A STEP BACK Marvin and Beverly Maxwell's labor of love L
ike many long-time residents of New Washington, Mar- vin and Beverly Maxwell would regularly drive by the historic "old lodge" building and wish someone would step up to save it from razing. It wasn't until the city had
requested bids for demolition and, Marvin jokingly said, "the bull- dozers were idling out front," that they knew it was up to them. The Maxwells believed the building was a community trea-
sure that could also be a successful business, so in 2000, they bought the building and spent two years restoring it to its origi- nal splendor. Today it is a restaurant, meeting facility, museum and dinner theatre operating under the name A Step Back.
Life is what happens when you are making other plans Marvin had lived in New Washington all his life; Beverly
since sixth grade. They had been married more than 45 years, had three grown children, six grandchildren and one great- grandchild. They had turned a small shop called Mom's Music
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into a big business. They should have been thinking about re- tirement instead of undertaking a massive renovation project and starting a demanding new business enterprise. It was both an exciting and bumpy road for the couple, but
they have no regrets. Many years later, their passion for A Step Back is still clear. In 1894, the building was constructed as a school house, with
JUDGHV ÀUVW WKURXJK HLJKWK RQ WKH ÀUVW ÁRRU DQG KLJK VFKRRO VWX- GHQWV RQ WKH VHFRQG ÁRRU 7KH ,QGLDQD )UHH 0DVRQV SDLG WR ÀQLVK WKH WKLUG ÁRRU DQG KHOG WKHLU PHHWLQJV WKHUH XQWLO 'HFHP- ber of 2000. In 1926, the lodge became a movie theatre. When the VFKRRO FORVHG WKH 0DVRQV PRYHG WR WKH VHFRQG ÁRRU DQG ZKHQ WKH PRYLH WKHDWUH FORVHG WKH\ XVHG WKH ÀUVW ÁRRU IRU ÀVK IULHV A Step Back was closed for the winter, but opened again April 1 for brunch. On Saturdays, Beverly and her good friend,