7 Saint Michael Street (Commercial Building), Mobile

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS ALA,49-MOBI,164-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

built in the in Mobile's active waterfront district, PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION 1. Date of erection: Before 2. Architect: unknown 3. Original and subsequent owners: As indicated in the following chain of title, this building, with facades on St. Michael Street and Planter's Alley and enclosed on either side by other commercial buildings, had already been constructed when the land was sold in Reference is the Probate Court Record Division, Mobile County. Deed February 7, in Book L page 292 Eslava to Maria Beylle "...in consideration of..,($3,600)...hath granted... all that certain lot of land...(30' x 84')...on which...is erected a two story building..." Deed February 17, in Book M page 444 Joseph Beylle & Com.

to Eslava Deed April 1, in Book N page 428 Eslava to Roberts Deed June 1, in Book S page 574 J. F. Roberts to Jasper Strong HABS No. ALA-792 (Page 2) "...in consideration of the sum of.. ... f\if\ hath granted...all that certain lot of land... MA fronting on St. Michael and Planters Streets... having a front on each street of... .. .and a depth of...(84')...on which said lot is erected a two story brick building at present known as the Mobile Arcade being bounded North by St. Michael Street, West by a tenement now or late the property of...Cleveland, South by Planter's Street, and East by a tenement now or late the property of George Starr the same being the property conveyed to James F.

Roberts by Eslava...also that other lot..." Deed March 17, in Book 24 page 139 Jasper Strong to Henry Ahrens Deed August 30, in Book 29 page 245 Charles Ahrens to O.F. Cawthorn Deed November 1, in Book 30 page 677 O.F. Cawthorn to Deposit Savings Corp. Property passes into the hands of the United States Government c. (Book 34 page Deed August 29, in Book 195 page 473 Factors & Trade Ins, Co. to Stewart A. LeBlanc Deed May 12, in Book 324 page 418 Stewart A. LeBlanc to H. Abb Woodridge, Jr. Deed January 2, in Book 335 page 217 Herb C. Brown et al to Dominick Riso HABS No. ALA-792 (Page 3) 4.

Alteration and additions: The appearance of the north ~a"'^ and south facades of this building were altered when cast- -^ - iron columns (on north facade only) and window hoods and sills were added, probably about considering the similarity of theee elements with those of other buildings in the area constructed at that time. The curious cornice and parapet of the north front were probably also added during this renovation; the original undoubtedly resembled the simple denticulated cornice of the south front. Two bays of the three bay arcade of the south facade were also partially filled in and changed into windows. B.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS ALA,49-MOBI,164-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

1. Primary and unpublished sources: Mobile Deed Books, Probate Court Record Division, Mobile County Lewis Troost Map <c. City Hall, Mobile 2. Secondary and published sources: Southern and Southwestern Surveying and Publishing Company, City Atlas of Mobile, Alabama, from actual Surveys and Records. Baltimore, Hopkins, Prepared by Linda Carroll Student Historian August 22, and Charles A. Herrington Architectural Historian National Park Service June 20, PART 11. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement: Architectural character: This modest commercial building with handsome brickwork and decorative details of cast iron is a typical example of mid-nineteenth-century con- structions in Mobile.

The two arcaded facades with varia- tions in treatment and the number of bays make this build- ing of special interest. HABS No. ALA-792 (Page 4) 2. Condition of fabric: This building was exceedingly MA deteriorated before demolition. &q . B. Description of Exterior: 1. Over-all dimensions: This is a rectangular two story building measuring across the front by a depth of The north front consists of four bays and the south of three, treated differently, 2. Foundation: Not accessible. 3. Wall construction, finish and color: This is a brick bearing wall construction with bricks laid in a common bond (headers every fourth row). The first floor of the main facade (north, St.

Michael Street) has four arched full-length openings with cast-iron fluted Corinthian columns engaged to cast-iron pilasters. The end walls form piers of masonry covered with scored plaster to similate ashlar and have cast-iron Corin- thian capitals. The south (rear) elevation is of plastered brick which is scored to simulate ashlar construction. The plaster has in general fallen from the brick. The east and west walls are party walls (now exposed) with- out openings. 4. Structural system, framing: The only portion of the framing which is visible is the second floor construc- tion which consists of large, closely-spaced joists appearing to be approximately x spanning from bearing wall to bearing wall with no intermediate support. 5.

