The Manufacturer's National Bank of Neenah

•  On the evening of November 28, 1881, there was a meeting at the Russell House in Neenah the purpose of which was to form a new bank.  By the end of the gathering the new bank had a name and board of directors.  It was to be called The Manufacturer’s National Bank of Neenah and the board was made up of Hiram Smith, D. C. Van Ostrand, Henry Sherry, F. C. Shattuck, Alex Billstein, S. M. Hay and Charles Schreiber.  The bank soon set up shop at 109 W. Wisconsin Avenue in the former photographic studio of C. B. Manville.  

The location seemed to work well but by 1902 a remodeling was needed.  The Neenah Times of July 12, 1902, reported that Wm. Waters had been commissioned to plan the work.  A new façade of Bedford stone was called for as well as extensive interior work.   The October 12,1902, issue of the Neenah Times featured an article announcing the completion of the job, which had a copy of architect Waters’ front elevation.  Since about 1900 Mr. Waters started designing buildings in the Neo-Classical style, the public library in Oshkosh is a great example.  The front elevation of the Manufactures National bank shows a near textbook drawing of Greco-Roman architecture replete with ionic capitals on the two columns.   Interior improvements were made as well, such as a new tile floor.  By the early 1920’s a larger building was needed, the site of the Russell House was acquired, and the new bank opened in June of 1923.  The former bank building still stands on W. Wisconsin Avenue and is in use.

The Bank of Hortonville

 

William Waters designed a good number of bank buildings and was not afraid to use a design over again if it worked well.   Early in 1895 W. H. Spengler of Medina commissioned Mr. Waters to prepare plans for a new bank to be located in Hortonville.   The bank held a state charter and W. H. Spengler was to be the cashier, while his son W. J. Spengler would serve as teller and bookkeeper.  

  

     A few years earlier in 1887 the architect Waters had planned the First National Bank of Menasha.   The building was acclaimed as an architectural ornament of the city.  The Hortonville bank was not as ornate as it’s Menasha predecessor but shared the same fenestration on the front elevation and floor plan.  Henry Schneider an Appleton contractor won the bid to erect the new bank, and work started in April of 1895.   The building sat on a high foundation of limestone with doors flanking a large, ached window trimmed with limestone in the center of the first story.   Above the center window a limestone block was carved with “Bank” and above that four windows with limestone lintels served the second floor.  Beyond that was windowpane like brick work a favorite feature of Mr. Waters at that time.  A brickwork and limestone cornice topped the front of the façade.  The interior fixtures were made of cherry wood furnished by the Robert Brandt Company of Oshkosh.    

The bank opened for business in August of 1895 as a privately held business but went public in 1902 with W. H. Spengler as chairman of the board.  The building has long since ceased to serve as a bank and the years have taken their toll, but one can still see the splendor that once attended the building.  

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Appleton's Turnhalle

I’ve allowed this blog to lie fallow for the past few years because I felt as if I’d run out of things to write about.  Recently however fellow Waters devotee, David Growth has shared new research which has renewed my interested in writing.  There are six building that heretofore were unknown to David and me, the Appleton Turner Hall, banks in Neenah and Hortonville, schools in Oconto and Stevens Point and the Vilas County Court House.   I’m eager to share my research on these structures and I’ll start with the Appleton turner hall.

Appleton, like much of Fox Valley had a sizable German population and so German culture was greatly celebrated.  The city’s Turner Hall was for many years a center for German theatre and music.  This wooden frame building was located at the north end of Superior St. and by the early 1880’s was proving to be inadequate, so plans were made for a replacement.  Property at the other end of the block was acquired and William Waters of Oshkosh was hired to draw up blueprints.  A notice in the Appleton Post of 8/23 1883 reported that the contract for construction had been let to H. G. Ashman.  On June 26, 1884, a large article appeared on the front page one of the Appleton Post heralding the opening of the new hall.  It gave a short history of the society and a full description of the building, which sat on a high foundation 60’ x 30’, the overall height of the structure was fifty feet. The basement contained a gymnasium, dining room, kitchen, five dressing rooms for use by performers and a furnace room.  On the main floor there was a stage and auditorium and gallery with seating for 1300 as well as two anti-rooms and ticket office. Interior frescos were painted by Mr. Louis Loeffler of Milwaukee, the total cost of the building was estimated to be $16,700.   But for a large cupola which graced the front elevation the building bore a slight resemblance to the Grand Opera House in Oshkosh which was completed just a year earlier.

The Turner Society ran the hall for the next ten years, but things must have faltered for a missive appeared in Appleton Post on May 2, 1895, announcing the hall was remodeled and would reopen under new management as Central Music Hall.  Central Music Hall was around until 1900 when their neighbor Wisconsin Grain and Malt Company bought the building and converted to a malt house thus making the company the second largest malt supplier in the state.  The building has long since been raised and newer construction occupies the lot.

Lost Treasure

A few years after I started researching William Waters, I heard of a photo album consisting of Mr. Waters’ buildings.  It was said to have been compiled by the architects’ son and contained prints with a blue tint to them.  What a tantalizing treasure, a researcher dream come true.  Some years later I talked to someone who claimed to have seen the collection of pictures and had urged the person to whom it belonged to donate it an historical organization, for safe keeping.  I was told that perhaps the State Historical Society was the recipient of the book, so I went there looking for it.  The society didn’t have the album but did have another collection, sketches from the 1870’ collected by Willie Waters.

Like the treasure of Oak Island, the compilation still eluded me.  Further inquire reviled that it had supposedly been passed along to the Neenah Historical Society.  I had made other requests of the society in the past and was always satisfied with the outcome.  This inquiry was different, the group seemed to have no knowledge of the book or its’ whereabouts.  Furthermore no one seemed interested in trying to find it. 

The story of the photo album seems to be nothing more than a myth.  If it ever existed it surely does no more, lost due to carelessness and incompetence.  It’s a shame that a valuable research tool and gateway to the past was lost to all.   

September 4, 2019 A Presentation

                                               https://vimeo.com/360362870

On Wednesday September 4, 2019 my wife and I presented a power point at the Oshkosh Public Library.  Please click on the above lick and enjoy the show,

"The Tiniest Sleigh Bell"

Hey everyone! I've published a children's book and it's available as an e-book or print edition. Just Google "The Tiniest Sleigh Bell" and find the many options for purchase.

Three for One

Smith School was closed in 2019 which ended a nearly one hundred twenty-five-year history of serving the educational needs Oshkosh.  In 1894 the school board received a report on the condition the school buildings and the report was critical of Smith school which had served the community since the mid 1860’s.  It was decided to build a new school and architect from Appleton, Merrill, Milwaukee and Joliet, Illinois submitted plans.  William Waters also proposed a design which the school board adopted.  In November of 1895 the construction contract was let to Domke and Meyer, and the building was in use by 1896. 

As Smith school was under construction Mr. Waters got two more school jobs.  The first was for the Wittenberg High School which was built in 1897 using plans like though of Smith School.  The Wittenberg school was slightly larger than Smith school and was constructed of a dark brick whereas Smith school was of a cream-colored brick. That building severed until 1970 and was demolished to make way for a new school. 

The other school erected using similar plans was the Brandon High School.  The Brandon school was somewhat smaller than its predecessors but had dormers on the front and sides as well as a belfry.  The structure was of a light-colored brick and featured a header above the front arches which read “High School”.  It too was razed after the combination with another rural high school. 

The fenestration of the front elevation of all three buildings was the same with two entry arches on the first floor above which were three windows. To the sides on the first floor were sets of double windows and on the second floor a set of double windows flanked by single windows. It was a graceful design worthy of repetition.