Ludington Street

Transcription

1 Ludington Street Before After COMING SOON

2 NPS Form a (Rev. 8/2002) OMB No (Expires ) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Escanaba Central Historic Put District Here Name of Property Delta Co., Michigan County and State Name of multiple listing (if applicable) Section number 7 Page 88 the Gessner family, owners of the Fair Store, Escanaba's leading department store, and Herman Gessner served on the bank board for many years. Many of the commercial developments in Delta County during the early years of the 20th Century were financed by the bank (Worth 1971; Dunathan 1963: ; EHDC 2012). In 1966 the bank was renamed First National Bank and Trust Co. and in 1971, moved into its new building at 1205 Ludington Street. In 1991 the bank was renamed MFC First national Bank, which was acquired by Wells Fargo Bank Michigan N.A. in 2000, with the Escanaba office remaining at 1205 Ludington (USFRB 2012). Non-Contributing because this building is less than 50 years old Building ( ; 1971) This is a rectangular plan, flat-roofed, two-story, brick and masonry building constructed of light gray verticalchanneled rough-faced concrete block. Its street level elevation is three bays, composed of a corner entry and two vertical, linear fixed-pane, tinted glass windows. Directly above these, a white masonry spandrel rises to two identical windows that compose the second story s fenestration. A broad cornice above is constructed of plain white masonry panels. The visible side elevation presents a stepped masonry-coped parapet, while the single story rear elevation is clad in light gray vertical-channeled rough-faced concrete block that is pierced by a single steel entry door. This building s architectural elements, such as the light gray block, the wide plain masonry cornice and the tinted linear windows, unify it with the building next door at 1205 Ludington. However, a narrow white masonry pier separates these buildings, and the rear elevations indicate separate construction episodes. It appears that the architectural unity of 1205 and 1211 Ludington results from façade renovations that linked an older building at 1211 to newer construction at This most likely occurred when the bank building at 1205 Ludington was constructed in Sanborn maps reveal that a building with the footprint of the current structure was built after the 1929 edition and sometime during the period illustrated by the Updates edition. City directories reveal that while Nu Way Paris Cleaners occupied a building at 1211 in , there are no entries for the address by 1929 and through the 1937 editions. The 1948 directory reveals 1211 is occupied by Advanced Electric Co. appliances, and two apartments, which continue through the 1963 edition. A newspaper advertisement in 1979 indicated Advanced Electric Co. had been in business since 1947 (Escanaba Daily Press 1979). They were in business at least into the late 1980s (SJBCC 1985). Non-contributing since none of its original fabric is present Hotel Building (Pre-1893) This is a brick, two-story, two-part commercial block. The fenestration of its renovated street level façade consists of a recessed entry door and a fixed-pane window piercing a grid of synthetic masonry panels. These panels are slightly recessed beneath a broad masonry arch that rests on pilasters of random rubble stone veneer. The spandrel above this arch is clad in patterned synthetic masonry and extends to a masonry course, which also serves as a common sill for the triple casement windows that pierce the second story. These windows are partially infilled with vinyl transoms that occur below solder bond brick lintels. Decorative limestone face blocks are positioned lateral to this set of windows, while five flush, pointed brackets at the cornice are created by vertical masonry face bricks positioned above small triangular masonry blocks. The building is stepped down to a single story shed roof concrete block rear elevation that is pierced by a triple casement window and an entry

3 NPS Form a (Rev. 8/2002) OMB No (Expires ) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Escanaba Central Historic Put District Here Name of Property Delta Co., Michigan County and State Name of multiple listing (if applicable) Section number 7 Page 89 door. Sanborn maps indicate a building with the footprint and two-story composition of the current structure was in place as early as 1893 earlier editions of the Sanborn map do not extend coverage to the 1200 block. In 1893 this building was occupied by the Russell Hotel and a Saloon, and the building continues to be designated as a Saloon or Hotel and Saloon up through By 1921 it is identified as the Hotel Pacquin with Electric Heat and Stoves. In 1929 it is designated as a Rooming House and in the edition, as a Store. City directories reveal this building was occupied by the Paquin Hotel by , and by the LeDuc Hotel in By 1937 the People s Hotel is occupies this location, and remains in business here through the 1963 edition. Frank Paquin arrived in Escanaba in 1885, was employed as a brakeman on the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad until 1898, and later became proprietor of the Paquin Hotel which he managed from circa 1905 until his death in 1925 (Escanaba Daily Press 1925). The Paquin Hotel appears in state s 1920 hotel inspection report (Michigan Department of Labor 1920b: 463). Although the architectural composition of this building seems to date it to ca. 1920, the footprint of the building appears consistent to those illustrated in the earliest available Sanborn maps dating to Perhaps a 1920s façade was installed on an older existing building. This is supported by the fact that the building history indicates it was occupied by a virtually unbroken series of hotels, and that Frank Paquin s tenure bridges the era where a newer hotel may have replaced an older one Building ( ) This is a brick, two-story, two part commercial block whose street level façade is composed of an angled display window wall and central entry door, which slants to a brick corner bay containing a second entry door that is aligned perpendicular to the street. The second story is divided into two bays by rusticated brick piers, which rise from large natural-face limestone blocks to simple masonry friezes and pressed metal cornices with egg-and-dart motifs. The two bays are pierced by two sets of paired double-hung sash windows with transoms, each of which shares a common masonry sill. This building s most notable feature is its exuberant pressed metal pedimented cornice. Occurring above a plain brick frieze, its components include dentils, a series of modillions, and an anthemion at the apex of the central gable that is linked by a cross-pattern balustrade to paneled corner blocks with finials. The building s visible brick second story side elevation is pierced by five segmental arch windows, while its altered brick rear elevation consists of three bays originally formed by segmental arch doors and windows. This building s use of masonry and pressed metal work, especially its cornice that may be the finest in the downtown district, reveal it to be a good example of Late Victorian commercial architecture. Sanborn maps reveal this building was constructed between 1899 and 1906 when it was built on a vacant lot and was occupied by a Grocery, a use it continued to serve until 1921, when it housed a Gentleman s Furnishings Store. The 1929 and 1929 Updates editions identify it only to the level of Store. City directories reveal professionals only are present in the , edition, but the same individuals remain when the Jewel Tea Co., occupies the storefront in 1929, continuing through Only professional offices are indicated again by 1941, a US Army and Air Force Recruiting Station is here by 1948, while in 1953, the Social Security Administration, Bureau of Old Age and Survivors Insurance and State Department of Social Welfare occupied the building. By 1959, the Patio restaurant is in business here, continuing through the 1963 edition. The Jewel Tea Co. was incorporated in Detroit and Chicago in 1916 (MMFR 1917: 32).

4 Historic Photo 1213 Ludington Street ALL PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE ESCANABA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

5 Historic Photo 1215 Ludington Street ALL PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE ESCANABA HISTORICAL SOCIETY