By Carolyn Schultz

For the Times

MONROE — Though the outside of the building itself doesn’t appear to have changed a whole lot, unless you were around 150 years ago when it was built, the inside has — to a point. The original building was a fine commercial Victorian, but all that remains now is mostly the stone and brick window caps. In old photos, the once glorious look is there to be seen.

Hidden in plain sight for many years within the Treat block is the Monroe Antiques Mall. This building has been in place since the early 1870s. According to a record found, it was built by Joseph Bradford Treat, who came to Monroe from Maine. He married Priscilla Jane Whitney (Gould) in 1859 and moved to Monroe in 1860. Treat came from a family of politicians, and that legacy continued with himself and a few descendants and other relatives. 

The building is located on the northwest corner of the square, a stone’s throw from the current library. There is an ‘Antiques’ sign above the doors, but some don’t ‘look up’ and see it. Many people from Monroe may have no idea the mall was even on the square.

The first two sections of the building were converted into one years ago, joined by an arched doorway. It also has a full basement with booths and a balcony on the Becker side. Some locals remember the north section as being “the Becker building” where Mr. Becker sold women’s clothing. It’s been claimed that some are able to still smell his legendary cigars yet to this day.

Many years ago, Larry ‘Smiley’ Cerutti moved to Monroe from Beloit and started an antiques shop, A Bunch Of Crock, on the south face of the square. At one time in his early days, Larry was a men’s clothing model for a well-known catalog company. He later became a buyer for a large and affluent department store in Milwaukee, and later moved on to real estate which included managing many properties. He was asked to be the president of the realty board, which he declined, having other pursuits in mind.  

He ended up in the antiques business, which he enjoyed for several decades. Larry’s antiques contribution, his first store and, for many years now, the Monroe Antiques Mall which took residence on the west face of the square has been a staple in Monroe since.

Cerutti passed away in November 2020, leaving the future of the mall in question. As the antiques shop has been in business for many years, it seemed prudent by those involved to let the Treat Block building remain as such. Between the current landlord and the input of some dealers in the mall, it was decided to keep the store open and running. 

The Monroe Antiques Mall is one of the largest malls of its kind in the region. It houses items from A (antiques) to the occasional Z (zebra), and pretty much anything in between. Glassware, old building parts and hardware, vintage items, collectibles, jewelry, items with foreign-country flair, and other treasures are just a bit of what can be found inside. The available stock changes constantly as items are sold and replaced with something new.

Many shoppers to the mall are loyal, repeat customers who check in regularly. February and March this year saw an unusually high influx of customers and sales, in spite of the pandemic and other factors. Currently, customers are required to wear masks for everyone’s safety.

While the mall has friendly persons behind the counter to assist customers, other changes are being implemented as well. Layaway is now available if need be. Gift Certificates are also available. Floor space is being remapped in order to expand and create more space for extra booths to rent. That means that if anyone ever pondered playing the game of ‘antiquing’, there is a new chance for more dealers to move into the mall, which brings in many tourists who frequent the historic downtown square.   

There are plenty of reasons sellers join the mall, from disposing of items, to collecting a monthly check to being responsible for the belongings of loved ones who passed away. One can rent a space, bring items in needing to be sold and let the mall do the rest of the work. The mall is a safe haven for transactions, and sellers don’t need to spend time posting items online and then either finding a safe place to exchange goods or having to pack and ship items to all parts of the country. Normal hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Holidays can be sporadic. The mall is now open a few nights per week to accommodate those who can’t make it in during the workday.  Off-the-clock pickup times can also be arranged to meet people there under special circumstances if normal hours don’t work. 

Those interested in ‘getting into the business,’ even if for a short while, can stop in to receive the basic information needed to get going. The current proprietor has been a part of the mall for over 20 years, helping out when the previous owner was not able to take care of things. A volunteer or two is being sought to help out a day or two per week. Contact the mall at 608-328-8000.