EMPLOYEES of Hamann Real Estate at the former location of Hagen’s House of Clocks: From left, Wendy Widhalm, Judi Urbanik, Jeannie Hamann, Jeff Schlosser and Cathy Rojas.
Donna Beth Weilenman/Staff
❒ Hagen’s, First Street mainstay for decades, becomes real estate office
By Donna Beth Weilenman
Staff Reporter
For decades, John Hagen sold and repaired clocks on First Street, initially operating his business for several years at the corner of First and East E streets.
But he kept his eye on a vacant lot across the street, and in 1971 built a new home for Hagen’s House of Clocks at 513 First St.
Former Benicia Mayor Jerry Hayes, who bought a grandfather clock from Hagen 25 or 30 years ago, said he was a man who knew the clock business.
“He tuned up clocks. He provided service. A lot of people would come to Benicia because of the clock shop,” Hayes said.
He said Hagen specialized in antique clocks, because at the time the city was known for its antique stores. Hagen’s merchandise ranged from mantle clocks to grandfather clocks to cuckoo clocks and novelty timepieces.
He also sold and repaired new clocks, Hayes said.
THE BUILDING AT 513 First St. has gone from Hagen's to Hamann's — as in, Hamann Real Estate.
Donna Beth Weilenman/Staff
Eventually, Hagen sold his business, which operated several more years under different owners before it closed late last year.
Now the building — which has become central to the city’s downtown — has new occupants: Hamann Real Estate, operated by Tim and Jeannie Hamann, who moved their company to the new location March 21.
Hamann Real Estate had been at 283 East H St. for 13 years. “It was home,” Jeannie Hamann said of the company’s former offices. But like Hagen years before, she was watching for opportunities in Benicia’s downtown.
“I was looking to invest in a building on First Street,” she said, and she kept looking at Hagen’s building.
“This is the the one,” she decided. “I like all of the windows out front, and the parking out back. It’s a great location on First Street.
“It’s a perfect opportunity to be downtown. We need business downtown, and we need to get buildings occupied.”
The building’s downstairs has about the same square footage as the two offices on East H Street, but now it’s a single, spacious office, Hamann said.
The building upstairs has apartments, and the longtime tenants are staying, she said.
And the longer the real estate company is in the building, the better looking it will become, Hamann said. “We’re putting a facelift on it,” she said, explaining that improvements will come gradually.
Since the move, Hamann said, she’s noticed how busy First Street is.
“I’m seeing a lot of people I haven’t seen in a while,” she said. “A lot of people are stopping to say hello.”
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Although I am happy that someone is now in the building that used to be Hagans, I am sad that another real estate company is taking up valuable first street space. My dream for Benicia was for it to be a destination for tourists and shoppers with a vibrant downtown somewhat like Sonoma. These kind of offices tend to clog the energy of our little town and the real estate pie seems to be cut rather thin.
In my frequent walks along First St. I’ve seen more people coming and going from/to Real Estate offices (not counting those stopping to look at the offerings) than I have at other businesses with the possible exception of restaurants. If you want shopping you and others need to patronize what is there so they survive. Then and only then can your dream have any chance of becoming a reality. In the meantime I’m glad a shuttered store is being revived.