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319 -321 Lincolnway West
<br />HISTORICAL CONTEXT'
<br />This property is' located .on' the north, side of Lincolnway -West, where
<br />Lincolnway West' 'and W. LaSalle 'Street converge, in downtown •South Bend
<br />Indiana: It is described' as 54' S.E..Lot•61 of Henrick & Grants Addition to
<br />, South Bend:
<br />The ,present building" was built between 1893 and 1899,' possibly ..by Alert
<br />Coquillard or family member, as a-. speculative, rental investment. In 1902
<br />the land was 'divided and sold off. All of lot 67' except a small piece to the .
<br />north afid. about 100 feet in the south east'corner were sold to William Rettic'..'
<br />It 'is believed that this sale divided' the rowhouse, selling the east half 'or ,
<br />- 319 Linco nway.West•to Mr. Rettic while-321 Lincolnway West.was.sold to Rachel .
<br />;",Gallagher:` Mr: Rettic used his' portion of the rowhouse - as rental property, j
<br />se'lling•, - 1t in 1926 to Ray & Ruth :Buckles, the owner of South Bend Floral
<br />Company..on Wenger Street. -Mr. Buckles ownedhe property until 1939 when he,
<br />sold it" to Freda & Dean Wygant and Spencer Wychoff, owners of Wygant Floral
<br />Company at 327 Lincolnway West. They owned the property until 1957 when their
<br />daughter, Freda Wygant Clark, officially transferred • "the ,title'" to the Wygant
<br />Floral" Compa ny.
<br />The south 'east' portion of 'the ,land, which contains the western half of the
<br />rowhouse, - commonly khown 'as 321 Lincolnway West, was owned 'by - Rachel
<br />,Gallagher. It was used as a rental property until •1921 when it was sold 'to
<br />" ,.the Visiting -Nurses "Association (VNA) as their headquarters: The -VNA,,
<br />continued'to operate out of this location for -56 years', relocating to 711 East
<br />Colfax Street in 1977... The VNA started in South Bend in 1902 with student,•-
<br />..later- graduate, nurses dressed .in blue -gray gowns visiting the city's" poor
<br />families and providing much-needed affordable health Its'goal - was to
<br />provide nursing care for people who were unable to afford, hospitals, to
<br />: promote health in- the' "`area, and to prevent.the spread of disease through
<br />education and care. In "1923,' the VNA helped` establish an Infant Welfare '
<br />Station,.which was also'located in this building. A'1936 newspaper,article on
<br />the. VNA stated. , "the. Visiting Nurses As*sociation..'.will 'care for : the sick .
<br />absolutely free for - indigents, including families "on relief, old 'age '
<br />pensions, or'WPA worlThe small wage earner may pay toward the cost of the
<br />nurse's ,.service whatever he • can spare." All arouddie , country, .- VNA were
<br />` established to try -and address the ,issue of the` health .care crisis facing
<br />people - and families of limited means '..:The VNA"continued - to operate out of
<br />this building,' until 1977 whent was sold to the Wygant Floral Company, Inc.
<br />For the past - -21? years, the' building has been vacant and used onl•y.as storage
<br />for Wygant's Florist Shop. -Today, the 'rowhouse at 319321 Lincolnway West
<br />^emains. one oi: . the - last, buildings. of this" type• in South Bend.
<br />ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION '
<br />Chis is a two and a, half' story Queen Anne -style rowhouse with- brick-and stone "
<br />:oundation` and to offset brick chimneys. The walls are of stretcher bond
<br />with a base brick.'string course., The house has a medium pitch hip roof `
<br />v two hipped'. dormers, frieze, decorative entablature - and closed
<br />ftTs: The windows are ,of" a" variety of •styles including; 'single sash,
<br />:ransom 'double ".hung, single and multi-paned and fixed „'
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