A mainstay building in Marthasville is again filled with laughter and cheer thanks to the work of Gabe Bockhorst and his wife Sherri.
The Preserve Marthasville is a new spin on a historic theme.
According to Gabe Bockhorst, the building was originally built in the early 1900s as Mittler Hall. The building is located at 105 W. S Street in Marthasville across from Lichtenberg Park.
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A mainstay building in Marthasville is again filled with laughter and cheer thanks to the work of Gabe Bockhorst and his wife Sherri.
The Preserve Marthasville is a new spin on a historic theme.
According to Gabe Bockhorst, the building was originally built in the early 1900s as Mittler Hall. The building is located at 105 W. S Street in Marthasville across from Lichtenberg Park.
“Mittler Hall was the gathering place, so we have come full circle because it is the gathering place again,” he said.
Bockhorst explained that in the early 1900s the building would have hosted plays and concerts. It would also have been a meeting place where politicians of the time would engage crowds with their stump speeches.
The building has a long and varied history, according to Bockhorst.
In 1925 the building was sold and became the Missouri Valley Corn Cob Pipe Company, that company was then bought out and closed by a competitor in 1933. Eventually the building came under the ownership of the Driemeyer family and they used the building to sell tractors, farm equipment and Ford vehicles out of the structure until the mid-1990s. According to Preserve Marthasville’s website, the building was closed to the public from 1995 until recently when it reopened as Preserve.
Bockhorst said he and his wife purchased the building in 2021, renovating the building but keeping all of the original charm of the building. Bockhorst said the doors, the tin and the flooring are all original to the building.
Preserve officially opened in December 2024, for weddings and other events. The ribbon-cutting event on Nov. 22 was a combo ribbon-cutting, recognition of his mother-in-law’s birthday and celebration of bringing live music back to the building, similar to its original heyday in the early 20th Century. The musical guest for the event was Adarion “Pops” Jackson who wowed those in attendance with a jazz concert.
The Preserve is split into several themed rooms to give guests a completely different experience. The Empire Room, so named because of the empire-style bar that is the centerpiece of the room, is a float space for ceremonies and receptions, Bockhorst said. He said the room can also be rented out for events. Upstairs is the Chateau, which is French-inspired with chandeliers and original floor-to-ceiling tin, with cathedral ceilings, showcasing the original wooden trusses. Bockhorst said the floor of the chateau was originally suspended from the trusses by the use of rods.
Downstairs is the 1920s style Speakeasy room, which was the locale of the jazz show later that evening. It is adorned in shades of blue and gold, with a small stage for performances.
Bockhorst said the concert Nov. 22 was the first of what he hoped would be many more performances at the Preserve in the future as he continues to expand on the goal of making the property the meeting place for the community.
