Pottlitzer Bros.- Masonic Hall Building

Lehnen's Furniture Building

Dates:

1888
Location: 216-222 N. Sixth Street, Lafayette, Indiana

This building was built for the Pottlitzer Bros. Fruit Company in 1888. The first two floors served as the Pottlitzer Bros. Fruit Warehouse and the third floor served as the Masonic Hall. A wide staircase led up from the sidewalk to a second floor landing and thence up to the third floor stair hall. An elevator ran adjacent to the staircase in the core of the building. The southern 2/3 of the third floor was the Masonic Hall, featuring an elaborate plaster frieze and cornice. The northern 1/3 of the third floor contained smaller spaces, probably offices for the order. In 1899 the Pottlitzer Bros. Co. advertised itself as “importers and wholesale dealers in fruits and fancy groceries.” Sometime between 1901 and 1909 the company name changed to Herman Pottlitzer Sons Co.

The adjacent Pottlitzer Block-Murdock Building was built in 1895 to house the Lafayette Cracker & Confectionary Company, owned by the Pottlitzers and other investors. This company soon became the nation’s largest competitor with the National Biscuit Company, now called NaBisCo. In 1908 the name was changed to the Lafayette Baking Company, and in 1913 the company went out of business. The Pottlitzer Block was then sold to Charles Murdock, who had it remodeled with the present terra-cotta facade in 1914. The Pottlitzer Building seems to have been painted white at this time to match the white terra-cotta of the Murdock Building next door.

1905 The Pottlitzer Building (left) and the Murdock Building from a Lafayette Cracker & Confectionary Co. receipt 9-1999 The Pottlitzer Building during the period when many people called it an eyesore

After the Pottlitzer Company went out of business, the John B. Ruger Sons Co., wholesale bakers, moved into the building. This company had been founded in the 1840s and had been located in the 400 block of Main Street since about 1860. The John B. Ruger Sons Co. occupied the Pottlitzer Bros. Building from at least 1927-1957. In 1927 the third floor was occupied by the Lafayette Bowling Alleys and 1920s photographs show a sign advertising “Bowling” suspended from the third floor.

In 1958 the building was occupied by Herb & Walt’s Television Service. By 1960 Lehnen’s Furniture & Appliances had moved into the building and the storefront was probably remodeled about this time. The immense windows were removed and the storefronts were covered with wood siding and small windows were placed at sidewalk level. As of 1970 the building had a tall I-shaped electric sign advertising "Lehnen's Furniture" suspended from the second and third floors.

By the 1990s Lehnen’s had moved out of the building and it sat vacant and neglected for many years. New owners purchased the building early in 2005 and are renovating the upper floors into eight condos. The long-hidden storefronts have recently been reopened, revealing beautiful cast iron columns. The rear of the first floor is being rebuilt to accommodate indoor parking for the building's tenants, behind the commercial units which face Sixth Street. The vast Masonic Hall, abandoned by the order in 1909, retains its elaborate plaster frieze and cornice. The second floor, used primarily as a warehouse, retains portions of its historic tin ceiling.

This building and the Lafayette Theatre diagonally across the street were often described as two of the biggest eyesores in the city because of their severely neglected condition. Now, thanks to these two renovations, this promises to be one of the most attractive blocks in Downtown Lafayette.

View of the building in 2004, with covered storefront, roll over the image to see a rendering I prepared at that time Detail of main cornice with "MASONIC HALL" and "1888"
6-20-05 Debris and ruined plaster are being removed from the interior  
5-11-05 View of upper facade during renovation  
Note re-opened storefronts  
These beautiful cast iron columns had been hidden beneath wood siding c.1960 The uncovered storefront returns the rhythm of the historic facade to a previously bleak stretch of sidewalk
Detail of storefront cornice Tin ceiling and boxed wood beam inside the first floor
5-12-05 Preparing the rear of the first floor for its new use as an indoor parking area behind the commercial units The damaged wood floor system is removed to be replaced with reinforced concrete
On the 3rd Floor the historic Masonic Hall remains surprisingly intact The vast Masonic Hall awaits sensitive conversion into a condominium
The Masonic Hall retains almost all of its elaborate plaster frieze and cornice An interior room on the north side of the building reveals layers of historic wallpaper
The front room on the north side of the building opens off the Masonic Hall, probably once serving as an office or meeting room This room retains its historic woodwork, doors, and picture moulding; this was once a door to a hall connecting to the stair hall
1-5-2006 Work progresses, note new color scheme The new storefronts behind the historic iron columns
4-6-2006 An impressive transformation