Rickeman Grocery Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Rickeman Grocery Building
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Rickeman Grocery Building
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| Location | 415 6th St. Racine, Wisconsin |
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| Built | 1883 |
| NRHP reference No. | 82000701 |
| Added to NRHP | March 1, 1982 |
The Rickeman Grocery Building is a really old and important building in downtown Racine, Wisconsin. It was built way back in 1883 for a grocer named George Rickeman. This building is a great example of the Late Victorian style, which was popular a long time ago. Because of its history and cool design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. This means it's officially recognized as a special historical place!
Contents
The Story of the Rickeman Grocery Building
George Rickeman's First Grocery
The Rickeman Building was built in 1883. It was made for a grocery store owned by George A. Rickeman. George was an immigrant from Germany and a veteran of the American Civil War. He fought with the 3rd Wisconsin Infantry.
George first came to Racine in the 1850s to be a cabinet maker. He even joined the Colorado Gold Rush for a short time in 1859. After the war, he opened his first grocery and saloon in 1866. This was four blocks east of where the new building would later stand.
George Rickeman passed away in 1894. After his death, his wife Catherine and his sons George and Fred continued to run the family business.
A Fire and New Beginnings
On September 2, 1902, a fire damaged parts of the building. It destroyed many goods on the store's second floor. The store was repaired and updated between 1905 and 1910.
By 1917, the grocery store had closed its doors. A new business moved in: Daniel C. Metcalf's clothing store. This clothing shop later became the Longworth Store in 1925, but it didn't stay open for long.
Another grocery store opened in the building. It closed and was put up for sale in 1928.
Different Shops Over the Years
In 1929, two new businesses opened in the building. One was Leo Brennan's restaurant, which was a sandwich shop. The other was the Photo-Crafts Shop, a Kodak store. The Kodak store moved out soon after.
The Brennan restaurant changed its name to John Wagner's in 1931. It later had a few more names before closing in 1943.
The Ode Record Center opened in the building in 1943. It had a small fire that December. After that, Furhman's Sausage & Cheese Shop opened in 1949. This shop later became Milton Keller's Sausage & Cheese in 1954.
In 1956, Gompers Millinery took over the space. Then, Seymour Smart Footwear opened in 1958. Gerald Lynch owned this shoe store until he passed away in 1973. The store then closed.
The Building Today
From 1974 to 1976, the Port Gilbert Gifts & Antiques Shop was in the building. It was quickly replaced by Sixth Street Art Supply.
Today, the first floor of the building is home to The Cobblestone Ltd. This is a frame shop and art gallery that opened around 1980. The second floor is used by the Dick Shore Dance Studio.
