Director

Going back to 1848, when Cedarburg was founded as a community. George Fischer would build and establish the same year that Wisconsin became the 30th state of the United States on May 29th, 1848. Fischer lived here for a while until the California Gold Rush of 1848; he would leave for California a year later in 1849. Before he left for California, Fischer would sell his house to Edward Blank. Six years later, in 1854, Blank would be the second owner of the residence. Blank was also the second postmaster of Cedarburg and the head of Hilgen Spring Park in town. Since Blanks brought the building that year, consecutive generations of his family would live in the house for five generations, essentially passed on down the family line. Finally, Marie Kuhefuss, one of the descendants of Edward Blank, in 1989 gave the house to the Cedarburg Cultural Center in accordance with her will.The Greek Revival structure inspires the house itself. When it was built in 1848, the original structure consisted of a north two-story frame Greek Revival setting that purposefully projected itself toward the street. Other additions to the building would be added later over the years. For example, in 1864, the southern wing of the residence was added to the building by Edward Blank himself. Not much is known about George Fischer. His exploits in the California Gold Rush are very well known, as Americans at that time were seeking to get rich when gold was discovered there in the state. Unfortunately, Blank is also not known for other exploits either. But with just a little glance into what they did and how they transformed the home here. We can get a better understanding of their lives.

A little note. Nothing is much known about George Fischer and the other individuals that have lived in this house. But with a little bit of detail we can know what exploits they did, along with how each generation lived in this home. To learn about this home, there are other individuals that have lived here as well.

 George Fisher/Kuhefuss Residence

Enjoy A Walking Tour Of Historic Cedarburg: From Washington Avenue To Columbia Road. Take in and learn the history of these historic buildings, individuals, and their impact here throughout the communities history. Have fun, learn much, and enjoy your walk.

Established in 1856, Frederick Hilgen; was a German immigrant who followed the Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Sailed for the United States in 1832, initially to Baltimore, Maryland, and then to Charleston, South Carolina, due to persecution of Lutheran groups in Germany. Hilgen owned a store in Charleston until he and his wife sold their store and moved to Milwaukee to open a business there. Hilgen, at the same time, was also a land speculator seeking to buy unripe land to make a home for himself and his family. In the spring of 1844, Hilgen noted the unexplored land of Cedarburg. So, on April 1st of that year, he purchased 240 acres to the north of Cedarburg along Cedar Creek. Several days later, on April 13th, he settled Charles Melms 800$ for eighty acres he used to build his home. He would also use the money to build the mill store. But, of course, the Hilgen-Schroeder Mill Store was also like any general store in nineteenth-century America. It was also an available residence for those seeking a job or just needing shelter and rest from traveling.But over the years, the store served a general purpose for the Cedarburg Mill across Columbia Road to the south. Hilgen built the store to help serve flour and feed produced from farmer's goods in the Cedarburg Mill. Into the twentieth century, it would then convert the mill store into a restaurant, and from that time up to 1941, its floors would change many times. The mill store is now the Cedarburg History Museum today. Notice which brick the building is made out of; this is Cream City brick from Milwaukee that gives the building its unique structure.

Welcome to Cedarburg! We hope that your stay here is very comfortable. Today, we will be touring the historic buildings of Cedarburg. We will be exploring the individuals and families that have lived here, what their structures looked like, and how they lived their lives here. Let's begin the tour!

Hilgen-Schroeder Mill Store

In 1844, thirteen years before the establishment of the Hilgen-Schroeder Mill Store. Frederick Hilgen and William Schroeder acquired 36 acres from Ludwig Groth. Both Groth and Schroeder were also German immigrants seeking a better life in the United States and, like Hilgen, were land speculators. By 1845, a massive market swung open for cutdown limber and wheat and other farmers' goods. Both Hilgen and Schroeder, at this time, were chopping down trees to make a path that would give accessible to what was then the Green Bay Road that led to Milwaukee. They had also chosen a route where those settling in Cedarburg find their homes and businesses in the town for the first time. At this time, Schroder and Hilgen set out to build a mill to meet farmers' goods' needs and the lumber industry.After acquiring the land from Groth, Hilgen and Schroeder made ready to build their initial grist mill. With the help of Burchard Weber, the mill was built and established in 1855. Located along Cedar Creek, the building itself would be built at $22,000 to replace and build the mill with a high stone building. Unfortunately, since Cedar Creek is close to the mill, the dam was struck heavily by water and would be fixed in 1855. When Weber built the structure, it was a 6-story structure containing an outlying limestone dug from the creek. The floors themselves, especially the first floor and three following floors, were held by hand chipped white oak. These white oak beams were 40 feet long with 16 by 16 squares. Twenty of these white oak beams remain in the building. According to one Cedarburg legend, workers briefly redirected the stream to the east. This was done so the stones would be cut and transported through a tramway from the creek by one man aggressively pushing and another man extracting them. Since there was no modern construction equipment in the nineteenth century, the building would significantly grow to a bigger size. So, as a result, an earth approach would be built to transport the building materials to the structure's upper levels. Farm animals such as donkeys and oxen were used to help pull the heavy stones and large oak beams. These beams were to guise the upper five stories of the building. The incline was reported back then to expand to the Washington House. In the early 1800s, mills in their popularity coincided with their roofs. The Cedarburg Mill, its monitor roof was a popular feature, not just in the Cedarburg Mill but in mills in the Eastern United States in the 1800s. The reason why? Because monitor roofs provide more light and ventilation than other roof features. If you look very closely at the mill's roof, the hand-cut limestone blocks can be seen mixed in with the other classes of bricks on the roof. As soon as the mill was lengthened, the Hilgen-Schroeder Mill Store, which operated flour and feed, was established across the street where it could do business with the mill. Hilgen gave his share of the mill to Schroeder and another man, Joseph Trottman, in 1865. Then sold it to the Grundke's son and daughter-in-law of Fred Hilgen in 1882. The mill, still running on water power, was sold to the Cedarburg Supply Company in 1930. After trying to invest in a new water wheel, it converted to electrical power. The Cedarburg Mill is one of the most historical and beautiful mills in the Midwest and was registered in 1961 to the National Register Of Historic Places as a historic building.

On the second stop on the tour is the Cedarburg Mill. This mill is special to Cedarburg, not just for the economic value it brought to the town. But also for its historic nature. This mill is considered one of the most historic mills and tallest mill in the Midwest.

Cedarburg Mill

This structure is probably the most unique in Cedarburg. It was projected as a Japanese tea house like those in Japan; it was built by Wadhams Oil and Grease Company in Milwaukee in 1926. Notice the basic style of the structure with the pagoda copulas on the roof that are surrounded by hanging lanterns. Over 30 of these filling station-type structures were built by the company, but now, this one is one of the few that remains. Milwaukee architect Alexander C. Eshweiler designed the outlay of the structure. Since its proximity to the Cedarburg Mill is very close, it provides a very intriguing adjacency of unique style and accumulations. Along with this structure built in the United States, the stations would become a part of the Texaco Oil Corporation, and the Pagoda would be turned into a Texaco station. Today, it is Pagoda Fine Jewelry.

On our third stop, we will be looking at a very unique building here in Cedarburg. It is very unusual, due to the building's Eastern influence from Asia. But, it provides a very unique description as to how this building came into place in this town, so let's begin.

Wadhams Pagoda Filling Station

Louis M. Hoehn, a resident of Cedarburg. Served as a funeral undertaker as well as a furniture salesman. This residence was built in 1870, five years after the Civil War and in the early years of Reconstruction. A funeral undertaker and a furniture salesman were common in the nineteenth-century United States when working these two positions at once. His residence down the road would become the Farmer's and Merchant's Bank. If you look closely at the structure, there are round-arched brick pilasters and two curved windows, but here is the kicker. These, in the process of the building, were extracted to create one massive elliptical bent window. Hoehn was not only an undertaker or a furniture salesman but was also a business owner. His second job as a furniture salesman inspired him to create his own furniture business to own and operate. As a result, this two-story frame store has a noticeable touch to its structure. Looking closely at this structure is surfaced with brick veneer with a Mediterranean stroke to the structure.

Another to note as you move north along Washington Avenue. Just like the Frederick Commercial Building, some of these residences along downtown Cedarburg were also used as small buisness's as well as residencies. The next building that you will see is a great example of these buildings serving people's needs.

Louis M. Hoehn Residence

Built and established in 1888, painter and ornamentalist Erhardt G. Wurthmann, like many other immigrants coming to the United States, came to Cedarburg in 1866, one year after the Civil War. He also would become the town's third fire chief of the CFD (Cedarburg Fire Department) from 1889 to 1914. Wurthmann came to the United States from Oldenburg, Germany. Born in 1846, Wurthmann was abandoned when he was ten years old. He came to the United States as a teenager at sixteen years of age. The original community that he settled in would be Mequon, which was still a part of the original portion of Ozaukee County. In Mequon, he started painting as his new career.In 1863, he moved to Chicago and made it his home for three years. He would then move back to Ozaukee County and locate Cedarburg, where his painting and business thrived. He also acquired sixty acres of land, just on the outer parts of Cedarburg, where he built a brick house. In 1870, he married Helen Roebken and had two children named Otto and Adele.As Cedarburg's fire chief, he instituted many customs and conventions still practiced and remained in the fire department up into the twenty-first century. Including the department's constitution that forms the structure of the entire department for years to come. But during his tenure, the fire department's structure and design were abolished. But the destruction of the fire department did not destroy the attitude and confidence of the department members. In 1908, under Wurthmann's leadership. The department would acquire new equipment and build and design a new firehouse still standing today. Wurthmann's store is built based on a Queen Anne false front; the primary clapboard also made up the building's structure and many hand-cut decorative details. Some dentrails show the year that his residence was established. This is shown on a triangular projected pilaster on the structure's roofline. The store is now Nouveau Antique Jewelry.

This building not only has a history, but it also has the history of the individual who owned it and worked here. His name is Erhardt G. Wurthmann, and he was a very influential man that influenced Cedarburg's Fire Department as well as showing the genuine immigrant experience to America.

Wurthmann Store

William Schroeder, the son of Juergen Schroeder, was the second main founder of Cedarburg next to Frederich Hilgen. He was also, for a time, the head of Cedarburg's post office. Schroeder, along with his father, was originally from Milwaukee, and just like all other immigrants coming to the United States and Wisconsin and Cedarburg. They saw business opportunities in the town and created the town itself. He and his father then moved to the village of Hamilton, which is now part of Cedarburg. William then partook in the various business ventures that put the town on the map. From creating significant roads in the town to helping create and operate the significant mills that made Cedarburg famous.William also worked as a bookkeeper for a specific company in Milwaukee for a time. When he and his family moved to Cedarburg, he decided to stay and work with the company he was employed in; he decided to commute to Milwaukee every single day. While William commuted, he would live first over the family store his father established. After living there for a while, he decided to build a residence for his family and established his own home in 1885 at a price and cost of $4,000 alone. However, the details of the structure itself are very detailed in their design. The house's clapboards, shingle siding, projecting bays, stained glass, scroll-cut ornament, and spindle and lattice work give its unique Queen Anne style that William used to build his home.

Here, we will look at the home of the second main founding father of Cedarburg, William H. Schroeder. His importance to Cedarburg is also important, because of his contributions to the community. His residence, however, is another unique one here due to the situation he was in while working as a bookkeeper.

William H. Schroeder Residence

There is another side to Juergen Schroeder; he was a store owner. He was the owner of a merchandise store next to other businesses operating in the same area. For example, Jacob Becker owned and operated a saloon, while L.E. Jochem's general merchandise store, the other owner next to him. Juergen Schroeder's store was made out of cream city brick; the same brick used to build his residence. Before he moved into his residence next door, he established living quarters above the store for him. A Grecco-Italianate inspired the store's design that shows a cameo window on its roof and stone-shaped window Entes. On the other hand, the other buildings are also inspired by this same structure.As mentioned before, the following two buildings are very similar to Schroeder's store. In addition, the two buildings south of Schroeder's store are made out of cream city brick, just as Schroeder's business is. They have very similar twin-bracketed wooden cornices along with the buildings as well. Not much is known about the other two owners of the other stores, but they all, along with Schroeder, have one thing in common. The three owners established these storefronts for a reason; they were there to build a life for themselves, their families, and the community of Cedarburg as a whole. Schroeder's contributions made this section of Washington avenue what it is today, and that, as a whole, is his legacy to this town.

