1612-1614 COMMERCIAL ST

1612-1614 COMMERCIAL ST

La Crosse

Bangor

1918

1992,2020

small retail building

Twentieth Century Commercial

Brick

No

This 1-story Twentieth Century Commercial building was constructed in 1918. It is rectangular in plan with a red brick façade and a flat roof. The building shares party walls on both sides. The front elevation faces south and is asymmetrical in plan. A recessed entrance consisting of a metal-framed glass door with a single sidelight is located at the eastern end of the façade. West of this, the original display windows have been replaced (prior to 1992) with a band of four single-pane windows with a buff-colored brick half-wall below. A large vinyl awning (added sometime after 1992) spans the width of the façade above the storefront. The remaining wall above this contains three bays with unornamented vertical bands of raised brick separating each and a narrow corbelled cornices capping each bay. The center two vertical brick bands served as visual anchors for a rectangular parapet that was removed in the 1960s.

This building was constructed in 1918 as a grocery store operated by Eugene Wolf. In 1924, the grocery store was purchased by partners Dominicus O. Stevlingson and George Kapanke, Sr. Within about six years, Kapanke purchased Stevlingson’s share of the property, at which time the building became known as the Kapanke Grocery Store specializing in dry goods, groceries, and school supplies. In 1962, George Kapanke, Jr. became a partner in the business. Under Kapanke’s long ownership, the store was remodeled with lowered ceilings, the installation of air conditioning, and the construction of a walk-in freezer (the latter two alterations were completed in 1967 as part of Kapanke’s effort to become an IGA affiliated grocer). During this period, a modest rectangular parapet was removed from the front roofline as well. In 1968 George Kapanke, Sr. retired from the business, following which time the building was converted by Ken Kabat as the second home of Kabat’s Bar (the original location of the bar is no longer extant). Kabat’s Bar operated until 1974, following which time the building stood empty until it was purchased by Richard “Dick” Chapiewsky for the establishment of Chip’s Bar. Chip’s Bar remained in operation for the next 25 years. After its closing in 2002, the building again stood empty until 2009 when it was purchased by the current owners who established Augie’s Bar and Grill.

Bangor Commercial Historic District

Oct 11, 2022

Feb 18, 2022

Yes