MONROE, Wis. — More than a century after the Eugene Hotel first welcomed visitors to Monroe’s Courthouse Square, crowds returned Wednesday to celebrate the completion of a restoration that turned a long-dormant landmark back into a working hotel.

The Aug. 19 grand opening and open house came 101 years after residents packed the building for its original public open house in August 1925. For New Glarus, where historic buildings remain central to the village’s identity and economy, the Eugene project also offers a nearby example of what can be gained — and what it can take — to adapt an aging landmark for modern use rather than lose it.

Studio GWA, which has offices in Monroe and Rockford, Illinois, worked on the restoration. The firm specializes in architecture, interior design, urban planning, historic preservation and adaptive reuse, including finding new uses for older commercial and residential buildings.

Ashley Sarver, AICP, a principal with Studio GWA, specializes in historic real estate finance, downtown planning and adapting old buildings for new uses. She earned a master’s degree in urban planning and policy from the University of Illinois Chicago and received additional training in historic real estate finance through the National Trust for Historic Preservation.