What is known about Juergen Schroeder is that he also was a business owner. But he wasn't the only business owner along Washington Avenue. The buildings themselves are of the same structure, but at the same time, they are very different in how they conducted their business here in Cedarburg.

Juergen Schroeder Store/Italianate Commercial Buildings

First on this stop is the Frederick's Commercial Building, which today is now Heritage Lighting Gallery. Its establishment in 1904 clearly shows the twentieth-century feel of the early 1900s. As with many buildings in Cedarburg, it is designed and built out of limestone. When it was built, it was used as a furniture store originally. Then years later, Henry Ford's groundbreaking Model T was being rolled off revolutionary assembly lines. The building would not be used as an assembly factory for his cars, though, but was then converted into a Ford dealership where he sold his cars, such as the Model T. In the years ahead; it was converted again into other types of businesses. A sweet shop, a grocery store, and a drug store establishment. During the later years of the Great Depression, in the late 1930s. High school students would use it as a hangout location, which eventually became a popular spot. As any teenager in the late 1930s would do, students would occupy booths, drink malts, sodas, and other snacks and drinks, and play music on the establishment's jukebox. This building has seen change time and time again, making it unique here in Cedarburg.

Now, we will explore the historical buildings along Washington Avenue in downtown Cedarburg. This is where the full history of Cedarburg actually starts. The majority of the buildings here on Washington Avenue are registered in The National Register Of Historic Places. Cedarburg has the most historic buildings in Wisconsin that are on the National Register Of Historic Places.

Frederick's Commerical Building

The foundation of the Cedarburg State Bank is another iconic building here in Cedarburg. But its stones and other additions to its structure do not tell the whole story; its foundation and its contribution to the community are what make the real impact here. Its foundations all go back to one of our earliest individuals, John Nieman and Charles Wirth. As we go back to Wirth, we need to remember how his operations in business inspired him, along with John Neiman, to open the state bank. When Cedarburg was founded in the late 1840s, there was no mention of a locally owned state bank. However, once Cedarburg developed into a booming population and business scene. Financial stability to keep them up and running would be crucial. Once Cedarburg became a developed community, state banks across Ozaukee County would pop up in Grafton, Port Washington, Mequon, Thiensville, and other communities. Then, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, with contributions from the community and support from Charles Wirth and the many benevolent societies that dotted the community, Nieman and Wirth would give financial compensation to help build the bank. Years later, in 1908, the Cedarburg State Bank would be established to help address the community's financial needs. Years later, when the bank needed a president to help run it, Charles Wirth stepped up and became its president. Charles Wirth would be president of the bank until he died in 1927. The design of the building is another staple of how the bank was constructed. The building has an inspired Romanesque design, with a facade made out of heavy rock-faced limestone blocks. The building's moldings are very trimmed and corniced, which as a result, are carved with smooth-finished cut stone with margins that are vertical pilasters' blocks that are chiseled into a line. Its designs make the building stand out on Washington Avenue, but it just wasn't used for financial purposes. The bank also served as a post office and a telephone company, specifically the Wisconsin Telephone Company, that had a switchboard on the second floor of the building. So, even though significant banks have established themselves in the area, this bank stands out as the town's original bank, making it the icon today in Cedarburg.

On our last stop of this tour, I would like to thank you being on this journey with me. Thank you for choosing to explore this historic town, as well as learning about how Cedarburg is a very special community here in Wisconsin. I thank you for your participation, your curiosity, and your drive to learn. Thank you so much, and enjoy your stay here in Cedarburg!

Cedarburg State Bank

We come to the most iconic building in downtown Cedarburg; the Washington House Inn. Conrad Horneffer, who we talked about earlier in the tour. It was established as a hotel in 1846. When it was first established, it was not only used for those who were resting to travel a one-day journey to Milwaukee. The hotel was also used as a gathering place for those who wanted to hang out, discuss business ventures, catch up on life and the town gossip, and meeting places for political gatherings. Over the years that Horneffer owned and conducted business for the hotel, he would also help establish Cedarburg and give its founding roots.As time moved on, Horneffer would have to sell the building to another partitioner. Theodore Hartwig would become Cedarburg's first practicing physician set up his practice and office and residence in the hotel in 1846, the same year the hotel was established. After thirty years went by, the hotel was eventually sold to Fred Jaucke, who would make more additions to the hotel's structure. As the nineteenth century went into the twentieth, the hotel was converted into an office building in the 1920s, but in 1984, it was later restored to its use as a hotel, and today, it is now named the Washington House Inn.The building designs are far different from any other structure here in Cedarburg. When Fred Jaucke acquired the building, he added three-story half of the structure today as it was in 1886. Jaucke then encased that part with cream city brick, making the building a very complex array of decorative brickwork that some of the repressed buildings in Cedarburg lacked. Along with the brickwork, the vertical focus on the structure and its evident parapets made the hotel different from other structures that had a more residential nature to it than other hotels or structures in the area. When it was built, the building itself gave Cedarburg a much more professional look as well. This building and the next building over gave Cedarburg the image that it still carries today.

The Washington House Inn is one of the most iconic buildings here in downtown. It's structure expresses the history that it made here for the town, as well as for others who walked through its doors. The stories that are in this structure are too much to tell, but a brief description of it will give its context.

Washington House Inn

The style of this home is inspired by a Victorian-Style that shows the most excellent example of its nineteenth-century design and establishment. The varying aspects of this residence can be noticed by specific attributes of the construction of the residence. For example, there is a still full three-story chimney on the south side of the residence made out of cream city brick; also, wood siding is very ornamented and attractive on the front roof at the top. There are also beaded embroideries that are around an arched front porch, as well as spindles that are around the house's front windows as well. This residence would be established around 1850. Unfortunately, there is not much information on the individual that lived in said residence, but we can tell just by the name. Freund is a very German name, so it could have been like every German immigrant who came to Cedarburg in the late 1840s and early 1850s. At the same time, however, this individual could have done many jobs in the area. But there is not much-known information regarding this individual's impact here in the community.

This residence is another great example of nineteenth-century architecture. But, at the same time, there is not much known information about the individual who lived here. The only thing we can tell by the name is obviously of German descent, but we don't know how this individual impacted Cedarburg entirely.

Freund Residence 

On the other hand, this building contained famous Cedarburger William Schroeder for the time being. Established in 1853, Schroeder had a son-in-law named John Grundke, that married into the Schroeder family. Because of the notable name of William Schroder, his influence in the community, and his many business ventures in establishing Cedarburg. His son-in-law would use the economic influence that he inherited from his father-in-law and would later make the residence much more prominent; as a result, Grundke would also convert the residence into a two-story Georgian-style design that was very impressive continues to be influential today. While making the residence much fancier, Grundke also decided to case the walls here with brick and raise the second-story roof of the building on the residence's original roof beams. The southern addition of the building would be built in 1965 for a business that wanted office space.John Grundke also served in the Civil War with the 26th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted in August of 1862, but his residence was in Wauwatosa before living in Cedarburg. When the 26th was formed and trained in Milwaukee, the regiment would then be transferred to Washington D.C. in October of 1862, where it was assigned, as described earlier, to William Nero and his relation with the regiment. Henry Roth, whose residence we described earlier and his Civil War service, also ties into what John Grundke would experience in his Civil War service. The 26th Wisconsin would be assigned to the Union Army (United States) XI Corps. Before we move on, I want to describe how a United States army corps was organized during the Civil War. You start with the soldier; then, you have a platoon, a group of soldiers. Then once that platoon gets more extensive, you have a company with company officers. When it becomes a larger company, that is called a regiment. Suppose it is more than one regiment, then it's a brigade; if it's more than three regiments, it's a division. Then once these divisions are organized, they are called a Corps, and artillery units are organized the same way.The 26th Wisconsin would be assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 3rd division, of the XI Corps and were assigned with the Union (United States) Army Of The Potomac. Due to the hostility towards immigrants, Grundke and other German immigrants and German-Americans like him were demonized and ridiculed; many Americans thought they wouldn't make good soldiers. This is partially true due to another battle that the 26th fought in was the Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia, in May of 1863. The 26th and the XI Corps would march with the army to Chancellorsville and set up camp at an area near a road called the Orange Plank Road near a woods called, The Wilderness. On May 2nd, 1863, despite many warnings from soldiers of the XI Corps of Confederate movements to attack their open flank, Union commanders thought they were retreating. As a result, soldiers built defensive perimeters, fence lines, and earthworks to be prepared for the attack that was to come. At sunset on May 2nd, Confederates under the command of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson attacked the XI Corps positions. Some soldiers, shocked at this, ran away. But not every soldier ran away. The 26th Wisconsin and other regiments in their division and others held their position and inflicted heavy casualties upon the Confederate attackers. Other regiments like the 26th as the 45th New York would also fight fiercely but at the same time suffered heavy casualties. John Grundke, who was Sargent at the time, would be one of those casualties; he would be wounded very severely. A severe wound at this time would result in amputation; this likely is what happened to him. Grundke would be discharged on disability in April of 1864. After the fighting at Chancellorsville, the XI Corps would be reviled and demonized as cowards by their fellow Americans and their fellow soldiers; myths over the years portrayed the XI Corps at Chancellorsville as fleeing without even firing a shot. This, of course, due to heavy research of regimental actions and artillery batteries, shows these myths to be untrue. But when looking at the Confederate attack, the Confederates, under the command of Robert E. Lee, suffered a higher casualty percentage than the Union Army. The Confederates suffered 22% casualties out of 60,000, while the Union only had 17% casualties. He could not replace his men; this was because of the heavy fighting by the 26th Wisconsin, the 45th New York, and other fighting regiments and batteries in the XI Corps. They would later fight fiercely at Gettysburg and, as a result, restored their name to a tough fighting corp. For Grundke, Chancellorsville was his only battle, and he came home and eventually moved to Cedarburg after the war. Grundke would also be involved with running the Cedarburg grist mill that Schroeder and other managers were operating. But again, as mentioned before with Henry Roth, William Nero, and Jacob Grundke, they were never the same when they came home after the war. Gurndke, along with Roth and Nero, may have suffered from PTSD, tough readjustment to civilian life, getting pensions from the government for coverage, and dealing and wrestling with the meaning of their physical and mental wounds affected them the rest of their lives. Grundke's story is like other Civil War veterans that lived here in Cedarburg. We have to remember that these men were human beings behind the buildings and the facade. They impacted Cedarburg and many other communities in the United States. Still, they also went through the horrors and suffering of war that ultimately taught them the value of community and purpose.

John Grundke is another Civil War veteran that lived here in Cedarburg. Just like are our four previous Civil War related connections to Cedarburg, Grundke's was different however. He only fought in one battle. But it would be a battle that affected the rest of his life as well as his involvement here in Cedarburg.

