With the successful completion of the Bentzin Family Town Square, the Watertown Redevelopment Authority is excited to move forward with the next phase of their vision for a vibrant, connected downtown — the Downtown River Corridor Plan.

The Watertown Redevelopment Authority proudly announces the latest recipients of its Downtown Commercial Revolving Loan Program.

Historical photos dating to 1879 show the building was occupied by Weltbürger Printing Office. In the early 1900s, it housed Neumann & Krueger Cigar Manufacturing and later Art’s Shoe Service, John Klemann Music Shop, a number of realtors, and, most recently, law offices.

Built in 1868, this 600-square-foot building has had numerous owners. The most recent owner knocked out the back wall, installed a garage door, boarded up the windows, and used the space to store a truck.

The owners of two historic downtown properties, as well as the Watertown Public Library Board of Trustees, were honored recently for the preservation and beautification of their commercial building facades.

The style known as art deco is not as prevalent as it once was. Once a dominant architectural style for the United States and many parts of Western Europe during the 1930’s, art deco is noticed mostly for its simplicity, with straight edges, symmetry and repetition of patterns.

As more comprehensive plans for a new library and hotel in Watertown's downtown inch forward, several small businesses and property owners are injecting new life into the city's considerable collection of historic buildings........