Quick Facts

NPS Description

221 South Main Street. Kirkey Building, 1949. 

Contributing

Description

Two-story building with a frontage of 22 feet on South Main Street (1949). The upper façade is clad in random ashlar cut stone and has a stone name block centered in the stepped parapet roof. The stone block is inscribed “Kirkey 1949.” Second-floor fenestration consists of two double-hung vinyl replacement windows with infill at the top. The storefront is recessed with replacement brick, fixed aluminum and glass windows, and a north side entry. An aluminum transom and projecting aluminum pent roof stretch the length of the façade above the storefront. Below the pent roof is a seating area to the south of the north entrance. 

The east (rear) elevation is of red brick with a one-story vertical wood sided rear addition. 

History 

This building was constructed in 1949 for the Kirkey Electric Store, replacing a previous one-story frame commercial building. Kirkey remained in the store from its construction until the 1990s. In 1996 building permits record a change in use from retail to restaurant; it was Steiner’s Pizza Planet in the late 1990s, and now is an extension of the Bird Bar and Grill in 223 South Main. 

Integrity Analysis 

The building remained in its original configuration throughout the tenure of the Kirkey company. Current alterations include the replacement of the original multi-paned second-story casement windows with double-hung one-over-one units; the installation of a metal transom and canopy over the storefront; and the alteration of the original glass and aluminum storefront to a brick and glass one. 

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.