Walking Tour of Fowlerville's Historic Homes and Downtown Buildings | Fowlerville, Michigan

#39. St. John's Lutheran Church, 132 South Benjamin Street

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 19:30:35 -0400

In 1898 a wooden church was built at this location. Services were held in German until 1903. The present church was built in 1928.

#28. Lepard Chevrolet, 145 East Grand River

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 15:21:42 -0400

This two-story building has been many things since it was built in 1891 after the great fire. In 1896 it was the first location for Blackmer & Minto. Later it was a Dodge dealership and garage, then Soule Chevrolet, Gannon Chevrolet and Lepard Chevrolet. For much of the 1990s and through most of 2010 it was the home of Maria's School of Dance. This photo was taken in 1936, just a few months before Cecil Lepard bought the Chevy dealership from Clem Gannon.

#27. Twin-Q Inn Restaurant, 131 East Grand River

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 15:15:48 -0400

Before and after World War II, the Twin-Q Inn Restaurant took up two storefronts (Detroit Edison and Home Restaurant). It is said Detroit residents would take road trips here for the elegant dining. Years late, the west two-thirds became Howard's Market (now Save-On) and the old bar area became the Bloated Goat Saloon. This photo shows the Home Restaurant, a successor to The Twin-Q Inn.

#26. Sweet Sensations, 129 East Grand River

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 15:11:57 -0400

In 1946, George and Elen Spagnuolo converted the rear of this store into their manufacturing plant for candy and ice cream while using the front for a small wholesale business. It is now owned by Les and Sherry Pardee, who have restored the building and make homemade chocolates and candies, continuing in the tradition of the Spagnuolos.

#26. Fenton Drugs (later Fowlerville Pharmacy), 119 East Grand River

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 15:04:24 -0400

Built in 1891 after the great fire, the building at the left has housed a drug store/pharmacy for 120 years. Originally Cooper Drugs, it was sold in the 1920s to Clayton Fenton who operated Fenton Drugs. It is said that Clayton Fenton and Tom Woods would help each other by trading off which store would stay open on the weekends. It has also been Tim's Pharmacy, Proos Pharmacy, and is now Fowlerville Pharmacy. The building with the sign saying The Red & White Stores was Westin Brothers, a grocery store.

#24. Spagnuolo's Confectionery Store

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 14:53:31 -0400

In December 1924, George Spagnuolo purchased the Andrew Novara Confectionery, changed its name, and delighted customers with candies, ice cream, soda fountain drinks, and fruits until the late 1970s. Here you could find the second refrigerated soda fountain installed in Michigan (1926) and the first Coca Cola machine in the village. In the photo, taken before December 1924, can be seen the jewelry store of H. T. Blank on the left, and Andrew Novara's Confectionery on the right.

#23. Spencer Drugs (later Woods Drugs), 105 East Grand River

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 14:34:45 -0400

James P. Spencer opened his drug store in 1886. From the mid-1920s until 1969, it was known as Woods Drug Store. Thomas Woods filled prescriptions, sold ice cream and soda fountain drinks, and stocked health and personal items. At the far left can be seen the A&P store. This photo was taken before 1925.

#22. Bell Opera House and Frank's Market, east side of North Grand Avenue

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 14:24:50 -0400

The Bell Opera House, located on the second floor of this building (the seven windows from the left), was a busy meeting hall into the 1920s for community meetings, orators, plays and concerts. In 1921, Clyde Curtis opened a grocery store in the area below the right three opera house windows. Clyde sold the business to his son Frank in 1946, and Frank expanded Curtis Grocery to the right (south), renaming it Frank's Market. The left section below the opera house is Olden Days Cafe. At the time of this photo, the right section was the Decorating Center; it is now the home of Maria's School of Dance.

#21. Livingston Mills (Birdsall Mill), northeast corner of North Grand Avenue and Mill Street

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 14:17:56 -0400

This early grist mill, for grinding wheat and corn into flour, became the Birdsall Mill in the 1920s. In 1949 it was sold and became the H. M. & G. Feed company. The mill was closed in 1961 and was used as an intentional burn exercise by the fire department. The property became the new homes of the Fowlerville District Library and the Fowlerville Area Fire Department.

