100 YEARS on “Main” Street
2023 marks the 100th anniversary of the building in which the current Winthrop Historical Center is located.
In 1917, the land on which it sets was sold to the Peoples State Bank. But, not until 1922, did they break ground for what would become one of the town’s most admired structures. It would be a three-story brick building with a finished basement, housing a barber shop and shower room. The main floor to west would be a U. S. Post Office/Pharmacy. The upper floor was sold to the Masons to become their new home for the Masonic Temple and Eastern Star meeting room. The main floor to the east would become the new bank.
The interior of the bank would be constructed with the finest materials of its time, with marble wainscoting gracing the walls and black and white inlaid tile on the floor, which can still be seen to this day. The bank counters were constructed of mahogany and marble. Light fixtures with Tiffany shades would hang from the ceilings. The building was completed and ready to be occupied in 1923 at a cost of $20,000.
In 1966, a new bank was built on the corner of First and Madison Street and over the years many changes would be made to the old building. Several businesses have occupied our historic site including restaurants and bars, a beauty salon, apartments, and an agricultural business to name a few.
In 2005 the upper floor was “sold” for $1 dollar to the Winthrop C & C Club. It was later formalized by the donation of the property in 2021 by the Byron Masonic Temple Lodge. The lower levels were purchased in 2018, giving us ownership of the complete building and all the history that went with it. The Winthrop Historical Center officially opened its doors during the Sesquicentennial Celebration of 2007.
Hard work, the support of the many volunteers and generous donors has made it possible to try and restore the building and fill it full of local history. Some of the updates have included windows, flooring, painting, plumbing, electrical, a new furnace and air conditioning. In the past year an elevator for all three levels and a wheelchair lift at the rear entrance were installed to make us handicap accessible. Beautiful renovations on the main floor include a Farm to Market area, a new bathroom and office.
This 100-year-old building was a show place of its time, and was once mentioned in the 1923 Winthrop News that it was an attractive addition to “Our Main Street”. The amount of history in the building is endless and while visiting you just might just take a trip down memory lane. We are very grateful to our many volunteers, the city and citizens of Winthrop, our contractors, and our very generous donors for their support.
The Winthrop Historical Center welcomes you as we cherish our past and celebrate our future. We can once again say that it is an attractive 100-year-old addition to “Our Main Street”.