John Grundke Residence

In 1936, this iconic theater in Cedarburg opened to the public. In addition, Christian Beorner opened and operated a dry goods store established in the 1840s. C. Frederich Boerner, Christian's cousin, arrived in the United States and settled in Cedarburg around 1849. Christian's cousin owned a building in Milwaukee. Christian decided to exchange his building and business for working with his cousin in Milwaukee. C. Frederich Beorner would die in 1878; he was 66 years old. His wife, Anna Boerner, and his sons decided to take over the family business in Cedarburg. After his sons took over their father's business, they named it the Beorner Brothers Company. When it was operated, it was, at that time, one of the most prosperous and booming businesses in the community, as well as serving not just Ozaukee County but Washington county as well for years and years.New additions to the building would be added much later to accommodate more space for the store. But once the business entered the early 1900s before WW1, the financial assets the business started to tank. As a result, the business and the building itself would have to rely on outside financial assets under the Boerner-Kuether Company. This reliance on their assets would result in the brothers closing the business in 1925. Mark Morgan, an entrepreneur in Cedarburg, brought and acquired the store and, as a result, turned it into the Rivoli Theater. This was done primarily because, in the late 1800s, the store was more being sought for entertainment value once the store started to fail financially. Then years later, on January 11th, 1936, the Rivoli Theater would be opened to the public. The building would show films to the public; the first movie that Rivoli showed was "A Tale Of Two Cities," starring Ronald Coleman. The building would be finished at 1,000,000 million dollars in today's money.The Rivoli, in 1956, would become part of the famous Marcus Theater Corporation. But once the decades rolled by, other multiplex theaters started propping up across the area, around the state, and around the country. As a result, the theatre owners decided to close down the building. Efforts would be made to save this iconic building by the Cedarburg Landmark Preservation Society; as a result, the society purchased the building in 2006; to preserve the historic nature of the theater, the society decided to rebuild the many furnishings inside the building. In addition, it decided to make a replica of the original marquee inside and restore the building's 1936 style of art deco. Today, the Rivoli shows the latest and recent films and hosts community events and meetings and local films made in the area. This theatre shows how community involvement, volunteering, and a love for history can help preserve historical buildings and history itself.

All I can say, is that there is only one Rivoli Theatre, and that is here in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. This theatre has provided entertainment to the community for decades. Today, its still operating to hold not just films, but important areas for the community to discuss as well as gather.

The Rivoli Theater

Conrad Horneffer came to the United States from Germany in 1843, six years before Wisconsin became part of the Union. His reputation in Cedarburg would be known for establishing and building the largest structure in town, the Washington House Inn. He would become the proprietor of the building; his name still influences how the inn is operated today. Except he didn't come bearing a wealthy fortune, he used to own a harness shop and was also a very well-skilled leather constructor. He built the Washington Inn because of the boom in population that Cedarburg was experiencing, as well as because the town is a day's journey to Milwaukee, and as well as for it is convenient for that journey. His inn would be established in 1846. At the same time, his residence would be built years later.When Horneffer moved out of the residence, the building would be used as a dance hall until 1864, when Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church purchased the building. Their purpose for this was to institute a school where German could be freely spoken. This school, for decades, would be the only school in Cedarburg for those students who were having trouble adjusting to the United States. Just a reminder, this was also because of growing anti-German sentiment among Americans in the nineteenth century due to the heavy nativism from political groups like the Know Nothing's who were very hostile to Germand Irish immigrants. During the Civil War, German immigrants and German-Americans faced intense hostility and were frequently attacked for being cowards on the battlefields of Virginia and at Gettysburg. However, this hostility would continue into the twentieth century when the United States entered World War 1. The German Free School was still operating in its connections with Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. Anti-German attitudes in Cedarburg would bubble up again, and an anti-German government in the town would be formed called the Cedarburg Bund; this government formed on the cause of the sinking of the Lusitania in 1917 as well as the leaking of the Zimmermann Telegram months later, lead the United States to declare war against Germany. These actions would lead Americans, including those in Cedarburg and Wisconsin, to suspect their German neighbors were spies for Germany. But because of the heavy influence of Germans in the town, some did not want to go to war against Germany, primarily because of family connections in Germany. But again, they also believed that what the Kaiser was doing in causing the war was wrong and did not have a problem fighting against the German government. Violence would occur; it is very plausible that during German parades, there would be hecklers as well as those who assaulted and beat German-Americans. German-Americans in town protested the local government's renaming of certain German foods and creating anti-German propaganda.Most of this change in town was also due to a German parade that showed a flag that looked like the German flag. A passenger spread this rumor on the interurban who was from Milwaukee. Once this happened, Cedarburg was accused of being un-American and supporting Germany. This was not true, of course, since many of the young men in town were very patriotic and volunteered in the army to prove their loyalty to the United States like their ancestors did in the Civil War. Young men like George Ayers sacrificed his life in 1918 on the Western Front; Peter Wollner died of an accident in October of 1918, and the American Legion Post here in Cedarburg is named after him. It is also possible that both of these men went to the German Free School, where they were educated. Once the war ended with an American victory, the school would continue until 1932, when it closed. The details of the building are also fascinating, as the corners of the building show themselves in precise detail. There are also dressed quoins that have been cut intentionally to create an influence of a raised corner column known as a pilaster. The windows on the building also have windows on the first floor that have been completely altered from the original windows and their place. Because of the detail of this building, nothing can compare to the human stories and history that surround it. It is one of the prominent buildings here in Cedarburg, as to why Cedarburg came about and how it has come from the hostility of WW1, The Civil War, and anti-immigration attitudes to what it is today.

This building is another crucial building to understand here in Cedarburg. This was a residence, yes, but it was also used as a school that helped German immigrants speak German while getting adjusted to United States culture in the 19th century. But this would also create controversy during World War 1 when the United States got involved.

Horneffer Residence/German Free School

Justus Lauterbach was a tailor here in Cedarburg. Here, he would tailor different suits, instant clothing, caps, and other gentlemen's clothing. But there is more to him than just running a tailoring business here. He had also seen war. Justus E. Lauterbach was born in Hessen, Germany in 1836. Like many German immigrants here in Cedarburg, Lauterbach would go to the United States and eventually settled in Milwaukee, but then moved to New Orleans, Louisiana and worked there as tailor, he would eventually marry Amalia Pannier in 1859 and would have twelve children together. But then, the Civil War broke out in 1861, like many of his fellow immigrants, Lauterbach wanted to preserve the Union and end slavery, Lauterbach and many other immigrants were abolitionists who wanted to end slavery and wanted to see equality and citizenship for African-Americans. Once war broke out, he was trying to be persuaded by Southerners in New Orleans to wear the Confederate gray, he would not. Lauterbach hid in a basement for a while until a friend of his found him and helped him escape, helped him row across the Mississippi River and back onto United States soil. Lauterbach enlisted with the 24th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment, organized and trained in Milwaukee. Unlike the 26th Wisconsin, which saw action in the Eastern and Western Theatres of the Civil War. This regiment would fight mainly in the Western Theatre. Lauterbach and his regiment would be assigned to the United States Army Of The Cumberland. Lauterbach and his comrades would fight in significant battles in the Western Theatre, Perryville, Stones River, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Franklin, and Nashville. The majority of the regiment's battles would occur in Tenessee. But the regiment's most shining moment came at the Battle of Chattanooga. Arthur McArthur Jr., the father of famous WWII general Douglas McArthur, was the 24th adjutant and would rise to be colonel of the regiment at a very young age. The 24th, including Lauterbach, would be positioned to assualt Missionary Ridge at Chattanooga. However, their army commander, George Henry Thomas, did not attack as ordered by Major General Ulysses S. Grant. Once Grant realized that Thomas's army was not moving ahead in his support of William Tecumseh Sherman and the United States Army Of The Tennessee. They were pinned down on the ridge by entrenched Confederates. After realizing his mistake, Thomas went immediately to get the army ready after being ordered by Grant to attack. Lauterbach and the 24th would be waiting as well. But, some soldiers started assaulting Missionary Ridge without orders out of nowhere. Lauterbach and the 24th Wisconsin immediately saw this, and McArthur ordered the regiment to ready itself to begin the assualt. Once the army started to attack, soldiers, including those in the 24th, cried out, "Chickamauga!" referring to their recent defeat by Confederate forces in northern Georgia.The 24th, along with Lauterbach and the rest of the army, assaulted and immediately swept the Confederate positions before them. Shocked by this relentless assualt, the Confederates abandoned their positions and retreated. During the assualt, McArthur would exclaim the words, "On Wisconsin!" as they attacked up the ridge. His infamous words would later inspire the University Of Wisconsin Badgers fight song and are used as a rallying cry for the universities' sports teams. Lauterbach would survive this intense assualt and fight for the rest of the war. Later, he would fight at Franklin, Tennessee, where he saw numerous Confederate assaults be bloodily repulsed by his regiment, and a portion of the Army Of The Cumberland sent there. His last battle would be Nashville in late November and early December of 1864, where Thomas and the army almost destroyed the Confederate army and ultimately secured the Western Theatre for the United States. As the war ended, Lauterbach was noticed for his excellent performance with the regiment and was promoted to Sargent. He would be mustered out of the regiment on June 10th, 1865. Once his service to his nation ended, he would move out of Milwaukee and move to Cedarburg to establish his tailoring business. But sometimes, in a soldier's mind, he can't forget the horrific things he saw while serving with the 24th. Adjusting to civilian life had to be very difficult for him, and with the possibility that he might have had PTSD (Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder), we can never know. But, with these possibilities; we can see that he was traumatized by the war as well as having a tough time adjusting to civilian life after serving. Once he raised his family, there would be four generations that owned the store and operated it after Lauterbach stepped down. His son Theodore Lauterbach, would take over the business as well. The initial entrance on the building doorway was surrounded by windows framed in wood. Take note of the dressed quarried stones on the front compared to the south side of the building, which consists of debris-style masonry. When the building was established, it was prevalent to build and install much better materials on the street side of the building. When looking at this, remember that Lauterbach was more than a tailor; he was a soldier, had a family, and willingly put his life on the line to serve the United States and ended slavery in this nation for good. Justus Lauterbach died on December 25th, 1924 at the age of 88. He is buried in Zur Ruhe Cemetery here in Cedarburg.

A little note to remember before we discuss this building. The man who worked in this building was not just a business owner, he was also a soldier who served the United States in the Civil War. His service shows how he operated his business, as well as how serving in the army helped serve his community.

Justus Lauterbach Clothing Store And Building

Established in 1913, John Armbruster first created his business which started initially in 1884. But then, in the early 1900s, Armbruster decided to move the business to a new building which was done being constructed and therefore established it in 1908. It was one of the several mercantile and commercial buildings in Cedarburg owned and superintended by the originating family. William Hilgen, the son of Frederick Hilgen, one of Cedarburg's founding fathers, was a local architect in the area. Decided to design the initial form of the building. The building was constructed of terra cotta and cast iron adornments. The interior to the south of the building still has its original face intact. When you look at the ceiling, notice it is painted and has a tin hinge added in 1921. On the sidewalk to the building, an original clock was toppled in 1922 by a company of horses fleeing due to them pulling a wagon. After it was knocked down, it was replaced by a unique cast iron clock made by the Street Clock Company of Monessen, Pennsylvania.

The next building down is also another example of an historic storefront here in Cedarburg. This one is special when it comes to an historic storefront, mainly because of the clock that stands in front of the store. But you'll notice that looking at the structure of the building is very interesting.

John Armbruster Jewelry Store

Established during Reconstruction in 1870, Henry Roth served in the American Civil War for the United States. Roth served in Company A of the 26th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment, known as The Siegel Regiment, named after Franz Siegel, a German immigrant. The latter came to the United States after the German Revolutions of 1848. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, President Abraham Lincoln sought to recruit German immigrants who supported the Union and were for the abolition of slavery. Wisconsin in 1861 was a hotbed of pro-abolition sentiment. Most German immigrants who moved to Wisconsin and Cedarburg held abolitionist views and Wisconsin as a whole; in 1854, Wisconsin State Supreme Court ruled that the Fugitive Slave Act was unconstitutional due to a man named Sherman Booth who broke the law; as a result, he urged a mob to help an escaped slave named Joshua Glover being pursued by a Federal Marshall named Stephen Ableman. Wisconsin would later ratify the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which abolished slavery in the United States.Roth had the same beliefs as many German immigrants had before the war broke out with this context in mind. As a result, Roth would serve with the 26th Wisconsin as a Sargent at some of the most famous battles of the Civil War. Most notably, Roth fought at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia, for his first battle. On May 2nd, 1863, Confederates under "Stonewall" Jackson surprised attacked the regiment's position. The regiment held its ground, offering heavy casualties to the Confederates until they were forced to retreat. The regiment suffered heavy casualties, and most of the soldiers were captured. Roth would survive this battle. He also fought at the Battle of Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he and the 26th Wisconsin would serve under Major General Ulysses S. Grant. He commanded the Eastern and Western Union armies there. Finally, Roth and the 26th Wisconsin would assault Missionary Ridge and drive Confederates from their fortified positions. Roth and the regiment would serve under William Tecumseh Sherman and fight in every battle of the Atlanta Campaign in 1864. Roth and the regiment would also serve in Sherman's March To The Sea and through the Carolinas. Roth would be discharged and mustered out with his regiment on June 13th, 1865. But Roth, like so many of his comrades, could never forget the traumatic horrors of war. The 26th Wisconsin had some of the highest casualties of any Union regiment in the war.Roth would return to Cedarburg to resume his trade as a carpenter after the end of the war. As you can see, his residence shows what a Greek Revival structure looks like with its impact on the building. This limestone structure has engraved mortar joints. There are also chiseled margins with attentively crafted quoins. The southern portion of the building was built with cream city brick. Roth would also run a saloon that is across from the Wittenburg Mill.

