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e 108 NORTH MAIN HISTORICAL CONTEXT This property is located on the northeast corner of North Main and West Washington Streets of South Bend, Indiana. The property is located in the original plat of South Bend as the west 62 '/2 feet of lots 19 and 20. John Mohler Studebaker was the vice president and treasurer of the Studebaker Manufacturing Company, later becoming its president and chairman. John purchased lots 19 and 20 of the Original Plat of South Bend around 1908 and immediately hired Solon S. Beman, of Chicago, to design the building and H.G. Christman to build it. The architect; Mr. Beman,,-was-originallyfrorn-New-York-where he apprenticed with l;tichard UpJohn. After his apprenticeship, Solon, moved to Chicago at the request of Mr. Pullman to design his house and later the town of Pullman, Illinois. Mr. Beman used his knowledge of the Chicago School of design along with his experience gained at the Colombian Exposition to design the eight -story JMS Building. Solon Beman utilized steel, granite, glazed terra cotta and many classical decorative features in his design that was finally realized in 1910. Upon it's opening the first floor of the building contained' commercial businesses while the remaining seven floors were rented office space. John M. Studebaker owned the building until his death in 1917 when it was passed into the hands of a trusteeship set up by his will. The members of the trust were, John Studebaker Jr., Frederick Fish and George Witwer. They maintained control of the structure until April of 1936 when they relinquished ownership to John M. Studebaker III. Eight months after gaining title John Studebaker III sold the building to Eugene Warner for $175,000.00. Mr. Warner continued the buildings original use until his death in 1946, at which time ownership of the property went to the First Bank & Trust as trustees. In 1970 the Bank sold the building to AGA Realty Company on land contract. AGA Realty immediately began plans for a complete interior renovation to bring the building up to modern standards. As these plans progressed the addition of a two to three story annex to be attached to the north fagade developed. In 1973 AGA Realty and First Bank & Trust sold the building to the Economic Development Company, who completed the remodeling in 1975. John and Donna Friedline currently own the building. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION John Mohler Studebaker built this eight -story classical revival style office structure in 1910. The fagade is comprised of six bays to the west and three to the south and is covered with white terra cotta classical detailing. It is also clearly divided into three registers that are separated by strong projecting and intervening cornices. The bottom of each cornice is punctuated by volutes and honeysuckle designs, which were placed between each bay. 2