A Cheese Castle
by Kay Novy
Title
A Cheese Castle
Artist
Kay Novy
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Mars Cheese Castle is a cheese shop in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Located along Interstate 94, the shop is popular among Wisconsin visitors and has been called a "cheese landmark", "one of Wisconsin's most recognizable cheese stores", and "an icon for generations of I-94 travelers". While the store is best known for its cheese, it also sells sausages and other foods as well as Wisconsin souvenirs such as cheesehead hats.
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The store is the oldest cheese shop located at what the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel called "Wisconsin's most visible cheese interchange"; the junction of Interstate 94 and Wisconsin Highway 142 had three cheese shops until 2009 and still has two.
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Mario Ventura, Sr., opened Mars Cheese Castle in 1947. The shop's name was inspired by its owner's, as the name Mario comes from the Roman god Mars; the "Castle" part of the name was inspired by a castle in Italy owned by Ventura's mother. Kenosha artist George Pollard designed the store's logo; the project was Pollard's first job. The original store, which featured a large beer bottle on its roof, burned down in 1957; a new store was built nearby.
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In 2011, a project widening Interstate 94 forced the store to relocate 50 yards (46 m)Template:Convert/track/adj/ away from the freeway. The new store, over twice as large as the previous building, was designed to more closely resemble an actual castle; it features a watchtower holding the store's wine and an entrance which resembles a drawbridge. A special statute passed by the Wisconsin Legislature allowed the store to keep its 80-foot (24 m)Template:Convert/track/adj/on sign at its new location despite a state law prohibiting signs that tall.
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Mars Cheese Castle has attracted a number of celebrity visitors. Rock band Weezer held a record signing at the store in 2001, and Al Hirt, Al McGuire, John F. Kennedy, and Johnny Cash have all visited the store. U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden also stopped at the store while campaigning for the 2012 presidential election.
Uploaded
July 22nd, 2013
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