This next building is probably my favorite here in Cedarburg. This house not only had one of the major figures in the town, but that figure was also a veteran of the American Civil War, and fought for the United States. His life impacted everything he did her in Cedarburg.

Henry Roth Residence

Built in 1871, this building was initially used as a residence. The structure, made from Cream City Brick from Milwaukee, was added to the structure in 1886. Its two entrances show that it is also constituted as a business along with the residential part of the building. One window is of particular importance to the building's historic nature. Look at the window, and take note that it is an eyelet window that is hanging over the south door of the building. The clapboard and baseboards that are still visible on the building are entirely original to the structure of the building.

The next building down is also very unique here. But it is slightly even more different. This building served three purposes, selling products and also hosting as a residence. What is also interesting about these buildings, is the houses that are built next to the business buildings as well. Today it is Stilt House Gastro and Bar.

Bethia Hardware Candy, Cigar Store, and Residence

Gustav A. Bonerner, was another immigrant that helped establish the church in 1909. Offered the church's members the land that the church sits on today to build a new church due to structural problems. The members brought the land with a stipulation that they built along with the new church, a tower valued at less than $5,000. Since the congregation of this church was very young, it began at once to build the church with unique sets that make the church very original today. The church is constructed of trailed rock-faced ashler limestone in the English-Gothic style from England. Due to Cedarburg's heavily German immigrant and German-American influence and heavy connections with Lutheranism. It would be the first church in Cedarburg to offer and administrate services in English and German, again due to Cedarburg consisting of German immigrants and German-Americans. An educational center in the rear of the church was added in 1962. in 1984, another addition was made to the church, which featured, and still features, a well-placed matched stone that added to the church in 1984.The reason why residents of the town wanted to have sermons conducted in English instead of German, was because of their children growing up in the United States and being influenced by its culture. The establishment of the church, and its accommodation of English, was done with the help of Rev. A.C. Anda who was part of the General Counsel Of The Evangelical Lutheran Church and Rev. W.K. Frick of Redeemer Lutheran church that was established in Milwaukee. Rev. Frick preached the church's first sermon there on the first Sunday of Advent. The members of the church however, chose the name Evangelical Lutheran Church Of The Advent. Sometimes, in later years, some congregations and other members would call it the English Lutheran Church. The church would be officially named as Advent on May 24th, 1904, and is still named Advent to this day.

The next church on this tour has a very familiar theme to Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. The only big difference here is the years that they were established. But again, at the same time, these congregations and their backstories are very intertwined with one another regarding their faith and lives.

Advent Lutheran Church

What is now today is the Ozaukee Interurban Trail (Used today for walking, cycling, jogging, etc.). However, it was not always known as a trail for recreational use. Initially, this bridge was built in 1907 as a rail line transit that united transportation from Milwaukee to Sheboygan, Milwaukee being south of Cedarburg and Sheboygan just north of it. This rail line transit would service the town for forty-one years until it stopped operations in 1948 due to the end of World War II and the introduction of the interstate highway system, which wouldn't be built until the 1950s with I-43 going South and North from Sheboygan to Milwaukee and elsewhere. Finally, in 1998, the bridge was restored and became part of the Ozaukee Interurban Trail for recreational use; it helped complete the trail for its establishment in 2002 for Ozaukee County. When you walk on the bridge, you can see the beauty of Cedar Creek along with looking up-stream (North) to the Woolen Mill dam as well as down-stream to the Cedarburg Mill and bridge. This part of the trail offers beautiful views of Cedarburg and Ozaukee County that makes it a beautiful gem here in Wisconsin.This was also due to products made in Cedarburg to be shipped to different communities because of the railroad. The rail also brought prosperity to different Cedarburg business's near the rail depot, and as a result, Cedarburg's population began to grow bigger and bigger. The rail transit, as a result of being established, also was built to accommodate a long-distance electric line there as well. New York engineers came to Cedarburg, as well as accountants and secretaries to oversee the project. But while they stayed in Cedarburg, they would also fall in love and even marry some of the Cedarburg girls that lived here! Once it was finished in 1907, the Milwaukee Northern Railway Co. served the community for over forty years. But this thriving railway would have decline in the 1920s due to the automobile and the creation of the assembly plants that created the Ford Model-T at a quicker pace, and Americans as well as Wisconsinites started to get on the automobile craze. But as explained before, this railway would eventually be converted for recreational use in the early 2000s. This trail, as well as the former railway, shows another unique history to Cedarburg and to Wisconsin as well.

This next stop will not be a building. But, it has had huge impacts here in Cedarburg as well as the rest of Ozaukee County. This trail is the bedrock of Cedarburg, mostly because of what the trail used to be. As the description will say, this trail was used differently than for its recreational use today.

Milwaukee Northern Bridge (Ozaukee Interurban Trail)

Frederich Hilgen. as mentioned before, is one of the principal founders of Cedarburg. His son, William Hilgen, an architect, designed the building, and a stone master named John Vollmar helped build the structure. After building and establishing the school, the high school was dedicated in 1908 and served as the leading high school due to the explosion in Cedarburg's population. City hall now occupies the former school. The city hall was built years after, according to, again, an explosion of people moving into the town and establishing residences. This was also done to address the needs for the education of the town's children and young adults. City Hall now occupies the building, addressing community needs, education, and other issues in Wisconsin and American communities. Since Cedarburg, over the years, would experience an uptick in its population. Specific needs would need to be met for the educational needs of the students living in the town and other rural areas near Cedarburg.  One example of this change in the community's educational needs happened in the 1950s when Clarence Thorson became Superintendent of Cedarburg schools in 1949 and would retire from the role in 1969. Due to the city hall occupying the original high school building, Thorson and the community voted on reform in the schools due to another population growth in the town. As a result, passed a new school budget where new elementary, middle, and high schools would be built. Since city hall occupied the old high school, the new Cedarburg High School, with a budget of $800,000, would be built and established in 1957. The high school built and established in 1957 stands today on W68 N611 Evergreen Blvd. In addition, other schools would be built; for example, Thorson Elementary School would be named after the superintendent and built in 1949 on a budget of $1,719,000; the elementary school is still here today, lying on the line between Cedarburg and Grafton.Romanesque features on the building make the characteristics of the structure very original. For example, in the rear of the building, an original section resided both the grade and high schools. This part was constructed of rock-faced limestone from Anschuetz Quarry in Cedarburg. In addition, concaved arches grace the building, and simple massive shapes come from the Romanesque tradition. However, the wooden brackets and the ornamental gable in and outside on the building are more of an inspiration from the Victorian era of buildings and structures. The grade school was built in 1894; the building was and is still named the Lincoln building. The style of that building comes from an Italianate design with a flat roof and a modillioned cornice on the building. The original high school would be named the Washington Building to differentiate between the grade school and the high school.

Now we will move on to two buildings that used to be Cedarburg's high school and grade school. These two buildings mean everything to Cedarburg, city hall occupies the original high school where it meets the needs of the community. The grade school now is home to the festival planning for the many festivals here in the town throughout the years. Their establishment would help throughout the years the education of Cedarburg's young students from then to the present day.

Cedarburg High School And Grade School (Now City Hall)

Despite the Washington House Inn is one of the most iconic hotels in Cedarburg. However, another hotel is much older than that structure; this former hotel dates back to 1853, when Henry Nero was its owner. This hotel was also one of the earliest ever built in Cedarburg. The hotel itself would accommodate any need here in the town, from providing the best wines to the best smoking cigars and very well-maintained stables for the guest's horses. This hotel had the various amenities available to them once they came into Cedarburg to rest. But just like before, there is more to Henry Nero than just being a hotel owner. His son, William Nero, also fought in the Civil War. We have to know this because these are human beings that got caught up in a maelstrom of the most critical chapter in United States history.As explained before, William would also enlist in the 26th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment with Henry Roth in August of 1862, when the regiment was being formed. William enlisted while living in Mequon, Wisconsin, at the time of the war starting. But unlike Roth, who experienced some of the regiment's battles. William managed to be at every major battle in the war. Another notable story in the regiment's history is the Battle of Gettysburg, fought on July 1st-July 3rd, 1863. On July 1st, the first day of the battle; William and the 26th were part of the Army Of The Potomac's 11th Army Corps, mostly called the German corp due to its heavy influence of German immigrants and German-Americans in its ranks; even though there was a heavy contingent of Native-born American Yankees as well. The Corps and the regiment would be noted by their visual symbol; a crescent moon was stitched onto officers and soldiers, and the regiment's symbol was a white background with a Navy Blue crescent moon.The regiment and the corp would be ordered to Gettysburg due to Calvary commander John Buford, who was holding ongoing Confederate attacks so two Union army corps could get there to support them and hold their ground until the rest of the Army Of The Potomac could get to the heights south of the town that they could gain great defensive terrain and positions. After marching for thirteen miles in the hot July heat, the regiment and the rest of the corp would reach the town early afternoon. At this point, the army's 1st Corps has been holding its positions to the west. This included the famous Iron Brigade that consisted of the 2nd Wisconsin, 6th Wisconsin, and 7th Wisconsin Infantry Regiments fiercely holding their ground and taking heavy casualties. Despite this, the 11th Corps would be ordered to the North to hold positions there. The 26th, after marching, decided to rest for a while. After resting, they were sounded to form into ranks due to another division of the 11th Corps holding its ground fiercely, but sometimes we're losing ground.The 26th and their division would be sent as reinforcements to the division holding its position on a knoll North of Gettysburg. Once the regiment reached its position, they started seeing Confederate regiments advancing on their position. As a result, they formed ranks and opened fire immediately. The 26th would, with intense tenacity, drive back the Confederates. The Confederates would reform and drive them back, and the 26th and their division would reform and drive them back. Casualties started to mount up, especially in the 26th Wisconsin. However, this fighting would persist throughout the rest of the afternoon; the division at the knoll collapsed and started retreating. The 26th was still holding until the Confederates used their overwhelming numbers to surround the 26th and hit them on their flank. This forced the 26th and their division to retreat, despite the heavy resistance they gave to the Confederates. The 26th and the rest of the 11th Corps would commence a fighting retreat through Gettysburg, using the alleyways of the towns as ambush sites as well as using windows to snip at the Confederates as they entered the town. Finally, after fighting all afternoon, the 26th would retreat to a new position south of town on a hill called Cemetery Hill.The cost of holding their positions, however, wholly bloodied the regiment. Out of 516 men fighting in the regiment that day, 216-260 soldiers and officers were killed, wounded, captured, or missing; they suffered 42%-50% casualties on July 1st, the first day of the battle. William survived all this chaos and would go on with the regiment to hold back and repel a Confederate assualt on Cemetery Hill on the night of July 2nd, the second day of the battle. As mentioned before, the 26th would go on to fight in the Western Theatre and would participate in the March To The Sea in 1864. William would be discharged from the regiment on June 18th, 1865, and eventually would move to Cedarburg to be with his father, Henry, possibly to find a job in either his hotel or other ventures. But just like Henry Roth, William could have suffered from trauma due to his service, possibly PTSD and other war-related wounds, readjusting to civilian life, and sometimes not letting the war go. Learning from Henry's son, we can learn about the humanity behind the hotel ownership.

One thing to note here, is that there is not much detail on Henry Nero and his life. Maybe he was an immigrant or an American moving to Cedarburg from a different state or town. But if we learn about his son, William Nero, we can learn about the personal issues that Henry was dealing with when his son came home from war.

