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into the S0's.
In more recent years, Paul Barnes was a painter working from the 1950's into the 80's. Herb Daugherty, James "Bones" and Ronnie Sigler, Dave Mclane, and Rainbow Painters are more recent practitioners of the business.
Rittenour Cox became bookkeeper, retiring in 1968 when Mrs. Theresa Sheppard succeeded her. In 1972, George Bennett retired, and William "Pete" Frye became manager until his death in 1982, a year after Siehler' s death. Joann Siehler Durst secured the services of Mrs. Sheppard as overseer for the Dursts, who lived in Potomac, Md. Once booming with customers from Virginia and West Virginia, as well as the local area, Potomac Furniture later could not compete with the great array of merchandise available in nearby cities. Its doors finally closed in 1984. Polan Katz from Baltimore, had operated an umbrella factory on the second floor when Siehler opened his furniture business, and employed about 40 people. Thomas Sigler, Jr., bought the furniture store property from the Dursts in 1987 and eight attractive apartments now exist on the second and third f1 )Ors. The first floor commercial rental is used by William Sauser, lawyer.
W-BLC
PEOPLES HOME AND AUTO STORE Irvin Kolker and Nat Winters opened in the early 1940's when theyboughtthe Swank building on West Potomac Street; in 1945 or 1946 they moved to East Potomac Street into the former Western Auto Building. As the years went by their business progressed and they rebuilt the original building. It became one of Brunswick's newer and more prestigious-looking edifices. They expanded their business, dealing in home furnishings, hardware, television sets, refrigerators, washers and dryers - just about anything needed in the household. In mid-1990 the owners closed the furniture and appliance business after nearly half a century in Brunswick, but are continuing other phases of the business on a modified scale.
S - Clara Crowl Bohrer - Theresa Thompson Sheppard W-MMM
REAL ESTATE W - BLC
Since Leonard Smith made the big purchase and began developing Berlin, this town has had surprisingly few real estate developers. The first move beyond Berlin was prompted by several owners of large areas of land. C. M. Wenner opened his First Addition north of "B" Street between Petersville Road and Second Avenue, following up with a Second Addition extending to Souder Road. The second was not fully developed until the recent growth of the 1970's. W.W. Wenner's farm was west of Berlin and his first addition was bounded by Brunswick and Railroad Streets. Potomac Heights, his second addition was north of West "B" Street from Virginia A venue to Georgia, about as far north as this area has grown to this day. But do those families know they live in "Potomac Heights"? The Mutual Land and Improvement Company developed beyond Berlin from Second Avenue east to the road through Brunswick Park to Souder Road. The Real Estate and Improvement Company developed the land from the road through the park (asin the previous sentence) toanorth-southcounty road beyond Tenth Avenue. We call this area New York Hill.
POTOMAC FURNITURE COMPANY AND BUILDING The former Potomac Furniture Company building at 310 West Potomac Street was built by Abe Kaplon, of Harpers Ferry, a brother to Vic Kaplon, a Brunswick businessman. Cement blocks used in the structure were made on the site. Cement was mixed, then poured into wooden forms. When sufficiently hardened, the blocks were removed, then carried to the building nearby. Lazarus' grocery store was the first business to locate there. A furniture store was the next enterprise, opening its doors in 1913 under Theodore Siehler, who owned it until his death in 1981, when his daughter, Joann Siehler Durst, inherited the business. For 71 years the people in Brunswick could purchase high quality, brand-name furniture at their local store, one of a chain of eight. At first, a Mr. Ford was manager. He was succeeded by George Bennett, who, for many years, managed the flourishing business. Mrs. Madge
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