101 East Main - 117 East Main Street (south side)
|
|
101 - 103 East Main Street (A. Hoff Building)
Moulton & Elliott store
|
101-103 East Main Street
This commercial vernacular brick building was erected to house the Andrew Hoff Company General Store in 1916-17 (datestone, Village of Mount Horeb Tax Rolls). It is a modern Broadfront and was designed by Madison architect Martin Schneider (WHIP survey card). The original storefronts are intact, including fine prism glass transoms. Andrew Hoff was born in Norway. He worked as a clerk for Ole Nuudson's store for several years. He formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, Adolph Elver, and bought the store and merchandize of Howard C. Elliott in 1887. Elliot and former partner Moulton had moved the old George Barrows store building from Old Town to this site in 1881, and had expanded into the former site of Pieh's meat market (just east) in 1886. In 1908, the Andrew Hoff Company incorporated, with Andrew Hoff as president and general manager, brother James Hoff as treasurer, and John B. Johnson as vice-president and secretary. In the mid-1920s, the name of the business was changed to the Hoff Company Department Store. In 1929, the Hoff Company bought the stock of rival Dahle Brothers Department Store, except the grocery. Lyle Johnson joined the business in 1934 and continued until it closed in 1984 (The Mount Horeb Centennial Book, 1861-1961, p. 27, and Mount Horeb Presettlement to 1986, pp. 17-18). The property was owned by A. Hoff Company from at least 1908 until at least 1935, by Hoff's Store from at least 1940 until at least 1985, and by Hoff Associates since at least 1989 (Village of Mount Horeb Tax Rolls). The A. Hoff Company General Store was listed on the National Register in 1989, is individually eligible for designation as a Mount Horeb Historic Site, and is a contributing element in the potential National Register Main Street Historic District, and the potential locally-designated Main Street Historic District. |
105 East Main Street (Mt. Horeb Bank I)
|
105 East Main Street
This commercial vernacular brick veneer building was erected for the Mount Horeb Bank in 1892 (datestone). The storefront has been altered. Early photos of the Mount Horeb Bank show an ornate cornice with a segmental-arched cap, now missing. Prior to 1892, Sam Thompson's blacksmith shop was located on this site, a building that had been moved from Old Town in 1881. Thompson moved it again, to 217 East Main, in 1891. The Mount Horeb Bank was the first local bank and was founded in 1891. Herman B. Dahle was president, Thomas J. Lingard was the cahier, and Onon B. Dahle was the third stockholder (Mount Horeb Presettlement to 1986, p. 19). These three were the officers of the bank through 1903. Herman Dahle was president until at least 1919; Thomas Lingard was cashier until at least 1919. From at least 1921 until at least 1928, Lingard was president, and Jacob G. Lingard was cashier (Wisconsin State Gazetteer and Business Directory). In 1925, the bank moved to its new building at 138 East Main Street (now the Municipal Building). Other tenants in the building during the bank's tenure included Syver Huseth's jewelry store (west storefront, from at least 1893 to at least 1897), the Sam Gesme barber shop (east storefront, 1892-1900), the (Jennie) Lingard and (Emma) Halferdahl millinery (east storefront, 1901-05), and, on the second floor, Anton F. Gramm's photo studio (1892-1925). The old bank building may have housed Herman Helland's shoe repair shop from 1928 until at least 1930. Sometime during the 1930s, the Royal Blue Grocery was located in the building (Mount Horeb Presettlement to 1986, p. 19; Village of Mount Horeb Tax Rolls). In 1940, Albert Zwald opened the Mount Horeb Electric Shop in this building, selling radios and household appliances. In 1985, Zwald's shop closed (Mount Horeb Presettlement to 1986, pp. 19, 44; The Mount Horeb Centennial Book, 1861-1961, pp. 57-58). This property was owned by the Mount Horeb Bank from 1891 until 1927, by Herman Helland from 1928 until at least 1930, by Irving Erickson from at least 1935 until 1944, and by Albert Zwald from 1944 until at least 1991. In 1996, it was owned by John Ellestad. The first Mount Horeb Bank is not individually eligible for historic designation, but is a contributing element in the potential National Register Main Street Historic District, and the potential locally-designated Main Street Historic District. |
109 - 117 East Main Street (Mt. Horeb Opera House Block)
|
109-117 East Main Street
