1200 Marshall Street, March 23, 2023
After our story last week about the changes at 1200 Marshall Street we wanted to share the latest look with you! This photo is of the front, uncovered for the first time in years. We like it!
If you drive Marshall Street, you are likely struck by two things: work taking place at the 1200 Marshall building and, of course, the beautiful, colorful mural under the interstate. The historic building is repositioning itself for another ‘new’ life, but the owner is taking the look of the building back to its roots, and interesting roots they are. Our earliest records show the ‘fireproof’ brick and metal building came into being in 1915 as Cornwell’s Bakery and Grocery were you could get fancy candied cherries for $.60 per pound, and fish flakes for $.15. (No, we don’t know what fish flakes were used for.)
1200 Marshall St.
The building was a smaller version in 1915; in 1923, the permit was issued for the front 2-story addition. For the next number of years, it was Bender Iron and Supply, and later, Mid-South press and a variety of printing/graphics businesses. Many locals remember it as the long-time home of Shreve Systems music supply and Trailerama.
Work happening inside and out!
Work is going on inside to prepare for new tenants as work takes place outside to remove hardie board panels covering historic brick and windows (we are not certain that the glass blocks in the windows are original. In some cases, those blocks were installed later in the life of the building).
A closer view of the panels.
Luckily, the panels ‘float’ above the facade underneath, making them somewhat easier to remove. The stucco added to the panels and other locations is a different story, requiring painstaking chipping away.
You can see changes made over time.
Doors have been blocked in, the base of the building damaged, blocks underneath, broken.
Dentil molding accents the roofline.
We’re looking forward to seeing the finished product! Meantime, if you would like to go by for a closer look, definitely go to check out High Gravity Glassworks, a glass studio and hands-on opportunity for blowing glass keepsakes, and Waddell’s Gallery of Distinction, a framing shop that has been serving the area for over 50 years. They are open Monday-Friday, 10 am- 5 pm.
