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Waterloo in Monroe County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
 

The Küenster Building

123 South Main

— Waterloo, Monroe Co. Ill., Laid Out in 1818 —

 
 
The Küenster Building Marker image. Click for full size.
September 27, 2019
1. The Küenster Building Marker
Inscription. The Küenster Building is named after its builder, Hubert Küenster, who built it as home to his pharmacy in 1871. Küenster was appointed as a Postmaster in 1865, so there is belief that the Post Office was also in this building at one point in time, In 1862, he also received the appointment of Deputy Revenue Collector for Monroe County, a position which he held for three years.

Mr. Küenster did his part to aid in the growth of Waterloo by investing his surplus funds in real estate. For several terms he was a member of the Board of Trustees for the town of Waterloo and from 1874-1876 Küenster served as President of the Board. In 1883, he served as one of the founders of the first bank in Monroe County, Commercial State Bank.

In 1981, the County Board granted a company headed by W.T. Horine, Hubert Küenster and Jacob Koenigsmark, the right to build a long distance telephone line in Monroe County. The Bell Telephone Company of St. Louis was contracted and given the contract to build the line from St. Louis to Waterloo: through Belleville, Millstadt, Columbia and to Waterloo. This gave Waterloo and the surrounding area its first telephone connection with St. Louis. The Central Office was located in the Küenster Building.

A. C. Bollinger and Dr. N.B. Pautler, together with a group of businessmen and farmers, obtained a charter

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for the First National Bank of Waterloo, which opened its doors for business on June 6, 1912 in the Küenster building at 123 S. Main Street.

In 1924, the Murphysboro tornado blew the roof off of the Küenster building, and the roof then eventually landed in pieces on the Court House lawn, wrapped around the trees.

First National Bank remodeled the outside of their part of the building in 1950. The bank was here until May 18, 1960, when it moved to its present location on 228 South Main. The original vault is still present and being used by Heartland Travel. Waterloo Savings & Loan moved from the second floor of the Küenster Building downstairs when First National Bank of Waterloo moved to its new location.

Through the years, also on the second floor of the Küenster Building were a WWII draft board office, Pharmacist P.A. Hamacher's living quarters, A.H. Friedrich's Law Office & A.C. Bollinger's Law Office. To the rear of Bollinger's office was an apartment. It was also the Savings and Loan office, as mentioned before, and is now the home of Betty WIghtman, who inherited the building from her mother in 1968.

On the third floor, Tripp Lodge meetings were held. There is an eyehole in the door that is still present today, which members used to peek through in order to ensure only other members were let in. Then, the Knights of Columbus met there until they built

The Küenster Building Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Thomas Smith, December 10, 2023
2. The Küenster Building Marker
a new meeting place. It is used today for storage.

After Waterloo Savings & Loan, Korel/Strelliis/Mermel had a law office here, and then it became home to the Edward Jones & Co. office of Gary W. Hency.

In 1996, Doris Rippelmeyer moved from the Kutter building into the Küenster building with her business, Heartland Travel and then sold the company to its current owner, Connie Vogt.


 
Erected 2016 by Waterloo Beautication Committee.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: ArchitectureIndustry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Illinois, Waterloo Beautification Committee series list. A significant historical date for this entry is May 18, 1960.
 
Location. 38° 20.124′ N, 90° 9.023′ W. Marker is in Waterloo, Illinois, in Monroe County. Marker is at the intersection of South Main Street and West 3rd Street, on the left when traveling north on South Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 123 South Main Street, Waterloo IL 62298, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. City Hotel (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named The Küenster Building (here, next to this marker); The Wallhaus Building (a few steps from this marker); The Pluth Building (within shouting distance of

The Küenster Building image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Thomas Smith, December 20, 2019
3. The Küenster Building
this marker); Waterloo Municipal Band (within shouting distance of this marker); The State Bank of Waterloo (within shouting distance of this marker); Monroe County Bicentennial Bandstand (within shouting distance of this marker); Revolutionary Patriots of Monroe County, Illinois (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Waterloo.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on January 11, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 30, 2019. This page has been viewed 217 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos:   1. submitted on September 30, 2019.   2. submitted on December 10, 2023, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill.   3. submitted on December 20, 2019, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 28, 2024