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125 West Marion Historical Context This property is located on the northeast corner of West Marion and North Main Streets, in South Bend, Indiana. It is described as being lots 151, 152 and 153 of the Original Plat of South Bend. Lots 151, 152 and 153 of the Original Plat of South Bend were owned by the Mack Family since 1857. William H. Mack, a banker, sold the lots to the Mar- Main Arms Realty Company in 1922, who subsequently demolished all of the existing buildings on those lots. A year later, in 1923, the realty company took out a $450,000.00 loan to begin construction of the Mar- Main Arms Apartment complex. The Apartment complex contained 88 apartment units and "embodied all the refinements known to group -housing experts". The building was completed at a cost of $500,000.00 and equipped for an additional $200,000.00, it was the "acme of efficiency and comfort". The building was designed by architects, Nicol, Scholer and Hoffman of Lafayette, Indiana and accommodated 250 people comfortably. The Mar -Main Arms Realty Company and subsequently the apartment complex were named after the buildings location on the corner of Main and Marion Streets. The Mar - Main Arms Realty Company was led by William O. Davies, a prominent businessman in South Bend. Mr. Davies came to South Bend in 1883 at the age of 26 to establish a branch of the Wilson Brothers Shirt Manufacturing Company here. In 1893 he went into business for himself creating the Davies Laundry Company, which later became the Davies Laundry and Dry Cleaning Company. As the laundry business expanded Mr. Davies became very active in South Bend's Community affairs, he was treasurer of the South Bend School board 1901-1904, was very active with the First Presbyterian Church and social work, was the first athletic director of the South Bend YMCA and eventual president of its board and he served as president of the South Bend board of safety from 1921 to 1925. Mr. Davies married Hannah Schimmel and had three sons, Warren, William and George and one daughters, Mrs. N. V. Robertson. Mr. Davies became interested in the real estate business while serving in France during World War 1. Upon his return home he turned the management of his laundry business over to his sons and founded the W.O. Davies 8z Company real estate and insurance firm. It appears that in 1922 Mr. Davies along with other South Bend businessmen formed the Mar -Main Arms Realty Company, of which Mr. Davies was president, for the express purpose of constructing the Mar -Main Arms Apartment Building.