This building was originally built around 1884 by Frank A Rieker as a showplace for his brewery and called the West End Market Hotel. It has passed through several owners and between 1967 and 1991 was know as the Lauzus Hotel owned and operated by the late Wilhelm and Fredericka Lauzus. It was a showcase of Victorian architecture and decor. with 12 foot high ceilings with pressed tin panels, Italian inlaid tile floors, gingerbread trim and a hand carved back bar. Wilhelm stocked hundreds of brands of imported and domestic beer and introduced thousands of people to a variety of quality beers. Wilhelm also made sure the jukebox was well stocked with German beer hall music. There was also live music regularly from an upright piano frequently played by John "Knuckles" Beamesderfer. Also In it's heyday there were live bands performing on Friday and Saturday nights. The Hotel has since passed through several owners under the name Historic Blue Star starting with Cate Maloney who invested in restorations and improvements. However, through bad management, while owned by Teddy Petropoulos, the liquor license was revoked by the PLCB and the building was allowed to fall into disrepair. Reportedly Petropoulos has also stripped the interior of it's Victorian accoutrements including the tin plate, gingerbread and the bars, and sold them for a quick profit. At the time of this writing the property has been condemned.
