Establishing a Historical Landmark - 108 N. Main St. - JMS Building

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,JMS Building .108 N. 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 i.n the original plat of South Bend as the west 62 1/2 feet of lots 19 and 20. John Mohler Studebaker was the vice president and treasurer of the Studebaker Manuf_actiiring Company, later becoming its president and chairman. John Mohler Studebaker purchased lots 19 and 20 of the Original plat of Sotith Bend around 1.908 with the intent of constructing a new more modern office building. In 1909 he contracted Solon S. Beman, of Chicago, to design the building and H.G. Christman Company to build it. The architect, Mr. Beman, was originally from New York where he apprenticed with Richard UpJohn. After his apprenticeship he came to Chicago at the req~iest of Mr. Pullman. Mr. Pttllman hired Solon Beman to design his house and later had him design the town of Pullman, Illinois. Mr. Beman used his knowledge of the Chicago Schao] of design along with his experience ga.i.ned at the Colombian Exposition to design the eight story JMS Building. . Beman utilized steel, granite, glazed terra cotta and many classical decorative features in his design which was finally realized i.n 1910. Upon i.ts 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 trusteeship were, John Mohler Studebaker Jr., Frederick Fish and George Witwer., they maintained control of the building until April of 1936 when they relinquished their trusteeship to John Mohler Studebaker III. Eight months later in December of 1936 John Studebaker III sold the building to Eugene B. Warner for X175,000.00. Mr. Warner owned the property and continued its original use until .his death in 1.946, at. which time the control of the building went to the First Bank & Trust as trustees. In 1970 the Bank sold the building to AGA Realty Company on land contract. AGA Realty Company immediately began plans for a complete interior renovation to bringhe building up to modern standards. As these plans got under way plans to add a two to three story annex-to the north side of the building began to appear. In 1973 AGA Realty Company and the First Bank & Trust sold the building to Economic Development Company, who completed the remodeling i.n 1975. ARCHITECTiJRAI~ DESCRIPTION This eight story classical. revival style of f.i.ce strtictixre was b~iilt in 1.910 by John Mohler Studebaker. The facade 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 which ar.e 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. The middle of the structure is articulated with a three bay system which continues to the second intervening cornice, once again embellished with classical detailing. The top floor is further distinguished by the use of arched bays