Quick Facts

NPS Description

222 East Broadway Street. Harkins Block, 1903. 

Contributing 

Description

Late Victorian red and white three-story brick building on the corner of East Broadway Street and South Franklin Street (1903). The upper façade is divided into three bays with two-story red brick decorative piers and zones of white brick containing the windows in between. A decorative cornice with paired brackets, denticulation, and white brick corbelling underneath caps the 44 foot frontage on East Broadway and continues around the corner on South Franklin Street. The frieze board is decorated with Adamesque swags in the outer bays and a name placed in the center bay embossed with Harkins Block and the year of construction. Decorative white brickwork separates the second and third-story windows. The third-story windows are the original steel double-hung paired windows with divided light arched transoms, brick arches, and rusticated stone sills with denticulation underneath. The second-story windows are replacement aluminum sliding windows with decorative rectangular panel transoms and stepped brickwork at the base to either side above the rusticated stone string course. The storefront has aluminum and glass display windows, a wood and glass door with side lights, painted brick extensions of the upper façade decorative piers at the east and west edge of the façade, and a projecting fabric awning. 

The east (side) upper elevation is white brick between two-story red brick decorative piers that separate the elevation into four larger bays than the north façade, with an irregular southern bay. The same decorative cornice from the north façade continues with paired brackets, denticulation, Adamesque swag relief in the frieze board of the north bay and then rectangular panels for the other bays, and corbelling underneath. On the northeast corner is a vertical ghost of a painted RCA Whirlpool sign on the wall. Decorative brickwork spandrel panels separate the second and third-story windows of three of the bays. The fourth bay is split by a canted-two story oriel window with original steel double-hung windows, multi light transoms on the third floor, and replacement aluminum double-hung windows with decorative panel transoms on the second floor. Original steel double-hung paired windows with divided light arched transoms, brick arches, and rusticated stone sills with denticulations underneath continues on the third floor along with the continuation of replacement aluminum sliding windows with decorative panel transoms on the second floor. A rusticated stone string course splits the second and first floor with stepped brickwork above to either side of the window openings. The first floor is painted brick with a continuation of the storefront with one aluminum and glass display window on the northeast corner and a separate projecting fabric awning similar to the one on the north façade. Two arched double-hung windows, with brick pointed arch hoods, are between the storefront continuation and the side entrance. 

The south (rear) elevation is painted brick with a two-story painted brick addition and back entrance. The west (side) elevation is painted brick with third-story arched window openings infilled with brick. 

The interior has most of the historic finishes on the second and third floor. The first floor also retains many of the historic finishes with some remodeling of the layout with open partition walls. 

History 

The Harkins Block was constructed by Howard Harkins in 1903, on a corner lot that had previously held a series of frame buildings in the 1880s and 1890s. The three-story, 45 foot high brick building had a metal cornice, giant arched windows on the third floor, and a storefront outlined with stone block columns. Around 1911, it was occupied by the Mt. Pleasant Post Office on the east side, Harkins’ bakery and grocery on the west side, the Pythians on the second floor and the Masons on the third floor. In the 1920s and 30s, the upper floors continued to be occupied by lodge rooms, while the lower floors housed an auto sales and repair shop and an accessory store. In 1930 the Harris Sample Furniture Company moved in, and the building continued in this use until the present day, first as Harris, then later the Household Appliance Company (ca. 1960 to mid 1970s), then Gray’s Household Appliance and currently Gray’s Furniture and Appliances. 

Integrity Analysis 

The building has only seen minor alterations. The storefront was changed to aluminum and glass in 1965, although the stone columns at either end remain in place and the doors have been changed to wood. The second floor windows were replaced in 1983 but the original third floor windows remain intact. The interior also retains many historic features and finishes. 

Sources 

Isabella County Enterprise, January 23, 1903. 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.