FOND DU LAC – Rueping Lofts, 183 S. Main St., finished restoration on its nearly 150-year-old building, which now holds Bird’s Eye View Optical and seven apartment units.
“A sliver of this building has always been a saloon or bar, and today I guess I broke that tradition,” developer Sam Meyer said at the ribbon-cutting July 17.
The entire space used original wood and brick wherever possible, as well as wall sconces from the downtown Retlaw Theater.
With a mix of upper-level and lower-level units, rent starts at $1,175, according to management company Historic Wisconsin Properties.
Bird’s Eye View Optical is the commercial tenant
Bird’s Eye View Optical first opened on Main Street in 2023, and owner Angie Roloff quickly embedded her team into the downtown culture and events.
The boutique shop moved into the new space in June, matching the design to the historic character of the building.
Building complemented courthouse since 1880
Fred Rueping, founder of Fond du Lac’s first tannery and one of the city’s longest-lasting businesses, built the building in 1880 to help “beautify the neighborhood around the courthouse,” according to The Reporter archives. The property was previously a wooded area.
The words “1880 Rueping Block” greeted downtown visitors on the corner of the building ever since, ornamentation that was restored with the rest of the construction.
In 1955, John and Elsie Brickle bought the building and opened Brickle’s Tavern, moving from Brickle’s Hotel and Tavern, which they operated on Fourth Street since 1925. John died months before the new tavern opened, and Elsie ran it with their sons.
The tavern was known for lunchtime crowds, homecooked meals and a wall of clocks that showed the time from various countries until it closed for good in 1990.
Beernuts moved in not long after as the last tenant before redevelopment plans started in 2024.
Daphne Lemke is the Streetwise reporter for the Fond du Lac Reporter. Contact her at dlemke@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Rueping Lofts leans into the building’s history in Fond du Lac
Reporting by Daphne Lemke, Fond du Lac Reporter / Fond du Lac Reporter
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By Daphne Lemke, Fond du Lac Reporter | USA TODAY Network
