Establishing Historic Landmark 237 N Michigan St

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The LaSalle Hotel on the southwest corner of LaSalle and Michigan Streets, is a nine story hotel constructed of stretcher bond laid brick with terra-cotta trim. The first and second floors on the east and north facades are treated as one floor. The windows and doorways are flanked by spiral columns and surmounted by round-arched windows with tracery, voussoirs and keystones. A projecting string course separates the second floor from the third floor which has terra-cotta window surrounds, as do the single end bay windows and the ninth floor windows. A projecting string course separates the eighth and ninth floors and the building is surmounted by a wide overhanging cornice. [3] The plan for the first and second floors is rectangular. Floors three through nine are U-shaped; with the opening to the south. The structure is Renaissance Revival in style. This style is typified by three part construction. The first story features a series of regular, repeated fenestration. After the projecting string course stories three through eight are unadorned. After another projecting string course which marks the ninth floor the building is surmounted by a heavy cornice. The windows on the first floor are large, fixed sash plates with multi-light side lights. Other windows are double hung sash in pairs. HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT Built in 1921, the LaSalle Hotel replaced an earlier hotel on the same site, the 1840 Sheridan House. When built, the hotel contained 233 rooms, several dining rooms for club use and a cafeteria. Located directly across from the Chicago, South Bend and South Shore Railroad station, it was the first of three hotels at the intersection which catered to disembarking passengers. In 1930, when the adjacent Hoffman Hotel was built to the west, an enclosed second story connector was built between the Hoffman and LaSalle Hotels on LaSalle Street. The LaSalle Hotel is an excellent example of the larger commercial structures that were built in South Bend in the early twentieth century. The structure is a blend of the Chicago School and Renaissance Revival. The only exterior changes to the building are new aluminum framed entrances on each street facade and aluminum storm windows. Through the years the building has also housed a variety of businesses such as cigar stores, newsstands, barbers and dry cleaners. Since 1975 the LaSalle Hotel has been owned by Charismatic Renewal Services, Inc. Chip Frederick June, 1994 •