SHAWANO, WI (WTAQ)- Owners of a soon-to-be brewery in Shawano are finding a fun way to raise money to keep a historical element of their building in place.
A marquee on the front of the future Stubborn Brothers Brewery is a visual reminder of the 1900’s on Main Street in Shawano. It is something that the Shawano Community would like to keep in tact.
“People wanted us to save a building.”
As they did with other aspects of the planning process, Aaron and Erik Gilling asked the community what they wanted done.
“99 percent of people that responded said let’s keep the marquee,” Aaron Gilling said.
However, Gilling said that comes with an expensive price tag.
“The cost is $25-50 thousand dollars, and that is not in the budget.”
To come up with the money, the Gilling Brothers are using the history of the building to their advantage, offering tours of the building this weekend for small donations. Gilling says it is a win-win as some of the history that they uncovered when renovating the old Crescent Pitcher show, is worth seeing.
The tours will the last chance to see elements of the original building that will be covered up in the construction process. For some, it will be a trip back in time to what they remember whiles others will see the historical elements for the first and only time.
“You are not going to be able to see some of the original rooms where people got changed for vaudeville theater. It is going to be kind of our last hoorah to show people.”
Gilling says that is just one example.
From the day they purchased the building, the Gilling brothers have asked for community imput. Giving the community what they want is the key driving force in the project.
“We want this to be a community staple were people say we helped that, we did that. All of this money is going to go towards renovating the front of the building or the facade.”
The tours will be Saturday and Sunday. The tours are being given in groups, so those interested should just show up for a tour. A $20 dollar donation is requested, but any amount will be accepted.
