Historic Commercial Structures

Audrain Building, Newport Rhode Island

Date added:July 05, 2010

The Audrain Building was built in 1902-1903 for Adolphe L. Audrain and was designed by the New York architect Bruce Price. The Audrain Building is particularly significant as one of the four buildings that comprise a distinguished commercial street, the east side of Bellevue Avenue beginning at Memorial Boulevard and running south. The development of the street began at the north with the building of the Travers Block at the corner in 1870-1871. Designed by Richard Morris Hunt, it is an important example of his early style. The next building, and the next one in date, is the Newport Casino. The largest of the four, and historically the best known, it was not only a commercial building but also a social center for the summer colony. Built 1n 1880-1881, it is a well known example of the Shingle Style by the architects McKim, Mead, and White. It has been placed on the National Register. The third building in the group is the King Block, designed by the Boston architects Perkins and Betton and built in 1892-1893. The Audrain Building is the southern anchor of the group. The four buildings maintain a long street line and are basically related in scale and massing. They are also related in their use of richly textured surfaces which at the same time allows great variety and liveliness. Without matching, the buildings compliment each other in a particularly urbane way and form an ensemble which should be preserved.

Over-all dimensions: 110 feet by 73.5 feet; rectangular plan; 6 bays; 2 stories.

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Bishop Block, St. Paul Minnesota

Date added:June 04, 2010

Originally the Bishop Block was a five story, fourteen bay Victorian styled building that was divided by firewalls into two separate structures. Both buildings shared a common facade and were built at the same time. The building had three cast iron storefronts, and at the center of the roof line was a large pediment that projected above an elaborate galvanized iron cornice. Between 1922 and 1940, several alterations were made to the northernmost eight bays of the structure. The cornice was removed, and a top story was added. In 1941, the southernmost six bays of the building (the portion which stood at the northwest corner of 5th and Sibley Streets) were demolished. The cast iron storefront in the remaining portion of the building was replaced with a vitrolite tile storefront in the 1950's. In 1981, the Bishop Block consisted of six stories and eight bays with horizontal banding decorated with incised carving in stone and decorative brickwork between stories.

This building was probably constructed circa 1882-83 as a rental property for Judson Wade Bishop, a former Civil War Brigadier General and engineer who served as the general manager of the St.Paul and Sioux City Railroad which eventually became part of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway system. The building was constructed by Asher Bassford, a St. Paul builder and carpenter who was the brother of Edward Payson Bassford, a well-known St. Paul architect. The building appears on the 1883 J.L. Stoner, Panoramic Map of St. Paul, indicating that it may have been under construction as early as 1882.

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Chamber of Commerce (Makie) Building, Milwaukee Wisconsin

Date added:October 31, 2009

Imposing example of large commercial structure of of the 1870's, typical of Milwaukee's rapid growth and commercial development following the Civil War. It is also a good example of the prevailing style, which is described in a contemporary document as "simple Italian." It was built originally by Alexander Mitchell under contract with the Chamber of Commerce to occupy the exchange room for twenty years beginning May 1881 at a yearly rental of $3,000.00.

The building is constructed entirely of gray Ohio sandstone with 160' center tower with clock on four faces. Roof is of slate. Window surrounds are elaborate heavy projections with pediments, brackets, and various other motives from the eclectic vocabulary. The entrance door is flanked by granite pillars with figures of "commerce" "bear," and "bull." Actual entrance door has been modernized.

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