Property Record
118-122 W COOK ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Schulze Hardware Company |
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| Other Name: | Book World/Sandy's Hallmark Shop |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 3639 |
| Location (Address): | 118-122 W COOK ST |
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| County: | Columbia |
| City: | Portage |
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| Year Built: | 1869 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1992 |
| Historic Use: | retail building |
| Architectural Style: | Italianate |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Cream Brick |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Portage Retail Historic District |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 4/27/1995 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 10/24/1994 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| Additional Information: | ROUND ARCHED WINDOWS. Commercial block; parapet with brick panels and curvilinear designs; round arch windows and lintels with keystones and corbel stops; continuous sill; first floor storefronts with recessed entrances altered. In the 1940s and 1950s, Book World contained Senger's Hardware, and the Hallmark store housed Coast to Coast in the 1950s to the 1970s (Eulberg 1993) Between 1870 and 1892, E.H. Warner established a hardware business at 122 W. Cook which was constructed in 1869. By 1885, the hardware included a tin shop on the second floor. Frank and Louis Schulze purchased and ran the store between 1892 and 1909. In 1909, Louis Schulze sold his interest to Herman Schulze. After his brother's departure, Frank Schulze operated the store as a sole proprietor between 1914 and 1917. In 1917, Herman Senger of the Senger-Kutzke Hardware and Martin Heller purchased the business and establihsed the Senger & Heller Hardware. After purchasing Heller's interest in 1927, Senger operated the store until his death in 1948. His son Jack Senger operated the business in 1949 and sold it to Don Lee whocontinued the business as Senger Hardware through 1955. In 1955, the building underwent remodeling (Register-Democrat 4/27/55: Portage Daily Register 12/23/1889. The Warner Hardware which later became the Schulze Hardware Company at 118-122 W. Cook also employed a tinsmith from at least 1885 through 1901. In 1871-1872, William Fulton in partnership with Alexander Thompson purchased the grocery business of his uncle John Fulton who had been established since 1853. In 1879, he acquired his partner's interest and operated to about 1900. He dealt in staple and fancy groceries. Fulton occupied 118-122 W. Cook (57/18) between about 1885 and about 1905. By 1910 through 1917 and perhaps to 1920, Fuilton located at 124 W. Cook (57/17) (Portage Daily Register 12/23/1889; Democrat 7/30/97: 5; Jones 1914 [2]: 592; Butterfield 1880: 898). Established by 1903, Thomas H. Gadsen and L. Earle Grant, jewelers occupied 118 W. Cook in 1908 and 1909. Stickler Weelesss Wheel Company with Thomas Hardy as its sec./treas. produced boat propellers in the building betwen about 1910 and 1912. F.W. Woolworth located at 118-122 W. Cook between 1917 and 1937. Coast to Coast followed them by 1955. |
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| Bibliographic References: | Sanborn-Perris Map Co. 122 118 1929: store store 1918: hardware 5 & 10 1910: hardware tin shop second jewelry 1901: grocery hardware warehouse and tin shop 2nd 1894: dry goods and cloths hardware and tin shop second carries stove and tinware 1889, 1885 same for both Columbia Co. Treasurer 1863- (ownership shown as two properties from 1885 to 1915. 122 (west) 118 (east) 1920-30 E.W. Port E.W. Port 1905-15 William Fulton William Fulton 1885-1900 William Fulton J.S. Smith 1866-1880 A. Kiefer A. Kiefer The rise in valuation indicates that the building was erected between 1867 and 1869, and it was built for one owner. The date stone indicates 1869. date: 1869 date stone Directories 1955: (120) Senger Hardware; (118) Coast to Coast (Johnson Printing Co.) 1929: (118, not 122) F.W. Woolworth Co. (Smith-Baumann) 1911-12: Stiockler Weedless Wheel Co., Thomas Hardy, sec. treas. (R.L. Polk & Co.) 1910: (120) Schulze Hardware Co.; (118) Stickler Weedless Wheel Co., boat propellers (Voshardt) 1908-09: (120) Schulze Hardware Co.; (118) Gadsen and Grant, jewelers (S.H. Moore) 1905-06: Schulze Hardware Co. (L.F. Schulze, pres. and F.G. Schulze, sec./treas. and Gadsen and Grant, (Thomas H. Gadsen and L. Earle Grant) jewelers (R.L. Polk) 1903-04: Gadsen and Grant, jewlers, not hardware (R.L. Polk & Co.) 1901-02: no jeweler or hardware. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |