Charles and Henry Imig were the most successful men's clothing dealers in Sheboygan in the late 19th century. In 1882 they constructed a new building in an elaborate Victorian Italianate style. By the 1990s the building was owned by three different entities and the property was known as the Imig Block. The city of Sheboygan's Department of Development began to push for a project combining a Community Development Block Grant and the owners' use of the rehabilitation tax credits.

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Charles and Henry Imig Block, 1997

Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Imig block prior to rehabilitation. View the property record: AHI 68168

The three owners, Daniel McFadden, Dale Rauwerdink and McGrath and Associates, participated in this complex rehabilitation project. Work included opening up blocked-down second floor windows and removing paint from the masonry. Chemical cleaners were used to reveal the original cream brick, accented with red brick and stone. A new historically appropriate multi-color paint scheme for the wood and metal trim was the perfect foil for the masonry.

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Charles and Henry Imig Block, 2012

Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Imig block after rehabilitation. View the property record: AHI 68168

The project architects, Linde Jensen Marcheske Architects of Sheboygan, WI, designed new storefronts in a configuration that matched the architecture. They also re-created an elaborate cornice. A historic photograph of the building was used as the source for the cornice design, which included a realistic eagle cresting. The iconic eagle, with its wings spread wide, looks down on passersby just as it did when the building was completed in 1882.

Read more about the Sheboygan's Charles and Henry Imig Block in the historic property record on our website.