PLYMOUTH – The Gentine family will pay homage to a historical figure who contributed to downtown Plymouth as it revitalizes the historic H.C. Laack Block.
The family will rename the property to the Henry Christopher Hotel after the businessman who established a pharmacy and hotel at the same site in the 1800s. It plans to transform the block into a 35-room boutique hotel, restaurant, bar, banquet space, a rooftop bar and a wellness thermal suite.
“There’s so much history in these buildings,” Lee Gentine said in a news release. “It’s exciting to be able to build a bridge to the past, while creating something new for the community and future generations.”
Henry Christopher Laack, born in Greenbush in 1850, operated nearby retail shops, a hardware store and a Queen Anne-style hotel in the downtown.
“As a family, we feel it’s important to respect those who came before us and that has guided us throughout the restoration and renovation,” Louie Gentine said. “Naming this site, once again after H.C. Laack, speaks to the pride we have for our hometown and those who put down roots to make Plymouth the great community that it is today.”
The project’s construction timeline moved back from spring 2026 to fall 2026. The Gentine family has worked with experts at Wisconsin Historical Society’s Historic Preservation office through the design process.
The hotel was formerly the 52 Stafford Hotel, which closed in winter 2023 as a result of financial challenges. The Gentine family purchased the property for roughly $1.63 million.
Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or agarner@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Gentine family names Plymouth venue ‘Henry Christopher Hotel’ after original owner
Reporting by Alex Garner, Sheboygan Press / Sheboygan Press
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