Central House/Henry Nero Hotel

There is not much known about Fred Schuette to fully describe his personal life and influence in Cedarburg. But, according to one Cedarburg newspaper, in June of 1885, Schuette was a city clerk who worked for Cedarburg's city council that did clerical duties and legal requirements passed by the council. One part of the newspaper described how Schuette wrote down a motion to create a Board of Health for the town; as a result, he was motioned to become the acting secretary of that board. As you can see, he did various duties in the town's government regarding laws and other measures. His residence that goes along Washington Avenue, though, has unique characteristics to it as well. First, the residence design shows its Queen Anne-influenced design that makes the component of the design plan that was connected to the building. Most of the residence have cream city brick appearances that include many cut glass windows. Another to know about Mr. Schuette is that he was a primer cigar maker in town, which was very common to make some extra money on the side. Even though these are the only two details of Schuette's life, it still shows how he contributed to this community through its local government. His residence shows that as well.

This residence was established in 1907. This next house was very tricky, because there is not much known information about Fred Schuette or his whereabouts. But, by looking at two details of his life as well as his residence. We can get a sense of what he did here in Cedarburg.

Fred Schuette Residence

John P. Wirth settled here in Cedarburg in 1846. Wirth, before this, he was a shoemaker trying to find a place in Cedarburg where he could open up his own business. In 1865, the year that the Civil War ended. His business would be established in that year, with the building being completed in 1871. The business that he ran was prevalent at the time of its founding. Wirth would sell groceries, general merchandise, farm equipment, implements, and clothing. In addition, Cedarburg and Ozaukee County ready-made shoes were offered as well. Because of this diversity of sales, Wirth's business would be the largest in Ozaukee County and the most prosperous in Cedarburg because of Wirth's diverse ways of selling items to customers. A Greco-Italiante design inspired the building itself. The building is also made out of substantial stone. There is also a marble date stone on the second floor that Wirth erected made of substantial stone that has the year the business was established. While the store was in business, there was also a bay window with an iron balcony and railing on the south wall of the building. These are the only details about Wirth's life here in Cedarburg. But with this structure in mind, Wirth's contribution to the community with his business. He has left an indelible legacy here in the community as a whole.

As we move on from Lauterbach's building to John Wirth's building. There should a not of awareness here. There is not much well known knowledge about Wirth, why he came here to Cedarburg, or why he decided to open up his business here. But in showing the business operations he conducted, we can see that he was very ambitious man that contributed to Cedarburg and Ozaukee County as a whole.

John Wirth Residence And Store

Frank Herziger settled in Cedarburg from Germany. He came from a long line of German meat butchers with shops in Southeastern Wisconsin. When the couple settled in Cedarburg, Frank Herziger, with his butcher experience, decided to open up a meat market and business, established from about 1900 to 1904. The establishment's exact date is unknown, so for an educated guess, were going to go with 1904. The Herziger's residence would be across the store when the business was in operation. Classical styles mainly swayed the building as a whole. The structure was specifically built chiefly on a base of cut stone and the heavily influential Cream City Brick that graces some buildings here in Cedarburg. You can see curved bricks covering the building's front door if you look very closely. This building was explicitly used and resided as a butcher's house, a meat cooler, and a smokehouse oven used to cook the meat. The oven was over two stories tall and is still in the building today. What is also shown in the structure is a large dining room that served lunch to residents, visitors, and locals as a whole. As the title gives it, this building served as a meat marketing operation until the mid-1950s Once Frank and Catherine moved into the area, the meat marketing building was in business. They had a son named William J. Herziger. William's father expected him to follow him into the butchering business due to a butcher's house's grim and horrid effects in the early twentieth-century United States. However, William decided not to follow in the family business due to family hardship and lived along Cedar Creek, influencing him for the rest of his life. He was expected of this due to his grandfather, Emil Herziger, a butcher who opened the original shop in 1875. His father, Frank, followed in his grandfather's footsteps and expected William to do the same. But as shown begore earlier, he decided not to. The couple also had a daughter named Laura, who would later marry one of the influential individuals in Cedarburg named Frederick Hilgen. Frank also had a passion for music and photography, played the violin, and as a photographer. Frank would meet Cathrine through a musical orchestra in which his future wife was playing the piano. Since Frank was born in Germany, Cathrine was born initially in Cedarburg and attended the Wisconsin College of Music, where she enhanced her piano skills; she also gave piano lessons to students who wanted to learn how to play it. She would be the organist for St. Francis Borgia Church just south on Washington Avenue. Frank's photos would be collected into a book called Reflections Of Old Cedarburg. Frank would also be inspired to be an engineer or an architect. Unfortunately, he would die when William was four years old in 1922, following his appendix being infected. Willliam would be famous for being involved in the Manhattan Project, the program that developed the Atomic Bomb that was one of the compelling factors (including the Soviet Union invading Japanese occupied Manchuria) that forced the Empire of Japan to surrender in September of 1945.

This next business is another interesting structure here in Cedarburg. Not only is its business influential here for decades, it also provides a very personal story to the family that worked and establish this market, grocery store, and meat butchering operation. The building is very unique, but the family behind the building is also very unique.

Herzinger's Meat Market

August Bohrtz was born in 1842 and came from Germany. August would grow up and learn precisely how to handle the skills of a Blacksmith. The building itself was established in 1848 before August, and his brother came over to the United States in the 1860s. Unfortunately, this building is the original building; it is a replica of the building set in 1848, but it gives us a pretty good idea of what it may have looked like. This replica of the building was created in 2003. August, while living in Germany, would marry his sweetheart, Johanna Margwardt, and immediately after the wedding, the couple would emigrate to the United States and initially settle in Milwaukee. He would work as a Blacksmith there in the city and operate a forgery there until 1875, when he moved his family to Cedarburg to open his forges, which became two of them.His brother, William Bohrtz, would eventually come to the United States to work in a business partnership with his brother. They would operate the business together until 1913, when they decided to sell the building to William Krueger, another Cedarburg businessman. Over the years, the building has been used for different reasons. A gas station would take over the original building itself in 1956. Since the replica of the original building was finished, it gives solace to know that this recent replica of the original Blacksmith shop that both August and William operated still shows an iconic and historical setting here in Cedarburg as a whole. It is now used as a hair salon named Clementine Salon.

Another note to take while analyzing this building. This version of the building is not the original Blacksmith shop that you see currently. This building is a replica of the building that was built in 1848, as it will be explained in the brief description of the original shop that was established.

Bohrtz/Krueger Blacksmith Shop

Reverand, E.G., Strassburger helped build this church and established it in 1882. Constructed mainly by the Reverand and the German Lutheran congregation that was established there. The establishment of this church goes back to 1852; Washington Avenue, as described before, was a dirt and mud road that took up the space of the entire downtown section of Cedarburg. The church itself and its congregation was originally part of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. But later in the early twentieth-century, there was a difference in belief between traditional Lutheranism and a new denomination called Evangelical Lutheranism. In 1919, the origins of this new belief would impact the church here. They would become a part of the American Lutheran Church (ALC) which in the late 1980s would change itself to The Evangelical Lutheran Church Of America (ELCA). Once these quarters became too cramped, its first congregation would meet in a small building south of the church. The congregation decided to build their Gothic-inspired church design with roughed quarry stone sides with a rock-faced limestone facade. Once Reverand Strassburger and the rest of the congregation finished building the church in 1882, the cost to build it was only around $7,745 to build the stone church. Even before the church was established, like many German immigrants in Cedarburg and the rest of Ozaukee County, most sermons and worship services were spoken in German. The Nieman family was the most notable of the congregation to attend worship and other church services. Reverand Strassburger would be the church's pastor for 46 years and spoke German. But in 1901, the demand for services now to be conducted in English was sweeping the area; the Reverand decided to accommodate those needs and, in 1904, helped establish an English-speaking church in Cedarburg and his own.The additions to the building show the height of German architecture. The stone on the building came from the Anschuetz quarry in Cedarburg itself. In addition, a channel was added to the southern portion of the church. The tower that makes the church just as unique as Saint Francis Borgia is a buttressed tower that used to hold two bells; there, the giant bell weighed 3,054 pounds when it was added in 1891, but then it was removed and re-established and is now a street-level bell. This addition would be made in 2004, mainly due to the commemoration of the congregation and church's founding going back to 1852. The tower was also used to house a hand-wound clock that helped tell the time. But this clock did not use the original mechanism to help turn the clock tables; it mainly consisted of a wooden mechanism still on display in the church. Finally, the art glass windows of the structure were installed at the turn of the twentieth or twenty-first century, showing intense colors and religious symbolism, making this church another unique one here in Cedarburg.

This church is also another iconic one next to Saint Francis Borgia Catholic Church. Earlier in the tour, we talked about the huge influence of the German-Lutheran community here in town. That theme is continuing here with Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church. Not only its design very historic, but its origins go back to 1852.

Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church

John Roth was a saloon and billiard ball owner in Cedarburg. Roth also built this residence in 1870 with a Greco-Italianate-inspired cream city brick that sticks out on the building. It also shows its inspirations from many attributes of the Greek Revival; the arched windows specifically and its door openings come from a later period of the building. John Roth was a carpenter and builder in Cedarburg, which is why the building stands today. Roth came to the United States in 1844 along with his parents, possibly from Germany, just like every German immigrant who came to the United States and would move to Cedarburg and Wisconsin; shows again how Cedarburg and Wisconsin lay heavily in its German-American roots specifically and not only just Wisconsin and Cedarburg stories but American stories as well.Roth, and his brothers Henry and Phillip Roth also made social advances in the town when they settled here. The three brothers, married three daughters of a local baker in Cedarburg who was German, the father's name was George Stiehle. Another note, the three daughters of the father were also sisters (not related to the Roth brothers). As you can see, John and his brothers made big advances in Cedarburg; even before John's brother Henry went off to fight in the Civil War. Once Henry came home from the war, he would build a rooming home on a corner near Bridge Street (we will see this rooming home later in the tour) so that his brother John could operate his billiard hall and saloon. This house, just as Henry Roth's shows, is not just the structural element but also a very human element as well.

The next residence that we will look at has a very good tie with Henry Roth and his life in Cedarburg. John Roth, however, did not fight in the Civil War alongside his brother. But, John Roth made a huge life here in Cedarburg that didn't require him to fight.

John Roth Residence

If you remember the J.P. Wirth Building earlier in the tour. J.P. Wirth owned a business here, but that is not the whole story. His son, Charles Wirth, was born on November 17th, 1849, after Wisconsin became a state and became part of the United States. Unlike the other individuals on this tour who were born in Germany or other American cities and towns, Charles is a real Cedarburger born in Cedarburg. Once Charles became older, his father would teach Charles how to be a shoemaker while juggling his schooling and education. Later in his life, Charles would start a general store of his own with his brother G.H. Wirth. But Charles was not just a businessman; he was also a banker. Later in the tour, we will analyze the Cedarburg State Bank building. But for now, we will focus on what Charles did there.When Cedarburg was founded in the late 1840s, there was almost no mention of a locally owned state bank. However, once Cedarburg developed into a booming population and the business scene. Financial stability to keep the businesses up and running would be crucial to that goal. Therefore, state banks started to pop up in the area once Cedarburg developed into the late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century. This included Grafton, Port Washington, Mequon, and Thiensville. The Cedarburg State Bank would be built and established in 1908; as Charles grew older and older, he would become president of the bank in 1909. Charles, during his tenure, would attend to the financial needs of business owners and citizens alike. The way he created the bank was actually out of creating a mortgage and loan office he owned himself, which, as a result, led to the foundation of the bank. He also decided to step down from his business to become the bank's president. Charles would be the president of the bank until his death.Again, however, he was not the same as just being a bank president. Charles would also be a Justice Of The Peace for many years, following and upholding the law. He was so influential here that locals would give him the nickname "Judge" due to his impact. Due to his role as a bank president, he was also the treasurer of the Milwaukee River Canning Company, handling their business ventures in the area. In addition, he was a member of the Cedarburg Benevolent Society, known as the Cedarburg Advancement Association (CAA). This association was established in 1902 when Wirth and other notable individuals of Cedarburg sought to promote the town and its businesses to attract incoming tourists and regular folks who lived in the area and promote the town. It would act like the Cedarburg Chamber Of Commerce today; they would also consult with other private firms and other government agencies to improve the town's roads and other infrastructure. Wirth attended these meetings and made another significant impact on the community. He would become president of the association as well.His personal life was also fascinating. He would marry Mary Goetz in 1871 and would have five children. Sadly though, two of his sons died while they were infants. Another one of his sons died while training to become a minister. No one knows the cause, but he could have died from disease or an accident; we don't know. Then, in the late spring and early summer of 1927, Charles was reading a newspaper when he suddenly suffered and died from a stroke. He was 77 years old at the time of his death. His death could have been the cause of his multiple roles, probably adding stress to his life that affecting his health. He would be buried in Zer Rhue cemetery on June 29th, 1927; he is still buried there today. On the other hand, his house had a fascinating history as well. When it was established in 1890, it was inspired by a framed Queen Anne style that features a beautiful and original revival detail. It is still preserved today as a historic home here along Washington Avenue.

