Quick Facts

For over seven decades, this pair of storefronts has served as a central hub for Mt. Pleasant's legal community, housing long-standing firms such as Cotter, Janes & Backus and Stein & Higgs. 

Sanborn maps reveal the building was constructed in two distinct stages around 1900, with 117 completed first followed closely by 115 within a decade. 

The upper level features unified red brick with decorative corbeling under the frieze, while the ground floor is divided into two unique designs—115 displaying a recessed corner entry supported by a wooden column and a slanted bay window. 

In addition to legal offices, the building served local community health and rural needs mid-century, hosting doctors Strange and Chamachian as well as the Farmers Home Administration. 

NPS Description

115-117 South University Street, ca. 1900-1910. 

Contributing 

Description

Commercial Brick two-story professional building with a 34 foot frontage on South University Street. The upper façade is of red brick with two story brick piers separating the two storefronts and corbelling under the frieze line. Four double-hung vinyl replacement windows are on the second floor with the south two windows flanked by thin white shutters. The storefront of 115 South University Street is of brick and white-painted wood with a recessed northwest corner entry, with a wood column at the corner. A slant-sided bay window is to the south of the recessed corner entry. This storefront is capped by a white frieze board and cornice. 117 South University Street has a newer red infill brick storefront with wood cornice, north side entry and fixed vinyl window with flanking thin white shutters. 

The north (side) elevation is of red brick with paired double-hung vinyl replacement windows. The east (rear) elevation is rustic red brick with a first floor entry, replacement double-hung windows, newer red brick under the replacement windows, and a newer red brick infilled window opening to the north on 117 South University. Above the rear entrance is a second-story deck with lattice balustrade and gabled roof cover. A door to the north leads out to the deck, with a vinyl replacement window flanked by thin white shutters to the south. No other elevation is visible due to adjoining buildings. 

History 

The earliest Sanborn map of 1884 shows a dwelling on this block. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, portions of the block remained empty while a number of smaller commercial buildings came and went. It appears from Sanborn maps that 117 South University was constructed between 1895 and 1900, while 115 was added between 1900 and 1910. 117 was a printing shop in the early 1900s, and then Ray Austin’s Electric Shop was here until around 1940. For the most part, both 115 and 117 have housed professional business offices since then. These have included in 115: George Stinson (1925 40), attorney Gerald Cotter (who owned the building and for whom it was named in directories for a number of years, 1943 81), attorney Ray Markel (1943-48) and attorney J. Paul Janes, who established his practice in 1958; his son Eric Janes continues the practice in this location along with partner Robert Backus. Summit Petroleum also had an office here in the mid-1980s. Tenants in 117 included: Attorneys Allen Lampman (1943-53), Mandel Decker (1943-75), Lynn and Paul Chamberlain (1975-87) and Thomas Plachta (1988-92); James Stein practiced law here from 1975 and his firm, Stein and Higgs, remains in the building today. *as of 2014 The building housed the offices of doctors R. H. and A. F. Strange (1945-58), and S. L. Chamachian (1958-83), and the Farm Security/Home Administration (1943-50). 

Integrity Analysis 

The earliest photographs available from the 1940s show a brick exterior at the second floor similar to the existing condition. The windows at that time were double-hung one-over-one units. The visible storefront at 117 was recessed with a door to the left side; the storefront windows appear to rest on short brick piers. Building permits show the current storefronts were installed in the early 1980s, confirmed by photographs from that era, one of which includes the construction company’s sign. 

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.