Nov. 18, 2016 – A major remodel is underway in downtown West Bend at the space above The Exclusive Company.
Boss Realty owner Tom Zernia has cleaned up the space for a new business location. Zernia also plans on renting out space.
Frank Slesar from Slesar Glass said the space started out years ago as Campbells. “They had fabric, ladies and infant clothing,” he said. It was also a business that “never had a phone.”
Over the years there were more changes as the space was home to an auto business, then Sixth Avenue Card Shop and later Animal House gym.
Slesar also remembered when West Bend Amusement was in the building. “At one point in time a 7up truck went down the valley and it got in but it couldn’t get out,” he said. “They had to bring in a wrecker and tow it back up the hill.”
Slesar said the valley was behind the stores. “The white buildings that belong to Sharon Marth, those weren’t there yet,” said Slesar. “There was just a hill that went down and that was behind the buildings on Main Street so you could just drive down our alley and get back there behind those stores.”
Slesar said there was a barn where the Centrum building is now. “That was there when we started in 1949 and the original shop building was constructed in 1954,” he said.
On a trivia note, Slesar said the space also used to be an auto business in the space. Can you name the business.
And across the way is a building with the initials FW along the rooftop facade. What does FW stand for?
Slesar Glass current location was formerly Van Beek Chrysler,Plymouth,Harley Davidson-F W. was the Woolworth five & dime.pre Campbells we had the Carrol House on two floors,
Thanks Don. What was the Carrol House and where was that?
To my fuzzy recollection it was wher the Exclusive and the remodeling is,it was a department store type on two floors,at one time there was a Milw Journal distributor in the Slesar Glass area also. There was also a Moose Lodge meeting place in the same area
Way way back, there was a Buick dealership owned by my Grandfather, Christ Wiskerchen. This was probably in the ’30s or ’40s. Wish I had more details. It may have been a little closer to the Centrum Building, not sure.