This historic building is a living history to the beauty of Jefferson and the German ancestry of the community.

When transforming the building to Stable Rock Winery, we wanted to keep the historic integrity of the building in place, prideful of it’s history and sense of place in the community.

detailed history

300/123  W. Milwaukee: “Boll’s Livery and blacksmith shop”

 “When you want the best rigs and best service this is the place to patronize.”

Anton Boll was born in 1859 in Aztalan.   After his father died when he was six, his mother took the family to Kenosha and then to Racine where Anton learned the blacksmithing.  In 1881 he returned to this area to work as a blacksmith on Main Street and was successful. He married Anna Domini from Farmington in 1885, and they had four children, only one of whom, Helen Schmitt, survived him.

In 1893 Anton bought Adam Fernholz’s property on Milwaukee St., lots 5 & 6 on block 5, from Frank Daugs for $5,000.  This had been the Adam Fernholz Livery for decades.   By 1896 Boll and his family moved into the house across the street on Milwaukee once belonging to the Grimm and Robish families. 

By 1903, Anton had torn down the old livery and barn to erect a two-story brick structure measuring 41’ x 81’.  JJ Spangler was the mason and George Lindl the carpenter.  His business was profitable and grew larger.

In 1910, Boll and Gottlieb Schlagenhauf bought the Jefferson Bus Line from F.P. Kispert.

Wife Annie Boll died in 1919 at age 52 of heart trouble.

In 1921, Boll bought a new Ford auto omnibus to use for transport of travelers to the Jefferson Junction.  By 1925 Boll added an auto livery to his business.  Two years later, Anton died of heart trouble.  His son Mark attempted to take over the business, but, despondent over his father’s death and the auctioning of his father’s property, he killed himself with a shotgun in 1927.

HA Dickerman then took over the livery in 1928 for a Buick Garage briefly.  By 1931, AO Popp Seeds had moved into the building.  In 1940 they remodeled adding a new seed display room and reinforcing the basement.  They celebrated their 50th year in business in 1960.

From the 1960’s through 2016, the building was a variety of restaurants and bars. However, from 2016-2019 the building lay dormant without heat, water and other utilities and fell into almost disrepair and was slated to be torn down and converted to a municipal parking lot.

In 2019, Michelle and Rob Lewis of Lewis Station Winery in Lake Mills, Wisconsin was approached by Jefferson city officials to consider redeveloping the building. Lewis purchased the property in the fall of 2019 with plans to open the new Stable Rock Winery & Distillery in the summer of 2020.