#20. Centennial Park — Behind Fire Department and Fowlerville District Library

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 14:12:37 -0400

Centennial Field was dedicated in 1936, and was the football and baseball fields for the schools when the high school was on Collins Street. Beginning in the 1970s an ice skating rink was built here in the winters. In 1998 it became Centennial Park.

#19. Vogt Funeral Home, 223 North Grand Avenue

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 13:59:14 -0400

Vogt's Undertaking and Furniture business was owned and operated by John Vogt, the first president of the COmmercial CLub in the mid-1900s. He and his family lived and worked at this location into the 1950s.

#18. Current Handy Township Hall, 135 North Grand Avenue

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 13:50:37 -0400

At the far right was the site of Lovely's Opera House before it was destroyed by fire in March, 1891. It was replaced in 1899 by the three story building in the photo, which housed the fire department, village offices, Handy Township offices and the jail on the first floor, the City Opera House on the second floor, and the Masonic Lodge on the third floor. It also housed the library until the early 1970s. Currently it, and the one-story building directly to the left house the offices of Handy Township. The upper offices are no longer used. The one-story building was the former location of the Fowlerville Review.

#17. Palmerton Block, 100 West Grand River

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 13:44:58 -0400

This is the third structure on this site known as the Palmerton Block, after owner George Palmerton. Fire destroyed both the original wooden building in 1876 and the brick building which replaced the original structure in 1891. It was renamed the Sidell Block in 1945 and now houses Harmon Real Estate. The photo is from the late 1890s.

#16. Fowlerville Hardware, 110 West Grand River

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 13:39:02 -0400

Shortly after the Civil War, J. L. Cook began a hardware store. In 1891 the store with the arch on the second floor (above) was built and continues as a hardware store. At the time of this photo the hardware was owned by Titmus and Converse. The store on the left was built sometime later, and in this photo, was being used by L. M. Shorman to sell and repair farm implements and buggies. From 1940 until 1956 the store on the left was the site of the Orr Theatre. Today both buildings are Fowlerville Hardware.

#15. Roy T. Sprague's Ford Garage, 103 West Grand River

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 12:45:15 -0400

The Ford garage was completed in 1917. Local legend holds that Henry Ford himself designed this curved-roof building for his automobile show-rooms. The Bob Smith Ford dealership was located here from the late 1960s until 2001, when it was sold and relocated near the I-96 interchange south of town.

#14. Commercial Hotel and Service Station, southwest corner of Grand River and Grand Avenue

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 12:39:05 -0400

In 1880 the Commercial Hotel was built to replace the old wooden Reason House, which had been built in 1854 and burned on February 3, 1878. Traveling salesmen could show their wares in areas provided on the first floor known as "sample rooms." The hotel was torn down in 1937 and a Hi-Speed (later Pure, then Union 76) gas station stood at this corner for many years. This photo was taken just before demolition in 1937.

#13. Morlock Basket Factory (current Curtis Grocery parking lot)

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 12:31:46 -0400

In the mid-1900s Floyd Morlock, along with eight employees, created nearly 500 floral and funeral baskets weekly, in at least 30 different styles from Indonesian reeds and Argentine wiilows. It was located in the taller of the two brick buildings at the left, and was torn down in April 1971.

#12. Lockwood Exchange/Hotel, 141 South Grand Avenue

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 12:26:31 -0400

The Lockwood Hotel was built in 1901 after a fire destroyed the previous wooden structure. It served as a place to stay, have a meal, be treated by traveling physicians, get a haircut, or even visit with a clairvoyant.

#11. First Baptist Church, 214 South Grand Avenue

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 12:20:22 -0400

The first Baptist church was built in 1873 on North Ann Street and relocated in 1875 to 435 East Grand River (see #34). The new church, named Carey Centennial Baptist Church, was dedicated in 1894. It has since been renamed First Baptist Church.

#8. First United Methodist Church, 201 South Second Street

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 12:02:44 -0400

The original church was a white, wooden frame building dedicated in 1868 (see Historic Photos--Churches above for photos). The current building's cornerstone was laid in 1916.