The Rhinelander Daily News - Online news and information for the Rhinelander, Wisconsin region

Sometimes remodeling a building is like treasure hunting. In the case of Ben and Becky Carpenter’s renovation of 37 South Brown Street, it’s a case of finding one treasure after another.

Though the Carpenters have called Rhinelander home since 2000, they only recently purchased the building. Carpenter is a Hodag, class of 1995, and a photographer who left her full-time job three years ago to focus on her true passion.

Currently she works in the field of wedding photography, though she plans to expand into portraiture, including school photos, and art photography once the work on her new Brown Street studio is complete.

Carpenter would like to use part of the space as an art gallery and host wine tasting or whatever else fits the space. The upstairs will be turned into an apartment, complete with treasure number one, a full skylight.

The building has a long history. According to local historian Joy Vancos, “This brick building is probably a circa 1889 front which was part of what was known as ‘The Harrigan Block.’ It served as the local Post Office from around 1900 until 1916, after which it was the Markham and Stone clothing store until 1924. The huge safe in the basement probably belonged to the Post Office.

“Adolf Schauder moved his shoe store into the building from across the street in 1924 and remained in business at that location until 1990. It was during this time the metal front was placed on the upper level. From 1990 until about 2000, it was occupied by Gerri’s Fabric Patch, and most recently by Antique Alley.”

You can tell Becky Carpenter is excited.

“We’re working with Downtown Rhinelander Incorporated (DRI). They have a really good architect (Joe Lawniczak, Design Specialist with the Wisconsin Main Street Program). We’re bidding out the work to be done on the exterior of the building. Behind the tin on the front is tile. We’re going down to the original brick and hoping for a good surprise.

“We found old pictures through the historical society. We’re going back to the look of the early post office. It will be much more of an historical look. The store entrance will no longer be recessed but moved to the sidewalk.”

But the facade and history of the building is only part of the story, there are more treasures inside.

“We had to remove 12 layers of wallpaper from the walls,” said Carpenter. “We’re down to the original brick, another treasure.”

The building is really a jewel, with original hardwood floors throughout. The lathing in the walls is fashioned from 2 x 8 boards rather than 2 x 4’s.

The tin ceiling was a real find.

“A worker stripping the walls asked me if we wanted to save the crown molding he discovered,” said Carpenter. “I realized it was part of a tin ceiling. Even that is in amazing shape because whoever put in the false ceiling did so by attaching the false one along seams in the tin panels. So most of the panels are undamaged, even the corner caps.”

Carpenter’s family was touring the building last Monday and the gathering was a series of pointing and exclamations. As Carpenter said, she was a Hodag coming home. And another case of someone giving back to their community. That’s a treasure in itself.

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Comments »

Sheri Pudlowski wrote on Aug 13, 2008 8:06 AM:

" As I have releative and friends that live in Rhinelander,I myself lived there in the early '70's with my husband at the time and oldest child. I love the fact you are preserving the store back to it's original state. I live in Merrill now and one of the most beautiful buildings in Lincoln County is our Court House. More power to you, more young people should look up to you,you are an inspiration! Hats off to you! "

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