Hangartner Building

Known as the Opera House, the first two floors were offices and businesses, but the third floor was the cultural center. Here there were performing arts: opera, theater, and motion  pictures; dances, balls, lecture series and concerts. Eventually, the third floor was used as a gymnasium by the High School Basketball team. From 1917 to 1930 the third floor was home to Amity Leather Company. Amity was the tenants when a fire broke out.

The fire occurred February 4, 1930. It began in the attic because of a short circuit in the electrical wiring. Within a half hour the attic was gutted and fire was down to the third floor. Amity employees quickly vacated the premises as well as the other employees of businesses in the  building. The damage when totaled was $125,000.

 The West Bend Democrat, the earliest paper in West Bend, had its offices here from 1900 to 1923. Other businesses that used the  building were law offices, post office, drug stores- including Regner’s, Eagle, and Dewey’s, and the Beacon Restaurant. 

Renovations have occurred over the years for office spaces and to change the façade on the first floor. One notable renovation was the lowering of floors of the Regner Drug Store, the Beacon Restaurant, the entrance to the upper story, and the post office so they were level with the sidewalk .

Rathburn Associates. Final Report: Intensive Architectural/Historical Survey, West Bend, WI. West Bend, WI:1988.

Leadership West Bend Class of 2018. Historic Downtown West Bend Walking Tour. West Bend, Wisconsin. 2018.

Williams, Dorothy. The Spirit of West Bend. West Bend, WI. 1980.