Photo by Retiring Guy
1849. Founded by German immigrant John Schuette. Store opens in one-and-a-half story frame building measuring 18 by 28 feet.
1856. Store expanded in size; Sons John and Henry becomes partners.
1862. John Sr. dies; store continues operation as Schuette Brothers.
1901. Business is officially incorporated with shares purchased by brothers and several other shareholders.
1902. Construction of 3-story building at South 8th and Franklin streets.
1992. Business purchased by August Schuette's son-in-law Pete Burback.
1994. Closes.
Despite attempts to update the store, it closed in 1994 suffering the fate of many downtown businesses in the 1990’s as shoppers were attracted to malls, larger cities, and low priced chain stores.
Registered as a historic property in downtown Manitowoc, the former Schuette Brothers Department Store has been meticulously restored to its turn of the century elegance and prominence. Built in 1902 and located on the corner of South 8th and Jay Streets, the Schuette Building Commercial Spaces and Luxury Apartments offer dramatic ceiling heights, original hardwood flooring, expansive views with floor to ceiling windows, decorative pillars and brick accent walls. The hand carved grand staircase is the focal point of the common area which connects all of the commercial spaces together.
Related reading:
Schuette's Liquidating After 145 Years. (Women's Wear Daily, 7/6/1994)
Schuette’s occupies a 40,000-square-foot building in Manitowoc, which is on Lake Michigan between Milwaukee and Green Bay. It was founded in 1849 by John Schuette Sr. and has been in the hands of the Schuettes ever since.
Burback and his wife, Catherine, acquired the store two years ago. She is a stepdaughter of August Schuette, its previous president.
The company, mainly a moderate-price retailer, tried to lure a younger customer back to the downtown area by adding a gourmet coffee bar, a gift shop and a new lingerie department. Burback and his family and friends, working up to 80 hours a week, also refurbished the entire store by themselves, replacing the tin ceilings and putting in a men’s shop that “borrowed from the style of Polo/Ralph Lauren,” he said.
“But it wasn’t enough,” he said. “Downtowns aren’t what they once were, and it’s hard to compete today. Also, stores like Wal-Mart, Kmart and ShopKo, as well as Younkers and Penney’s, have taken away a lot of our business.”
Related post:
Former Schuette Brothers Department Store building in Manitowoc undergoing renovation. (12.30.2018)
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