The Mount Horeb Opera Block was built for the Mt. Horeb Opera Block Company in 1895. It was designed by Madison architects James O. Gordon and Frederick W. Paunack in the Queen Anne style and is of brick construction. The Opera Block displays many fine Queen Anne details, including a corner tower with conical roof, patterned brickwork, and gabled wall dormers with shouldered parapets. The storefronts have been somewhat altered. The Mount Horeb Opera Block Company was incorporated in 1894. The officers were Thomas Lingard, president; William Sommer, vice-president; Anton F. Gramm, secretary; and William Curtiss, secretary [treasurer?]. When the Opera Block was completed, the Opera Block Company leased the building to a manager. The Mount Horeb Opera Block immediately became the community center, hosting theatrical performances, dances, political rallies, high school commencements, and high school basketball games. Beginning in 1906 or 1907, silent movies were shown in the Opera Block. The Mount Horeb Opera Block Company closed the opera hall and dissolved in 1922. Thomas Lingard bought the building and remodeled the opera hall space to serve as a Masonic Temple. The Masonic Lodge first met in Mount Horeb on May 22, 1884. In 1984, the local Masonic Lodge consolidated with the Verona chapter, and gave up its rooms in the Mount Horeb Opera Block. The western-most storefront in the Mount Horeb Opera Block housed a jewelry store from at least 1899 until at least the 1930s, and perhaps as late as 1970 (Sanborn-Perris Map of Mount Horeb; Mount Horeb Presettlement to 1986, p. 19). The firm of Henry L. Dahle and Olaf P. Berg, jewelers and opticians, were located there from at least 1901 until at least 1913. Joachim Brager was located there, probably from 1917 until 1919. Brager's father, Holstine O. Brager, had founded the Brager Jewelry Store in 1893. It was originally located on the south side of Main Street between First and Grove Streets, on the site of the current State Bank (Mount Horeb Presettlement to 1986, p. 45; Sanborn-Perris Map of Mount Horeb). Joachim took over the business in 1902 (Wisconsin Industrial Review, May 1908), and probably moved to the Opera Block when his old building was demolished for the first State Bank Building in 1917. Jorgen M. Moe purchased Brager's jewelry store in 1919 (The Mount Horeb Centennial Book, 1861-1961, p. 51). L.M. Staub bought from Moe in 1930 (The Mount Horeb Centennial Book, 1861-1961, p. 57). Staug was succeeded by Orrin Bergey (Mount Horeb Presettlement to 1986, p. 19). By 1970, Bergey had moved to the Dahle Building at 201-07 East Main Street. The center storefront in the Mount Horeb Opera Block was used as a restaurant for more than 90 years. From 1895 until 1901, Elef Severson's confectionery was located there. He was succeeded by Will F. Scott, who sold to Thomas Johnson in 1903 (The Mount Horeb Centennial Book, 1861-1961, p. 47-48). Johnson was in business until circa 1918, when he sold to Theodore Statz (Wisconsin State Gazetteer and Business Directory). Statz sold the business to Leo and Dorothy Haig in 1929 (Mount Horeb Centennial Book, 1861-1961, p. 57). In 1950 Edward and Harold Post bought it (Mount Horeb Centennial Book, 1861-1961, p. 61). Doug Goble bought the business, and the building, in 1975 (Village of Mount Horeb Tax Rolls). There was a restaurant in the space as late as 1986 (Mount Horeb Centennial Book, 1861-1961, p. 19). There was a pharmacy in the northeast corner of the Mount Horeb Opera Block from 1895 until 1962 (Sanborn-Perris Map of Mount Horeb). The first pharmacist may have been Dr. Charles Gill (Wisconsin State Gazetteer and Business Directory). In 1901, G.M. Helland opened a drug store and optometry shop in the corner storefront. Helland sold to Charles Bancroft in 1909. Bancroft called the business, the "Corner Drug Store." In 1915, Conrad Robertshaw bought the business, renaming it "Robertshaw's Rexall Store." He died in 1942, but Robertshaw's family hired another pharmacist, Jean C. Miller, and the business continued until 1962 (Mount Horeb Presettlement to 1986, pp. 44, 46). In late 1922, Lingard sold the building to Nora Hustad, who transferred it to Nels Hustad in 1930. Following Nels Hustad's death in 1938, the building remained a part of his estate until it was sold to Edward and Harold Post in 1959. Part of the building was remodeled into apartments circa 1960. The Posts sold the building to Douglas Goble in 1975. Goble sold it to REB Investments in 1984. Einerson is the current owner. The Opera Block was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. It is individually eligible for designation as a Mount Horeb Historic Site, and is a contributing element in the potential National Register Main Street Historic District, and the potential locally-designated Main Street Historic District. |