MENOMONIE, Wis. (WEAU) — A devastating fire has reduced the Town and Country Antiques building in downtown Menomonie to rubble, leaving its owner determined to rebuild from the ashes.
The fire, which broke out Tuesday night, destroyed the well-known antique store located at the corner of East 3rd Street and Main Street. By Thursday, the Menomonie Fire Department indicated the blaze is believed to have been electrical in nature, though the investigation remains ongoing.
For owner Sylvia Gengenbach, the destruction has been deeply personal—not just as a business loss but as the dismantling of a community hub that drew in visitors from across the region.
“Many people who have lived here for some time would come in my store and they would say, ‘I had no idea the store was this big,’” Gengenbach said, reflecting on the role her business played in the community.
Customers would often travel hundreds of miles to browse the expansive collection of antiques and vintage items, frequently spending the entire day in the store. But for Gengenbach, the most irreplaceable part of her business is the team of vendors who shared the space and supported the shop.
“We are a family. I don’t know how to stress that enough,” she said, noting how vendors would often help run the store and contribute to its welcoming atmosphere.
Gengenbach said she contacted her vendors immediately after learning of the fire early Wednesday morning, prioritizing their losses and well-being before her own.
Despite the total loss of the building, Gengenbach expressed confidence in the resilience of both her team and the local community. “I have been humbled this last week by the outpouring of support and love,” she said.
Though a timeline and location for reopening have yet to be determined, Gengenbach affirmed her commitment to reviving her business within Menomonie’s historic downtown district.
“And where that is, when that is, I don’t yet know,” she said.
In the aftermath of tragedy, Gengenbach is choosing not to dwell on the past but to look ahead, holding onto the belief that her store’s legacy—and its future—remain firmly rooted in the heart of the community.