Stoops: Cast-iron treads cover a continuous brick and plaster stoop 18" high on the north facade. The stoop at the first and third bays from the west are cut out to form entry steps. 6. Chimneys: Since the adjacent building had been demolish- ed, two brick chimneys are visible on the west party wall. 7. Openings: a. Doorways and doors: The north (main) facade has four arched openings on the first floor with a continuous archivolt of projecting "single-line" header bricks above. Each opening has double doors and plain plastered soffits. The doors are of heavy moulding and arched at the top. The lower wooden HABS No. ALA-792 (Page 5) panels have applied mouldings and are inset with a raised center panel.

The transoms above the i\&- tAc& doors have cente-divided hinged lights forming quarter circles. The three openings in the south elevation are similar, except that two are windows rather than doors. The impression given is that only the wood panelling has been omitted from these two openings and that they too were formerly doors. b. Windows and shutters: The windows of the second floor are all identical and consist of round-headed double-hung wooden sash with four-over-four lights. All windows have cast-iron sills and hood moulds, or cornices, supported on "corinthianesque" brackets; the hood mouldings are composed of three bands: a beaded motif, egg-and-dart, and acanthus leaves. 8. Roof: a. Shape, covering: There is a hip roof covered with slate. b.

Cornice, eaves: Over the first-floor arcade of the north elevation there is a projecting cornice of brick-sized dentils and a plastered frieze, enclosed at the sides by corbelled brick brackets. Above, a curious intricate corbelled brick cornice and parapet crown the facade. The south elevation has projecting brick string courses over the first story, and a simple brick denticulated cornice above. C. Description of Interior: 1. Floor plans: The first floor is one large high room. The second floor has an interior partition dividing the front from the rear. 2. Stairways: There is a makeshift flight of stairs on the west wall near the north end of the building, possibly located in the original stairwell. 3.

Flooring: First floor, modern cement; second floor, fairly narrow random-width board flooring. 4. Wall and ceiling finish: The first floor walls have plaster directly on the brick walls and there is evidence of lath and plaster on the underside of the exposed ceiling construction. The second floor walls are plaster on wooden lath and there is a narrow beaded board ceiling in the north room. HABS No. ALA-792 (Page 6) 5. Doorways and doors: No interior doorways original to the building remain. On the second floor, the single interior partition that would have contained a doorway has been $UV stripped. t^-A'toGi 6. Trim: On the second floor, there is a plain wooden base board approximately 8" high and a narrow wooden crown moulding. No trim remains on the first floor. 7.

Heating: There is one fireplace on the east wall of the second story in the north room that has a stone mantel and round opening; there was originally a second fireplace on the west wall of the south room, second story. D. General setting and orientation: This building is located in an extensive nineteenth-century commercial and wharf district, and is located on the south side of St. Michael Street between Commerce and Water Streets, facing north on St. Michael and also with a south facade on Planter's Alley. Prepared by Woodrow W. Wilkins Supervising Architect National Park Service July 22, and John C. Poppeliers Architectural Historian National Park Service August 29, PART III.

PROJECT INFORMATION These records were prepared as a cooperative project during the summer of between the Historic American Buildings Survey and various agencies, organizations, and individuals of the City of Mobile. The Historic American Buildings Survey supplied the project supervisor, Woodrow W. Wilkins, and three draughtsmen, Carl J. Rosenburg (Massa- chusetts Institute of Technology), Michael R. Foil (Auburn University) and Lowell K. West (University of Kentucky). One draughtsman, Elbert L. Coleman (Alabama A & M), was provided by the Mobile Housing Board, which agency administers urban renewal.

The services of an additional draughtsman, James Eley, specifically designated as an architectural student from Auburn University, were made possible by contributions from numerous local architects and businessmen. The Historic Mobile Preservation Society, in agreement with the History Department of Springhill College, provided a student historian, Linda Carroll. Office space was supplied by the City of Mobile through the City Planning HABS No. ALA-792 (Page 7) AlA Commission. Roy Thigpen, a local photographer,, was contracted to #4./|f\o& supply the photographs. All local arrangements were made by the ffe4- Mobile Historic Development Commission, Nancy N. Holmes, President. The project was edited during the summer of by Charles A.

Herrington, Architectural Historian, in a cooperative effort between the Historic American Buildings Survey and the Mobile Historic Development Commission.