The Big Reveal

In the 1960s and ’70s, many nineteenth- and early twentieth-century commercial buildings received modern makeovers, remodeled with metal façades to keep pace with contemporary design trends. Today, owners of those same buildings are removing mismatched coverings to reveal the historic architecture underneath. Last year, crews began stripping a worn mid-century façade from a commercial building in downtown South Bend, revealing the handsome masonry exterior originally designed by early twentieth-century architects Freyermuth and Maurer.

A historic photograph suggested the original masonry exterior remained beneath a mid-century façade added to South Bend’s Merchants National Bank block, inspiring owners Ben and Christina Miller to remove the metal cladding and uncover the building’s Freyermuth and Maurer design. (PHOTO: Christina Miller)

George W. Freyermuth moved from Philadelphia to South Bend as a child, launching his career as a carpenter before becoming a self-taught contractor and architect. His partner, R. Vernon Maurer, brought formal training to their collaboration, with credentials from the Chicago Athenaeum and the Art Institute. The pair established their South Bend architecture firm in 1897 and designed commercial buildings, churches, houses, and civic buildings throughout the city, including the 1912 Classical Revival-style North Pumping Station, and 1902 City Hall (demolished in 1970).

In 1902, the pair designed the Merchants National Bank block on Michigan Street, creating a masonry front that unified three connected commercial buildings. The façade was covered in porcelain-enameled steel in 1960 while home to The Grand Leader Department Store. For decades the tan-hued exterior was a familiar landmark to local residents, who later knew the site as mini-mall Center City Place.

Historic photographs of Freyermuth and Maurer’s original design convinced local business owners Ben and Christina Miller that a more eye-catching exterior remained beneath the tired mid-century façade. In 2019, noticing a shortage of amenities and restaurants serving the downtown workforce, the couple opened the Dainty Maid Food Hall as a space for culinary start-ups, first considering Center City Place for the venture but ultimately choosing a smaller building directly next door.