History Walk Site 9: Weiher Building

This two-story commercial building, completed in 1927, is a fascinating example of Spanish Baroque Revival. The wings are of smooth-faced limestone, topped with a medallioned cornice and a decorative roof of terracotta tiles. The center pavilion is an explosion of Baroque details in carved limestone. In the parapet is a garland of ribbons and flowers from which hang two roundels, each with a grotesque (face), a common decorative element in Baroque architecture. The focal point of the main façade is a group of four windows, framed by engaged Ionic columns, and centered around a niche topped with a scallop shell and containing a cenotaph. The building opened as the Palace Meat Market. In 1935, the building was used by Dernbach Chevrolet, and later in 1937, Chuck Rumpf opened a meat market. The Weihers purchased the business in 1948, running the family business until 2007.