Here is another house that hosted another influential individual here in Cedarburg. Charles Wirth is another person who has influenced this community. By showing his contributions to the many roles he had during his life, we can get a clear picture why he was so influential here as well as another great Cedarburg citizen.

Charles Wirth Residence

Built and established in 1873, used as Friederich's cobbler shop and home, this two and one half story cream city brick structure with is oval brick arches over its windows and door openings. Also shows its sharp-cornered segmental arches that express the building's uniqueness in the town. If you can notice, there is an original hand pump that still stands near the building in its rear near Cedar Creek. Friederich, in his occupation, was a cobbler (sometimes this term gets confused with something else). A cobbler would make shoes in the nineteenth century, but sometimes the terms shoemaker and cobbler get mixed in together when they are entirely different terms altogether. Shoemakers at this time repaired the shoes while a cobbler made them. Friederich's cobbler business would thrive in Cedarburg for years to come.

Here is another thing to note about the title of Cobbler. Sometimes this term gets confused with something else, a cobbler would make shoes in the nineteenth century, but sometimes the terms shoemaker and cobbler get mixed in together when they are entirely different terms altogether. Keep this in mind.

 Charles Gottlieb Friederich Cobbler Shop And Residence

Conrad Wiesler opened this building in 1885, mainly as a hotel business for those who wanted to rest in town. On the other hand, Conrad Wiesler has a much deeper story than that, however. Wiesler would come to the United States around 1851 to establish a business for himself. He would officially come and settle in Cedarburg in 1876, where he would start to put his hands into farming and the saloon business that was starting to grow in Cedarburg. He got these skills from farming in Illinois until 1864, when he moved to Chicago to operate in the express business there for six years until moving to Cedarburg years later. On the other hand, his political affiliations were considered radical for his time; he was a Republican, which meant that he was opposed to slavery and possibly voted for Abraham Lincoln in the 1864 Presidential Election during the Civil War. For context, before the twenty-first century, where Ozaukee County is now solidly Republican in each election, Ozaukee County, along with Cedarburg, consisted of working-class immigrants who voted for the Democratic party because of the particular war-weariness that was spreading throughout the Northern United States (The Union). This was also because some immigrants were fearful of free Black-Americans taking their jobs and not being able to pay a substitute for the 1862 and 1863 National Drafts for men to serve the military. In addition, because of the high fees for substitutes, many poor immigrants resented the rich who could pay for a substitute. As a result, draft riots would occur in cities across the North, most notably in New York City in July of 1863 after the Battle of Gettysburg.But before the New York City draft riots, draft riots would occur in Wisconsin as well. Again, for context, in November of 1862. Three hundred people formed a mob in Port Washington; as a result, they attacked the draft office there and vandalized homes of those who supported the Union or had sons, husbands, cousins, or any other soldier serving in the Army or Navy. Troops would be ordered to Port Washington; the troops would restore order. The same thing would happen in West Bend in Washington County, but troops would also be sent there to restore order. Once the war ended, Wisconsin would become a vast Republican state. In the 1876 Presidential Election, during Reconstruction, the state voted for Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes. But Ozaukee County would vote Democrat because of the supposed rumors that Ulysses S. Grant's presidency was filled with scandal and the North becoming weary in sending troops down South to restore order from race riots and upholding and defending the rights of former slaves. For Wiesler to come to Cedarburg in a heavily Democratic Ozaukee County was a huge risk because of the hostility toward the Republican Party in the Civil War and Reconstruction.Wiesler's personal life doesn't show the personality of Charles Wirth's personal life. He would marry Dora Hachfield while in Chicago and would have six children together as a result. The hotel, on the other hand, is another exciting design. It is from a Queen Anne Victorian style, with an entire front still original to the building. The two floors of the building are made out of cream city brick, and its topmost level with beautiful dormers are there. Dormers on the North and Southside of the building's third story also match, making it even more original. It is still being used as a restaurant and saloon today, which has some lovely foods that make it unique to Cedarburg. This detail, along with Wiesler's expressive life, shows how he has influenced this part of the town.

This next building is another interesting addition here in Cedarburg. But it's not just the building, it is Conrad Wiesler's expressive life that gives glow to this building. Knowing what political affiliations Wiesler ascribed himself to, we can see how he got into the business of owning a hotel and opening up a restaurant while being in a heavily hostile political environment.

Conrad Wiesler Hotel

This residence was also established in 1870. Also has a unique charm to the town. August Weber, the son of Cedarburg Brewery owner John Weber occupied the house for many years in the town. Due to his father's ownership of the brewery, Weber's father previously owned the house and gave the house to his son to own. August worked alongside his father at the brewery and lived in the home his father would eventually give to him. CCB Italianate inspired this two-story structure was built with cream city brick and has a flat roof with a support cornice. The facade of the building is built from its inspired and exemplary correlations and a paneled effect built by brick corner pilasters and by horizontal bands. These features give the residence a majestic yet nuanced look to this Italianate face of the building.

The next residence on the tour is a very unique one here in Cedarburg. Notably to its connections to the Brewing industry here in town. We don't know much about Weber and his life before or after, but his presence here in this residence makes it unique here in the town.

August Weber Residence

Leopold Jochem came to the United States in 1840, and originally lived in Mequon for a time. Before this however, being born in 1853, Jochem was one of twelve children in his family. When he was a teenager at sixteen years old, he came to Waupun, Wisconsin and learned how to be a Blacksmith and learn how to handle and sell carriages. In the village of Hamilton (Now today, a part of Cedarburg) Jochem would return to Cedarburg and acquire a firm from a merchant named Henry Hentschel. Establishing a business partnership, Hentschel and Jochem would establish a store in 1877. Leopold would marry his sweetheart, Mary Bodendoerfer in 1878 and would have four children together. Leopold was the owner of the grocery store and the general merchandise store. Leopold also for a time was a representative for American Express, he also was a postmaster for a couple of years where he used the storefront as a post office. Sadly, his business partner Henry would die in 1888. Even more sadly, his wife Mary would die in 1894.After Wittenberg established the Woolen Mill, his daughter Johanna would eventually become the daughter-in-law of Fredrich Hilgen would helped her father establish the mill. Just like Leopold, Johanna would experience death and grief. Johanna's mother would die in 1888, years before Leopold's wife Mary died. Johanna would have to care for her siblings until they became independent. A year after Leopold's wife died, Leopold and Johanna would meet and marry each other in 1895. They would move into their residence in 1898 where it now stands today, and they would have a child named Mabel Johanna Gertrude Jochem in 1900 and had two sons as well. Seventeen to eighteen years later, Leopold would die of a stroke in 1917, his sons Albert and Edwin would help settle the estate and took up their father's business and the two brothers became business partners. Since the store would change its name many times, the brothers would own Jochem's Brother's Grocery. The store would close years later in 1946.His residence is an enormous late-Victorian mansion in the town. Its diverse design incorporated many aspects of the Romanesque, Queen Anne, and Classical Revival fashions. The residence is built out of red pressed brick on a stone foundation and shows extravagantly ornamented styles, like lead potmetal and prism glass windows, with shingle siding and wooden molds that also feature sculptured terra cotta. This mansion is the largest of its kind here in Cedarburg. William Hilgen made the design for the building in 1898 for both Leopold and his daughter-in-law Johanna as a home for them.

Leopold Jochem is another interesting individual here in Cedarburg. The house that was his residence is now the Cedarburg Art Museum. His story is also another great example of the German immigrant experience to Wisconsin and the United States, the full history of this residence shows the immigrant experience here.

 Leopold Jochem Residence

Godfried Bruss, another resident of Cedarburg, would build and establish this structure in 1860. He would support himself and his family mainly by selling feed and carriages in a building to the north next door; however, this building no longer exists. Built with a Queen Anne design that expresses its decency, this structure was also built of cream city brick but at the same time has an appearance that is less sculptural than another residence here in Cedarburg, that being the Jochem residence. But Godfired's residence expresses an asymmetrical massing and pictorial detail connected with Queen Anne designs.There is little knowledge of the man or family that lived in this house in the nineteenth century. But in the twentieth century, the Krimsee family in the 1920s would move into this residence. The family also owned a furniture business and a funeral parlor to the north of the residence next door. During the 1920s, the residence was modernized with stucco incorporating colored fragmented stones to cover the limestone that made up the residence. At that time, however, in the twentieth century. These additions to the building were very common among other residences as well.

Here is another little note for this next residence. There is little knowledge of the man or family that lived in this house in the nineteenth century, there is not much known about him or the family. But, this house was used by another family that will be described briefly.

Bruss Residence

John Nieman comes from a long line of German immigrants to the United States and Cedarburg. He is the only Nieman in his family history to be born in the United States with a direct German origin. His father, Joachim Nieman, would come to Ozaukee County, build his house in Piegon Creek in the 1850s, and settle in Cedarburg. John would be the first-born Nieman in that long line to be born and raised in the United States. At 23 years old in 1891, he would marry Annie Thesfelt but would tragically die of scarlet fever. A very deadly fever and disease prevalent in the nineteenth century. After John's wife died, he decided to move away from Ozaukee County and Cedarburg. He left for Hermansville, Michigan, where he conducted himself as a businessman and a logging merchant with business operations in Northern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula.For a while, he would search for another wife to marry. Finally, he would marry his first wife's sister, Martha Thesfelt, and had five children together as a couple. Unfortunately, one of his children, a daughter, would die when she was an infant. John may have insisted that they remain in Michigan due to his business and merchant duties, but Martha thought of something different. She prodded John to move back to Cedarburg in Ozaukee County. John agreed, and as a result, he and his family would pack their bags and move back to Cedarburg. Not only did they move back to John's hometown, but the money and wealth that he accumulated while he was a logging merchant and a person in business would also bring that money back to Cedarburg with him. As soon as he arrived, he noticed the same pressing concern that Charles Wirth noticed, the community's financial needs.As a result, Nieman, along with Charles Wirth, would help fund and establish Cedarburg State Bank to address the financial issues in the town. This is all due to his experience in Michigan and Northern Wisconsin while a logging merchant. Neiman would also, in 1910, found and created the Cedarburg Cannery and the Old Milwaukee River Cannery. In that same year, he would help and contribute to the community of Thiensville, just south of Cedarburg, where he also established another bank called the Thiensville State Bank. Years would pass by as Neiman would help establish community connections with its business and his participation in many societies promoting the town. In 1921, Neiman's son Edwin Nieman would marry a woman named Erna Fromm, who was the sister of a new company that her brothers were establishing. The Fromm brothers knew of the success and wealth of John Nieman. To help establish their business, the two brothers knew that there needed a considerable inflow of money to help start it up. Neiman would give the necessary money to help them start their business, and his son, Edwin, would become a business partner with the Fromm Brothers. In the 1920s, the two family names would emerge, and the business would be called Fromm Bros. Neiman And Co. As a result, the business took off, and Edwin Nieman and the Fromm Brothers would conduct all sorts of business in their new store. From distributing vaccines to counter the Fox Distemper in 1924 to constructing their food plant established in Mequon, Wisconsin in 1925. Without John Nieman, the company wouldn't have gotten started to where it is today; the plant is still in operation today, thanks to John Nieman's contribution. His residence here in Cedarburg looks very modern but still with a touch of the nineteenth and twentieth-century styles of homes. It was inspired by a late Queen Anne design, with a residential architecture mostly built out of red brick that had a cut stone origin placed there by Nieman himself. The contributions that Nieman made to Cedarburg and starting up a business all came from his hard work and determination that put Cedarburg on the map.

