History
Where we come from.
Practice History
Dr. Mark Veth grew up in Chicago, completed his undergraduate degree at Marquette University, and attended the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago. He returned to Milwaukee to begin practicing as an optometrist for OptiVision in 2003.
Dr. Veth opened Be Spectacled at 7605 Harwood Avenue in Wauwatosa in the fall of 2010. A Tosa resident, he was excited to bring the dream of his own shop and practice to such a great village area and business community.
One of the things Mark was most excited about in opening his own store was the chance to select the frames carried by Be Spectacled. He sees quality glasses as fashion pieces, and will help you find the right pair of frames for your life and style.
In Spring 2019, Be Spectacled moved to a new location at 7511 Harwood Avenue, the historic Wauwatosa Dairy building.
Building History
In 2019, Be Spectacled moved into a red, two-story brick building built by Emerson D. Hoyt in 1909. The first mayor of Wauwatosa, Hoyt also served four terms in the Wisconsin state assembly.
The first tenant was the Wauwatosa Dairy Company, owned by Abraham Van Uren. The dairy rented the first floor, as well as the basement.
In 1917, Hoyt began leasing the second floor of his building to the Village, which needed additional space for its growing staff. Meanwhile, Gridley Dairy Co. purchased Wauwatosa Dairy Company, and took over its space. In 1925, Gridely build its own building at Wauwatosa and Wright Street, now Pius X church and school.
In 1936, Tosa City Hall moved to 7616 Harwood, and the second story of the Hoyt block was converted to seven small studio apartments. The first floor was occupied by Tosa Food Shop and Badger Paint for a few years, then eventually by the A&P grocery.