A building that has a long history in downtown Appleton will go through some changes this year.
The owners of Gabriel Furniture, at the corner of College Avenue and Morrison Street, are retiring. Joe and Ruby Wells bought the business in 1988, and they made their decision to close because there’s interest in the building.
The building itself dates back to 1850, and the first owners were the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a fraternal organization.
Gwen Sargeant is the vice president of the Appleton Historical Society. She says big ballroom space on the third floor was used for bicycling indoors, skating, and a number of other activities. She says there are a lot of different sized spaces inside the building. She says at times there were a number of offices, including for dentists and podiatrists.
Joseph Gabriel opened the furniture store in 1928.