Our next stop also shows an influential figure in Cedarburg's history. John Nieman, his contributions to this community, as well as help start off a major business in the area show the hard work and determination to make a name for himself as well as work hard for what he envisioned to help his community and the area as a whole.

John Nieman Residence

Ludwig Groth, in 1842, would purchase 120 acres of land that would make up Cedarburg; this purchase is connected to the other founding father of the town as well. Groth would become the area's first realtor as he subdivided the acres into specific blocks and lots in the land purchased. Groth's land is now today; Washington Avenue in downtown Cedarburg where the significant buildings you see are on the original land that Groth bought. William Groth would erect and build the building; after building it, it was established in 1876 for his nephew Henry G. Groth. Henry G. Groth then connected with his uncle's brother-in-law John F. Bruss to cooperate and open and operate a general merchandise and hardware store. During those years, Groth Brothers Hardware store inhabited the building was in operation until 1963. The building itself is a two-story structure covered with limestone. Its roof contains hips that express its inspired Italianate originality that also has a twin-bracketed wooden cornice. Today, this building hosts the business Up The Creek, LLC, a home decor and gift shop.William Groth, served in the American Civil War with the 9th Wisconsin Infantry regiment, and would enlist in October of 1861 and be assigned to Company I of the regiment. Like the 26th Wisconsin, the 9th Wisconsin consisted of German immigrants and German-Americans. He would fight with his regiment at a place in Arkansas called The Battle Of Prairie Grove in 1862 to take hold of the northwestern part of the state. Strategically, the battle was a Union victory where they secured this part of Arkansas. Groth and the regiment would also take part in Army expeditions into what was called Indian Territory (Today it is Oklahoma), and participated in another battle in Arkansas called Jenkin's Ferry in April of 1864, which was part of The Red River Campaign by the United States Army. At Jenkin's Ferry they, along with the army, would be beat back repeated assualts by Confederate forces. Groth had seen and witnessed African-Americans soldiers of the 2nd Kansas Colored Infantry Regiment fighting fiercely and not taking any Confederate prisoners, some of them of them even shooting at wounded Confederate soldiers. With this context in mind, African-American soldiers at a place called Poison Springs, Arkansas Confederate soldiers did not recognize African-American's as soldiers. As a result, they didn't take prisoners, and executed them and mangled their bodies without mercy. Groth may have saw this at Jenkin's Ferry in the battles aftermath by the soldiers of the 2nd Kansas Colored Infantry.For reasons we do not know, Groth would come down with a disease. Disease in the Civil War killed more soldiers than combat. Most of these deaths came from Dysentery, Diarreha, Smallpox, Measles, and other deadly diseases that killed Civil War soldiers at a higher rate than the bullets and cannons. Groth before this would be sent home on furlough. He would catch one of these diseases and went to Madison to recover. Sadly, he would not win the battle with the disease, he died on September 18th, 1864. Unlike Roth, Groth would be counted among the 750,000 dead as a result from the aftermath of the war, but by putting a human face on him, with his familial connections to this store. You'd have to imagine the grief the family was experiencing when they heard the news of William's death.

The next building down also has a unique history here to Cedarburg. As you already know, Business's thrived here ever since the town was founded in the 1840s. But this building gives special merit. Not only is it a family business, there is another Civil War connection here as well.

Groth Family Store

Moving to another church in the community is vastly different from the Lutheran influence here in the town with other churches established here, Saint Francis Borgia Catholic Church. Once you turn around and face North, you can see the entirety of downtown Cedarburg with the many buildings that we have seen and learned about and the vast beauty surrounding it. But on the other hand, this church goes back to the founding of Cedarburg itself around 1842. In 1842, there was Jesuit Preist named Father Martin Kunding, who was before an assigned pastor in Milwaukee. But he did not just minister in Milwaukee only; he would travel to mostly Irish Catholic habitants in Milwaukee's areas on horseback. He would also sometimes conduct worship services in their homes and help establish parishes in those areas.One of the parishes established in Cedarburg would be founded in 1844. But it wouldn't be a cathedral; first, it was mainly a log cabin. Due to the area still consisting of forests and the main road not being introduced yet to the town. Once Cedarburg was founded in the late 1840s, the log cabin would be replaced in 1852 by a much larger framed church. But the settlers here who were Catholics were even earlier than before the founding of Cedarburg. In the 1830s, settlers from Ireland made a small village that would become part of Cedarburg called Newland. Even before the Potato Famine in the 1840s, Irish immigrants were already settling in the United States due to the hardships there and no recognition of the independence of Ireland from England. In this time frame, along with Father Martin Kunding, the state that would be Wisconsin was named the Wisconsin territory. Once the frame church was built in 1852, St. Francis Borgia would welcome its first pastor, the parish named Father Jacobus Colton as its pastor. But around the middle of the 1860s, the parish itself started to grow so fast that the framed church would have to be larger than the first one. So the church's next pastor, Father Joseph Hermon, chose land triangular in shape. Unfortunately, this triangular land would intersect at the corners near what was then the village of Hamilton and a road called the Plank Road that would become Cedarburg. So, as a result, the congregants of Newland would have to move the original location of the church south down what is today Washington Avenue. There were concerns about whether this new location was beneficial to the parish, but Father Joseph Hermon thought that the move would be. The church still stands on the triangular field that Hermon chose.During the years when the parish moved their church to a new location, they also helped establish other parishes in the area. These parishes would not exist anymore, but at one time, they were a part of St. Francis Borgia and its significant connections to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. This is where German Lutherans, the main religious component of the community, came to step in and help the parish establish its new church. Now let's think here for a minute or two; the Protestant Reformation created a deep schism in the Catholic Church in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to a church in Wittenburg, Germany. Indeed, there had to be tensions between Protestants, Lutherans, and Catholics during this period. This was also due to Americans' hostile attitude toward Irish, German, or other European Catholics. This hostility also came from Irish and German Protestants, even though native-born Americans did not consider them assimilated and cultured Americans. In 1844, for example, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, there was a nativist riot where native-born Americans, as well as some Irish and German Protestants, believed that Irish and German Catholics were going to take their jobs away, as well as a massive hostility to Catholic schools and churches not reading The Bible (specifically the King James Version) in their schools, as well as a fear where they believed that Catholics were going to make the United States a Catholic nation instead of a Protestant nation. As a result, riots brook out in Lombard Street in Philadelphia and Southwark, a neighborhood in Philadelphia, where mobs burned down Catholic Churches and schools and killed dozens of individuals. The militia would come in to restore order, only to get into a shooting match with the mob and a firefight broke out between them. Eventually, the militia would restore order. This context helps set up the situation in Cedarburg between Irish Catholics and German Lutherans. But Cedarburg's leaders, German Lutherans, thought that the church's building was beneficial to the community. They did this because they wanted to make Cedarburg the most influential community in the area and Ozaukee County. So German, Irish, and other European Protestants donated money, funds, and other capital to help buy the triangular parcel of land that the parish was moving the church to; they would help the parish purchase the land in 1868. After this, the church would start being built with Bedford limestone, along with additions of its Romanesque door and windows. There were other additions to the church; buttresses, pinnacles, and the church's spire were inspired by a Gothic design. The church was finished and dedicated in 1870, at the cost of just $30,000, thanks to the donations of the German and Irish Protestants in Cedarburg. Today, St. Francis Borgia still stands on the triangular field purchased by the parish and the Cedarburg community. Today there are two churches in the area; one is to the North of Cedarburg, where they have a school, and the original one, which is on the Triangular field, is now called the South Church. But the South Church is the original one that was established in 1870. As you turn around and face North, you can see the entirety of downtown Cedarburg and its natural beauty. This also could have been why this church has a commanding spot here in town.

Another note until we learn about this church. Due to the heavily influence of German and Irish Protestants in Cedarburg, they were not just the sole religious group here. German and Irish Catholics also made a majority of the area both during the founding of Cedarburg, as well as the community's development into a more diverse religious community as a whole.

St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church

Going back to Henry Roth, Roth did not just own a residence but also ran a Rooming House. Established in 1888, rooming houses were built for individual persons to rent out rooms. Tenants as a whole would share bathrooms and kitchens, and other commodities. Sometimes these rooming houses would be known as boarding houses on the East Coast and in other major cities like Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Chicago. Usually, these structures would invite individuals of different occupations in nineteenth-century America. But they would vary, depending on the individual's income level as well as job status. Sometimes rooms would be rented upwards of from $2.50-$40, and these are just some of the prices if an individual had to rent a room in New York on the East Coast. But each rooming or border house had different set prices for individuals to rent, so the prices could sometimes be mixed.After establishing and operating the saloon across from the Wittenburg Mill, Roth would then turn his attention to owning and operating a rooming house. But where would he operate it? Let's say that he would replace a small beer saloon, which is precisely what he did. The saloon sign also showed "H. Roth" on the former structure where it has the year 1888; the year the house was established. He then converted the former saloon into a rooming house where tenants rented out rooms at the prices he negotiated would help keep the structure intact and offer an affordable price for those renting out rooms. But before the building was erected, however, there was a two-story frame structure on the part of the building where the former saloon sign once stood. Roth would then build this structure inspired by an eclectic Victorian block out of Milwaukee's CCB (Cream City Brick). The brickwork in this structure is very ornamental that spreads out in spandrels, false arches, and stringcourses that give this building here in Cedarburg a vibrant character.But over the years, the rooming house would be used for other activities as well. Going into the twentieth-century, the rooming house would still be used for tenants seeking out rooms to rent or even to own. But over the years, this practice would be obsolete as different properties, apartments, condos, and other establishments by property managers would fill Cedarburg. Around the 1970s, the rooming house was practically be gone from what it was in the nineteenth and early twentieth-century. A new bar and grill in the 1980s would establish itself in the same building that Roth had established as a rooming house. In 1983, Maxwell's would be established and is now today considered one of the preeminent bar and grill in Ozaukee County and Cedarburg.

Moving further along the avenue, we return to Henry Roth and his story after his Civil War service. For Roth, as well as many other veterans, tried to put their lives back together after the war. He went back to his job as a carpenter, but he would do other ventures as well.

Henry Roth Rooming House

On the other hand, this house is the oldest house ever to be here in Cedarburg. This house is so historical that it is even listed on the National Register Of Historic Places. Another reason why this is historical is also due to the designer of the structure, Frederich Hilgen, one of the founding members of Cedarburg. Due to the historical importance behind the figure, the building still has that historical origin that makes it stand out. When it was built, the first part of the house was a frame that would be covered in brick at a different time. There are also some limestone rubles on the other three sides of the house. Hilgen and his design and the workers who built the house would add these features later and in the years ahead of the structure's establishment.The rear side of the house would be added to the structure in the late 1850s, along with other features. Unfortunately, this new feature also makes the house look like a saltbox in its appearance. The house, however, really stands on an awkward angle that faces the street and Washington Avenue. This strange angle was that in the nineteenth century, roads were merely dirt roads in the 1850s, plus there was always one road that was much more extensive than the modern road here in town today. It was also due to the house being built before the main dirt road cut through downtown, Washington Avenue, and Cedarburg as well. So, despite the influence of Hilgen's design on the structure, many individuals did live here but were not much prominent as other Cedarburg figures here. But one thing we need to know is this; human beings lived in this house and contributed to their community in some way or another.

This structure is one of the oldest and most historic structures here in Cedarburg. But one thing needs to be made absolutely clear, no prominent figure from Cedarburg lived here. But looking at the design of the house, we can see how one historical figure influenced the design of the house that was one of the founding members of the community.

