Shops breathe new life in historic Port house

Situated next to the Port Washington marina is a Cream City brick house built by brickyard owner Gottlieb Guenther Sr. in 1896. More than a century later, the house has new life as a retail store and soon-to-be bed and breakfast inn.

The Guenther House Collective held its grand opening on Nov. 3 and is operated by Vicki Manzeck, Sheila Kruepke and John Weinrich.

“When we opened up, people were waiting outside for 45 minutes to get in. That was very humbling,” Kruepke said. “We’ve had an overwhelming appreciation from our customers.”

The first-floor retail space features clothing, accessories and home decor items. Manzeck said her retail line, Cedar Beach Cottage, highlights inspirational Christian-themed apparel for the Christmas season.

“My faith is really important to me and it certainly helped with getting this store started,” she said. 

The house at 300 E. Pier St. is owned by Weinrich, who was a childhood friend of Manzeck. The partners wanted to turn the 123-year-old building into a shopping destination between downtown Port Washington’s Franklin Street and the marina to attract tourists. 

“I think our main draw is going to be tourism. We’re expecting to be really busy in the summer,” Manzeck said.

The building was previously home to Port Ski and Cyclery for a number of years, but has sat vacant for some time, Manzeck said.

“This house has gone through a lot of transformations with the times, just like Port Washington,” Manzeck said. “I love making something new out of the old.”

According to documents from the Port Washington Historical Society, Guenther Sr. operated a brickyard near Veterans Park and was killed in a work-related accident in 1914. Many of the buildings in Port Washington and surrounding areas were made from the brick Guenther and his five sons produced.

Manzeck said she used to peep through the windows of the vacant house and think, “Oh my gosh, this would make the cutest shop.”

She previously rented retail space at an antique mall in Kewaskum, but didn’t feel comfortable starting a business by herself. So she called Kruepke, who operates Urban Farm Girl out of her restored barn in West Bend.

“Vicki gave me a call and said, ‘I want to talk to you about an adventure.’ After she showed me photos of the house, there was no question about it and I said yes before we went to see it,” Kruepke said. “I was really super busy with my store in West Bend and had no intentions of opening another one, but honestly it was the building that made me want to do it.”

Kruepke said her apparel line has a strong following and she showcases different items at each store to give customers new experiences each time they come. 

Weinrich owns a warehouse full of antiques on Park Street in Port and is selling his vintage pieces at the store. His line is called Newport Vintage.

Manzeck has been collecting old items most of her life and credits her friendship with Weinrich for leading her down that path.

“When we were kids, we were the ones going into old homes to look at all the old stuff like coffee cans,” she said. “I’ve been a vintage lover my whole life and have been collecting vintage Christmas items for over 20 years. Now it’s popular.”

Above the retail space are two apartments that are being turned into a bed and breakfast inn. Manzeck expects the rooms to be available for rent by next month. 

“I think they’re pretty quaint and we’re in the process of furnishing them, but we’ve been very busy with the store,” she said, noting she is leasing the second and third floors from Weinrich and eventually wants to own the upper levels.

Manzeck said the retail store will bring in new items each season and holiday. The store will also have a year-round nautical theme because of its proximity to Lake Michigan and the marina.

“We keep rotating the merchandise so it’s always new,” Manzeck said. “A lot of people ask us if we’ll be just Christmas, and the answer is no.”

Manzeck said the items are priced accordingly and some of the older vintage items, such as a $300 church pew, might cost a little extra.

“We didn’t want to be too expensive because we want people to come in. We have clothes from London and Italian sweaters and they are very affordable,” she said. “However, some of the vintage items cost what they’re worth.”

Manzeck, a Port native who lives in the Town of Belgium, said setting up shop in her hometown has been a full-circle experience. She said she enjoys seeing old faces from her childhood and also making new friendships with customers.

“I love reconnecting with so many people who come into the store,” she said. “I love reconnecting with my Port roots.”