Property Record
2 E BAYFIELD ST (USH13)
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Union Block / Meehan Mercantile Company |
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| Other Name: | Chequamegon Book and Coffee Co. |
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| Reference Number: | 1467 |
| Location (Address): | 2 E BAYFIELD ST (USH13) |
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| County: | Bayfield |
| City: | Washburn |
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| Year Built: | 1888 |
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| Additions: | 1895 |
| Survey Date: | 2008 |
| Historic Use: | retail building |
| Architectural Style: | Commercial Vernacular |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brownstone |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| National Register Listing Date: | |
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| Additional Information: | SECOND STORY WINDOWS BLOCKED IN SOME FIRST STORY ALTERATIONS. BOTH STORES SHOWN ON 1889 SANBORN-PERRIS MAP. FIRST STORY INTERIORS LARGELY ORIGINAL AS IS MOST OF THE EXTERIOR. The corner section was built in 1888 and the design was continued when the addition was built in 1895. Originally home to the City Pharmacy and the Meehan Mercantile Company, the building was for many years the County Journal. Pieces of old typeface can still be found wedged into the cracks in the floor. The second floor was residential and also home to the Chequamegon Lodge I.O.O.F. When renovating the building, the a corked bottle was found within the bricked-in archway connecting the two sides, claiming that the cornerstone was laid "17th July 1895 by George E Meehan-Chief Mason, Edward A. White-Grand Mortar Mixer, A. W. McLeod-Chief Hod Clerk, Mrs. Anna C. Morgan-Architect and Supervisor, signed John E. Layne-Chief Scribe." A complete renovation was undertaken in 1995. Energy efficient windows were installed using the entire, original opening in the stone. Hardwood floors were refinished - some for the first time in over 100 years - and all new plumbing and heating systems were installed. |
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| Bibliographic References: | Eckert, Kathryn. Sandstone Buildings in the Lake Superior Region. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2000. WASHBURN ITEMIZER: DEC. 27, 1888, P. 1. WASHBURN NEWS: JAN. 26, 1889, P. 1. Washburn Heritage Preservation Association. Wood, Stone, and Water: Washburn Walking Tour. Bayfield: Roslyn Nelson, 2005, pp. 12-13. SANBORN-PERRIS FIRE INSURANCE MAPS OF WASHBURN, 1889. NAME STONES (NELSON, MEEHAN) UNION BLOCK IN THE CORNICE. WASHBURN REAL ESTATE TAX ASSESSMENT ROLLS. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |