Half-century of furniture deals

La Crosse Tribune, Jan 08, 2005 by Cahalan, Steve, Buttweiler, Joe

Known for its jam-packed stock of furniture and memorable proprietor, La Crosse Furniture will close this spring after more than a half-century in business.

Owner Bruce Perlmutter whose parents Bernard and Eve Perlmutter started the store, recently sold the building to T.J. and Michelle Peterslie for $225,000, according to county records. The Peterslies own The Pearl Ice Parlor And Confectionary at 207 Pearl St. and adjacent retail shops.

T.J. Peterslie said Friday he and his wife plan to make improvements to the front and rear of the La Crosse Furniture building, 118 Third St. S.

"We're doing an architecturall analysis (of the building) with the city," he said. "And we will have no specific plans for the building until that is completed."

The analysis will include information on the building and neighborhood, and will help the Petersties decide what improvements to make, he said. Peterslie said he wants to return the building's exterior to its original appearance.

Perlmutter was not available for comment Friday.

Late Friday afternoon, customer traffic was slow but steady through the cavernous building.

Walking through a narrow corridor on an upper floor, Peggy Severson admired the architecture and reminisced about the store she has patronized since the early 1970s.

"I bought my first furniture from him," she said of Perlmutter, smiling at the recollection of the proprietor. You just had to know how to work with him, she said, adding that he seemed to remember the price of every piece without using price tags.

"He'd say, 'You're not going to find a cheaper price anywhere,' " said Severson, who over the years also bought other furniture at the store.

"It used to be floor-to-ceiling," said Kathy Westaby, who shopped with her husband, Dennis. "It's gone down considerably, though," and the aisles are much wider, Westaby said.

Smith Sales in Holmen, Wis., has been hired by Perlmutter to sell the furniture store's remaining inventory, owner Steve Smith said. There will be a going- out-of-business sale this spring, and the store is expected to close this spring, Smith said.

La Crosse Furniture began in 1951 at Second and Main streets, according to Tribune files. It moved to Third and Pearl streets in 1956 and to its current location in 1966, according to the newspaper's files.