The Wayside House

Here is another original building as you cross bridge road and then back onto Washington Avenue. This building is a perfect example of Cedarburg's stone masonry and quality that makes the buildings here pop out alive. Established in 1860 or 1864 (The year of the establishment is confused). The building stood on a two-acre lot; its walls are made of the local limestone in the area with specific heavy motor joints added to it. There are also parallel course lines that are engraved into the motor. Along with these additions, the design of the building is very severe. Still, it is made up for it in its dignified and carefully integrated openings that show the degree of completeness in the structure. There are also neatly appareled quoins slightly raised above the wall's surface. Those course lines in the motor use the quoins for spacing throughout the structure. This residence shows the beauty and historical nature of Cedarburg in just one residence.

Now we will depart on the east side of Washington Avenue and to the west side. This next historic residence is a prime example of stone made houses here in town. Not much is known about Adolph Boehme, but his residence shows the craftsmanship he put into the residence as a whole.

 Adolph Martin Boehme Residence

Dietrich Wittenberg, a founding member of the Cedarburg Wollen Mill. Built this residence across the street from the Wittenberg Mill in 1864. While establishing his residence, he worked with Hilgen, his son-in-law, and Joseph Trottman to design and build a wollen mill in the north end of the town. Because of the proximity to Cedar Creek and the Cedarburg Mill and others, it was built and then finished in 1865 at only $30,000. With the mill's establishment, its contributions by Wittenberg also made the mill very innovative in terms of equipment and its architecture being made of stone. Hilgen would then transfer his shares to Trottman and Wittenberg, which would also establish and maintain the name of Hilgen and Wittenberg that would carry on the business until 1872 due to the mill becoming incorporated renamed the Cedarburg Wollen Mill. Along with Hilgen and Trottman, Wittenberg would work twelve hours a day for just $3.00! Wittenberg would also later serve as president of the mill. His residence while the mill was being operated. It was built with an inspired and excellent illustration of another great Victorian-Italianate design for the residence. The square plan is essential; it is soothed with a projecting entrance pavilion with a broken pediment. Along with the residence, there are also original cornice brackets that have remained on the structure. Unfortunately, the front porch of the structure had to be replaced. But this structure would not just be known for being occupied by Wittenberg; this residence would be the first structure in Cedarburg to use electricity. As a result, it would use electric power that the Wittenberg Mill generated that coincidentally was across the street from his residence. Wittenberg's contributions to the northern part of Cedarburg proved historic for the town.Another interesting tidbit is the other buildings that were built after the Woolen Mill was founded. After the mill's founding, more buildings in business in the mill would be built on the east side of Cedar Creek. As a result, the mill business along with other mills started to flourish and progress in fast way. The business and the mill would produce the highest and excellent array of yarns, flannels, blankets, and other types of yarn and clothing as a result. In 1880, with the help of Wittenberg and others; a secondary mill in Grafton, just east and northeast of Cedarburg, near the creek. This mill also manufactured woolen yarns, but this mill would later separate and become its own business in Grafton. Most of these materials that the mill's used specifically came from England and were highly imported around the world. Wittenberg and his contributions to the mill insured that this part of Cedarburg is what made the town prosperous and economically well-grounded. Today, the mill is still again a thriving district of business's, dinning establishments, and gift shops that make a huge portion of Cedarburg's economy today.

As we continue further south along Washington Avenue. This next residence is also of huge historical implications here in Cedarburg. Dietrich Wittenberg, a founding member of the Cedarburg Woolen Mill. Was another major figure here that made the Cedar Creek Settlement it is today here in Cedarburg and the area.

Dietrich Wittenberg Residence

Like every other mill in Cedarburg, these were built to help farmers sell their crops and generate commerce in the area. The Wollen Mill was built and established from 1864 to about 1865 during the American Civil War. But due to its original size, the building has twice been increased to its original size. First, the original mill was built during the Civil War in the northern half of the structure. Then, a familiar addition was added to the southern portion of the building near Bridge Road about 30 years since the mill was built. Its addition makes it stand out even today, with both the northern and southern portions of the mill, which used to have a low Greek-Revival pitched roof, also had a past section that expressed an ornamented cupola. But in 1907, both of these roofs would be removed. And then added a third story to the mill that still has the present-day flat roof. The mill office would also be added with the Wollen Mill in 1864 and 1865. Frederick Hilgen, Diedrich Hilgen, and Joseph Trottman founded the office and the mill. In the early parts of the tour, Hilgen was a businessman and wanted to expand the mill industry in Cedarburg. Due to the proximity of Cedar Creek, this mill, along with the Cedarburg Mill, would use the creek and its water to power and operate the mills at an efficient level. As with the Wollen Mill, the mill's office also has its unique structural history. Again, this building has a three-story stone Greek-Revival structure built during the Civil War in 1864-1865. This part of the building contained the office for the mill; the northern portion of the building would be used for storage space for others items. The mill and factory at the rear of the building would turn out the day's items. Items like wollen and worsted yarns, flannels, frocking, skirting, blankets, and mackinaws. This mill and the office would boost the mill industry in Cedarburg for the next couple of years in the nineteenth century as a result.

The next mill that we'll see today is now part of The Cedar Creek Settlement Shops were there are gift shops, restaurants, and other assortments that are sold. But this area in 1864 and 1865 was a thriving business district set-up by three founding members of Cedarburg along Cedar Creek.

Cedarburg Wollen Mill & Office

Established in 1843, this church was originally a log church. However, due to persecution in Germany, German immigrants (A majority of them Lutherans) sought to set up their congregation here in Cedarburg. While some of Cedarburg's founders were land speculators, most came to the United States for religious freedom and escape persecution. Architect William H. Hilgen created the church's design, just like the Cedarburg Mill. The church was built using limestone that was formed like a rock face. John Weber and John Vollmar were local masons and formerly built the church structure. The walls are also made out of and cut with buff sandstone incorporated into the limestone wall if you look closely at the walls. The cornerstones are a bit unique in terms of the church's structure. The log church's location was also near what is today Founder's Park, commemorating those who found the town of Cedarburg.

Now we will move on to a religious structure to our left, going East. This church is as historic as all the other churches here in Cedarburg. These churches show the influence of German immigrants and German-Americans on this community. At the same time, it show the immigrant story.

 Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church

Built in 1855, the residence of Adam Gletizmann owned a business that dealt in cooperage. His business would stand west of the house. Gleitzmann also had another structure in Cedarburg where he constructed barrels for arrangement housing in Milwaukee. Like all German immigrants who came to the United States, Gleitzmann himself also sailed to the country but from Bavaria. Gleitzmann initially settled in Grafton when he was a teenager, he was 19 years old at the time. He would then move to Cedarburg to start his copper and barrel business. When the American Civil War broke out in 1861, Gleitzmann volunteered and fought with the 45th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. Gleitzmann would fight with his comrades at the Battle of Nashville in December of 1864, and mustered out in July, 1865. The house has a two-story Greek Revival design with an ell-wing that is about one story when you look at the structure.

Now we will head further east to our first historic residence here in Cedarburg. This residence explains also very well the immigrant story here in Cedarburg, but it also shows how the residence was designed with unique features as well as the proximity of other historical buildings here also.

Adam Gleitzmann Residence

E. Hilgen, in his connection with Eilert Stallman, Hilgen's relation to Frederick Hilgen and had shares in the Columbia Mill. The house was established in 1869; this limestone house also shows a clear example of the stunning style of the structures built and established in Cedarburg in the nineteenth century. Just like Stallman's front door with a keystone showing the house owner's name and the year it was established, 1869, is clearly shown on the door. The building also has attired quoins and rugged quarry stone on the structure's corners. There is also molded wooden cornice that is double-connected. One subtle detail on the residence is a wooden window casing under the curves are scroll-cut features that also make the residence stand out as the style of these houses signified the unique expression these residences have brought to Cedarburg.

What is interesting about this structure, is its connections with Stallman. E. Hilgen is directly connected with Frederick Hilgen, the founder of the Cedarburg Mill. What is interesting here is that this house would be established exactly five years after 1865 after the Civil War ended and going into Reconstruction.

Ernst Hilgen Residence

Eilert Stallman, another businessman who had connections with E. Hilgen and C. Barthel. Also had royalties and shares in the Columbia Mill. His house, situated across from the mill, was built by a carpenter in 1865; a man (who the residence is named after and who had shares in the Columbia Mill) was Stallman himself. Like all the structures in Cedarburg in the nineteenth century, this structure was made out of limestones. These limestone structures also contain attired quoins; when approaching the door, notice that the door is very curved. There is a casing on the door that holds a keystone with an inscription of the establishment of the residence and the year it was built, clearly showing that it was established in 1865.

As we continue down Columbia Road. You'll notice that as we continue further down the road, that most of the buildings here are very modern suburban houses. But this next house, just as Adam Gleitzmann's residence was, is even more historic to the year that the building it was built.

 Eilert Stallman Residence

Juergen Schroeder was the father of William Schroeder; his residence was next door to his son. But before William's father built the house in 1870, his family, along with William, lived above their general merchandise store south of the residence. Until the twenty-first century, Schroeder's descendants would still live in the house and pass it on down to future generations of the family once the house was built; however, Juergen Schroeder, in connections with this son's business relations with the Hilgen's and their mills. Owned a portion of Washington Avenue from the front between the store and the portion of the street to his son's residence. As you can see, Juergen and his connections to his son also supported his family and, as a result, made them the most influential family in town, along with Hilgen and his family.The residence was inspired mainly by a Greek-Revival structure when it was built. The residence was also made of cream city brick; the home is also known for its creative Victorian-inspired side of the residence, which layed on the south side of the structure. On the south side of the building are a bay window and porch consisting of cast iron cresting and elegant scroll-cut gingerbread, making this residence unique here in Cedarburg. Not much is known about Juergen Schroeder and what he did to impact the community, but we can see that we can get a pretty clear picture of his character here in town just by the structure and his connections with his son.

Since William Schroeder's residence is next door, there is another individual who lived right next to him, and was his neighbor; his father, Juergen Schroeder. But not much is known about William's father; but in describing his father's residence, we can get a clear picture of what his character was like.

Juergen Schroeder Residence

Henry Wehausen acquired this residence in 1866, built it himself with an inspired Gothic Revival structure, and established it as a cottage. Then, being a businessman himself, he invested in the building of his mill that would be right next to his house, the Excelsior Mill. This mill would be established in 1871. As with Cedarburg mills, the mill was made of limestone and other products. The mill still stands today behind Wehausen's residence. Unfortunately, in the 1880s, the stone structure was engulfed by a fire that left the building empty for a decade. In 1890, John Weber brought the property and circulated it into his new business, the Cedarburg Wire and Wire Nail Company. Decades later into the twentieth century, in 1969, the final production of its wires was produced until the business moved on and was discontinued. When looking at the house, notice that it is built on a slope. Also, notice that the house has a scroll-cut roof and window ornaments, making it another unique structure.

The next property that will be examined today is surrounded by some urban development. But the area where the milll is and the residence next to it still shows the dam that was used for the mill's power structure as well as its influence on the town and in the community of Grafton as well.

Excelsior Mill And Residence

Heinrich Anschuetz, in 1836, came to the vicinity of Cedarburg and started a limestone quarry. This quarry, as a result, would help create and transport most of the limestones to structures in the village that were being constructed with this material. Anschuetz would purchase about 640 acres of the land in this vicinity to build the quarry. Later on, he would give the primary land that was brought to his sons as an inheritance, and as a result, he would also build the house you see today for one of his sons. However, his son, Peter Anschuetz, did not follow in his father's footsteps and would not go into the family business of limestone quarrying. So in return, Peter agreed to look after the land and farm it instead. As in previous residences, a keystone inscription upon the door shows Peter's name and the year the house was built in 1869.

What is interesting about this residence is the personal family dynamics that took place between Heinrich Anschuetz and his son Peter. On a another note, this residence could not be found due to it probably (we never know) being demolished. But it was here in the region you are standing.

A Tour Of Historic Cedarburg

George Fisher/Kuhefuss Residence

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources