least 1884, when it was a living room and restaurant, according to the 2019 Rochester Historic Landmarks Eligibility Study.
Over the decades, the building changed hands several times until recently Marrow.
“On Thursday we will celebrate our first anniversary,” Schwenker said. “Probably just as we had imagined this week. “
As contractors get to work, care will need to be taken to maintain the history of the building and ensure that it can be preserved for many years to come.
“The important thing is the balance with buildings like this — you need to make them new, while maintaining the charm of their history,” Beeman said.
Although the future of Marrow is uncertain, the Schwenkers are committed to restoring this historic site.
“I’m looking forward to the time when we can welcome visitors back,” Sarah Schwenker said.
Some Marrow regulars have opened a GoFundMe for Schwenkers, stop by here if you’d like to donate.
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