Quick Facts

Constructed in the 1920s, this building first served early motorists as Shepp’s Tire and Battery Service until 1940, later becoming part of the Krapohl Ford dealership next door. 

The downtown space took on entirely different uses in later decades, operating as the Fish Head Aquarium in the 1970s before transitioning into Ruddell Engineering in the 1980s. 

NPS Description

112 Court Street, ca. 1920s. 

Non-contributing (built within the period of significance but subsequent alterations have sufficiently impacted integrity to render it non-contributing) 

Description

One-story Commercial Brick professional office building with a 24 foot frontage on Court Street. The façade is of yellow brick with corbelling under the cornice line. Yellow brick with vertical window slits with brick sills, a south side glass and metal recessed entry door, and shallow corbelling below the slightly projecting signage makes up the storefront. The east (rear) elevation is of painted brick with painted brick piers, denticulated corbelling below the cornice line, vinyl siding between the brick piers, a fixed aluminum replacement window in the south bay, and an aluminum and glass rear entry in the north bay. No other elevation is visible due to adjoining buildings. 

History 

Constructed in the 1920s, this one-story building originally housed Shepp’s Tire and Battery Service until 1940. In the 1940s and 50s it changed occupancy frequently before eventually becoming attached to Krapohl Ford (the business to the north) in the late 1950s. It housed the Fish Head Aquarium from 1973 to 1981 and Ruddell Engineering from 1983 to 1992. Its currently serves as a professional office building. 

Integrity Analysis 

The current exterior brickwork of the upper part of the façade, with its mixed brown and yellow brick, corbelling, and small parapet, is typical of the 1920s period, although historic photographs of the building have not been located. However, the original storefront has been infilled with matching brick featuring narrow slit windows and a replacement entry door to the side. 

Sources 

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps (Mt. Pleasant: 1884, 1890, 1895, 1900, 1910, 1924, 1931, 1950); Mt. Pleasant City Directories, 1925-1998; Past and Present of Isabella County, 1911; City of Mt. Pleasant Building Permits; historic photographs.