North Shore Bank To Preserve Historic Grafton Farmhouse

Bank to incorporate 19th century stone structure into state-of-the-art branch

BROOKFIELD, Wis. - North Shore Bank today announced it has redesigned its proposed Grafton branch to preserve a 19th-century stone farmhouse that sits on the property and will incorporate the original house into its new branch. Bank officials said the new plan blends historic preservation with new construction for a state-of-the-art bank office that fits the Grafton community.

"North Shore Bank feels a deep responsibility to the communities where we do business, and when we learned that many people in the Grafton area wanted to see this historic home preserved, we changed our plans to make that happen," said Darrel Eisenhardt, the bank's vice president of branch administration. "We're pleased to be able to help preserve this important piece of community history."

The two-story home at 4309 Columbia Road was built in 1869 by Heinrich Anschuetz, whose family opened the Lime Kiln Quarry in the late 1800s. Many buildings in Grafton and Cedarburg were built with stone from the quarry.

The revised plan calls for the original house to be preserved and connected to a new building, with North Shore Bank's office encompassing the interior of both buildings, Eisenhardt said. The small amount of stone removed to allow the connection of the two structures will either be used elsewhere in the building or offered to a local historical group, perhaps for a fund-raising activity, he said.

The plans are subject to review by the Village of Grafton Plan Commission and the Village Board, and an initial revised proposal has been submitted to Village officials. The bank hopes to begin construction later this spring.

"We appreciate the feedback we received from the community and believe our Grafton neighbors will like what they see in our new design," Eisenhardt said. "Being community-minded and a strong neighbor is important to us, and we're excited to help preserve Grafton's history while helping to build its future."

North Shore Bank, headquartered in Brookfield, was founded in 1923. It has assets of $1.7 billion and 42 offices throughout eastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois. Current Wisconsin branch locations are in metro Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Appleton, Menasha, the Green Bay area, Burlington, Union Grove and Door County. North Shore Bank also has two Illinois State Bank offices in McHenry County, Ill. Locate an office.