Our History
52 Stafford Hotel has a rich history in downtown Plymouth as the oldest continuously operating hotel in Wisconsin.
Plymouth Historical Society
Our Story
Where It All Began
52 Stafford, An Irish Guest House, is on the National Register of Historic Places. The building is Queen Anne in style and was constructed in 1892 by 42 year old Plymouth businessman, Henry C. Laack. Mr Laack chose this site because it was connected to his 1889 commercial block, just off the main street and on route to the railroad depot. This became Plymouth’s “show place hotel”.
For more than 130 years, the old Laack Hotel has been in continual use, a record few other Wisconsin hospitality centers can boast. Laack’s architect was Charles Hilperstshauser of Sheboygan. He had designed many of the county’s decorative cream city brick buildings. The main oak staircase is original and cost an impressive $1,000 in 1892.
Reconstruction included restoring the front entrance portico and duplicating all of the elaborate interior moldings, doors and cabinetry. The carpeting in the common areas was imported from England. The cherry millwork was crafted by World of Wood in Oconomowoc, WI. The wood in the crown moldings consists of seven pieces. To help achieve an Irish theme to the historic building, Irish symbols and designs were represented in stained, etched and beveled glass windows. All of the glass work was done by Oak Brook-Esser Studios, also of Oconomowoc. The chandeliers are from the Scott Lamp Company of California. The wallpaper is a hand embossed paper which is painted. Our back dining room has a metal ceiling which was removed from a store on Mill Street (where Plymouth Brewing Company is currently located), restored and placed in its present position.
Plymouth Historical Society