8567-95 Establishig Historic Landmark Building 1601 Kemble Ave

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At the September 19, 1994 regular monthly meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend and St. Joseph County (HPC), the HPC voted unanimously to send a favorable recommendation for the Local Historic Landmark designation of the building located at 1601 Kemble Avenue to the South Bend Common Council. RECOMMENDATION Based on the HPC Local Landmark Criteria [1], it is the Historic Preservation Commission's recommendation that the South Bend Common Council designate the Building located at 534 LaPorte by ordinance as a Local Historic Landmark. The building meets the criteria in at least four areas. 1) Its character, interest, or value as part of the development, heritage, or culture of the City of South Bend or St. Joseph County, the State of Indiana, or the United States; 2) Its embodiment of elements of architectural design, detail, materials, or craftsmanship which represents an architectural characteristic or innovation; 3) Its educational value; 4) Its suitability for preservation; The building fulfills criteria #1 as remaining structure identified with a small independent financial institution based in an ethnic neighborhood from the period of rapid financial development of the 1920s. The building fulfills criteria #2 as an excellent example of a neighborhood commercial structure from the 1920s rated Significant (S/11) in the Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Survey featuring neo-classical details, especially refined terre-cotta.[2] The building fulfills criteria #3 as an excellent example of neighborhood commercial architecture of the 1920s. Historical study of the building and the individuals related to its early activities presents an interesting vignette about the Hungarian-American population of South Bend and the effects of the Great Depression of the 1930's on South Bend. The building fulfills criteria #4 by the integrity of its original construction with only minor and well conceived alterations. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION The building is located at the southwest corner of Kemble Avenue and Indiana Avenue, directly across the street from the original facade of the Oliver School. It is a masonry bearing wall type structure with the street facades executed in an orange brick with quoins at the corners and terre-cotta details. The south and west walls, interior to the block are rendered in a lower quality brick and absent the terre-cotta. The rear wall faces an alley across a small paved area. This unadorned wall has been altered with overhead doors for delivery access.