Construction of the George Warren Company Wood Planing Mill

NOTE: The home of the Cranberry Discovery Center was built in 1900 as the George Warren Company’s new wood planing mill. Over the years, the building had several owners and uses until becoming a cranberry museum in 2004. Below are articles which appeared in the Warrens Index between 1899 and 1901 detailing the construction of the planing mill.

Barber & Warren have made a contract with S. Cook & Son to quarry one hundred cords of stone from their quarry on the Pankoff place. D.T. Moseley has also decided to secure stone for building purposes from S. Cook & Son. – Warrens Index Aug. 4, 1899.

The Geo. Warren Company is razing the old mill building and will build a new stone basement and foundation under it. The basement to be seven feet high and the wall will be brought to a level with the foundation of the grist mill. The mill building is 24 by 80 feet in length, and it is possible that an addition of fifteen feet will be built on the front, bringing it even with the front of the grist mill. This will be a great improvement. The railroad company will build a spur track to run between the grist mill and the old mill building, making the loading and unloading of freight very much more convenient.  – Warrens Index Sept. 1, 1899.

It is now quite certain that the old Geo. Warren Company shop will be torn down in a short time, and a new stone building erected in its place. This will make it much more convenient for the workmen, and it will be a great deal warmer place in the winter. – Warrens Index April 13, 1900

The work on the new stone shop is progressing rapidly, a large force of men being employed. The wall on the west side has reached the height of about twelve feet. The stone used is of a very light quality, and all stone is neatly trimmed, and it will make a splendid appearance when completed. The old planing mill building has been torn down. – Warrens Index July 13, 1900

The work on the stone building has been interfered with by rains during the past week, but the stone wall is steadily going up. The building is to be a light-colored stone, and each stone is nicely trimmed before being set into place. The stone cutters are Tom Neilsen and S. Cook. The work of mason is being done by Masons F. Rudolph, R. Rudolph, Brewer Smith and Louie Grant. The building when finished will make a fine showing and will be a credit to the village. – Warrens Index July 20, 1900

It is proposed to have a church social in the new Geo. Warren Co. stone shop as soon as it is enclosed, when the Warrens band will play for the first time. – Warrens Index July 20, 1900

C.O. Snippen, Superintendent of the Geo. Warren Co. interests, informs us that the stonework for the new shop is about completed, and that workmen will being at once to put on the roof, and inside furnishings. The foundation for the office to the south of the shop, and attached to it, will be commenced this week. – Warrens Index Aug. 17, 1900

[The Aug. 17 issue also carried the obituary of George Warren, who passed away at his home in Fox Lake, Wis., on Aug. 15, 1900.]

The carpenters under supervision of O. Premo have been making good headway on the woodwork of the new shop, and the roof will be on in a few days. – Warrens Index Aug. 24, 1900

The Geo. Warren Co. has placed an arch bearing the sign “Geo Warrens Co” on the top of the west side of the new shop building. They have had masons at work building a new double blacksmith forge of white brick in the west room of the shop. When finished it is intended to make a model of convenience. It is probable that the company has abandoned the project of having a “housewarming” in the shape of a church social as was planned at one time, as they have already placed some of the machinery in position for use. –  Warrens Index Sept. 7, 1900.

[NOTE: The late Eugene Gebhardt (1929 – 2019) spearheaded the effort to restore the Geo Warrens Co sign to the arch over the front door of the Cranberry Discovery Center in 2015. Members of Gene’s mother’s family owned the building from 1921 to 1931, operating Geoetzka Bros. Garage.]

The Geo. Warren Company intends to change the front foundation of the office connected to the shop and extend it five or six feet toward the street. As soon as this is done, they will commence the erection of the office, which is to be built of white pressed brick, and will be an ornament to the shop. The building will be made large enough for the storage of sash, door and pump supplies, thus obviating the necessity for going across the street every time a sale of these articles is made. – Warrens Index Oct. 26, 1900

The Geo. Warrens Co. has the brick work and exterior for the new office building for the shop nearly completed. – Warrens Index May 17, 1901