Sturgeon Bay's 116-year-old granary placed on National Register of Historic Places

STURGEON BAY - The embattled granary along the city's west-side waterfront was placed on the National Register of Historic Places Feb. 5, according to the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society.

Built as the Teweles and Brandeis grain elevator 116 years ago, the granary is slated to be dismantled, salvaged and stored in February. The date to begin the work has not been set.

The National Register of Historic Places is the "official list of the nation's historic places worthy of preservation," according to the National Park Service website. The registry is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate and protect America's historic and archeological resources.

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The Sturgeon Bay City Council voted to award a contract to remove, salvage and store the granary Jan. 16. The effort to remove the granary began in November after the city's fire chief issued a raze order for the structure, citing that it is a public hazard. The contract was awarded to Kiesow Enterprises of Valders.

The owner of the company, Mark Kiesow, said he is working with the city and Sturgeon Bay Historical Society to prevent complete dismantling of the granary.

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"I am doing everything I can to save this (granary)," Kiesow said during an earlier interview. "Taking this down has a huge impact on the history of the area. Being near the water, (the granary) is just as much about the agriculture history and the land as it is about the maritime history."

The Wisconsin Historical Society placed the granary on the state register in August.

"We are so excited that this structure is finally being recognized nationally and hope this leads to a new respect for what we have locally," said Christi Weber, president of the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society.