Hoping For a Save

North Manchester, an idyllic small town in the northeast corner of Wabash County, has aggressively worked to restore the impressive collection of 100-year-old storefronts that line Main Street. Tourists and hometown folks alike are drawn to quaint shops, cafes, office buildings, a museum and more. In November, a devastating fire scarred part of the picture-postcard quality of the historic downtown.

The early morning fire broke out in the Victorian-era Strauss Building at 216 W. Main St. By the time fire trucks arrived, a thick blanket of black smoke was spilling out of the structure. Residents of the second-floor apartments escaped, but it took seven local fire departments until 1:45 p.m. the next day to completely extinguished the blaze. Officials determined the fire originated at the Brewhouse — a pub on the first floor — and quickly engulfed the second floor of the structure. Adjoining structures also sustained fire, smoke and water damage.

Constructed in 1882, the Strauss Building is a textbook example of the Italianate commercial architecture prevalent on many Indiana main streets. The red-brick building’s façade features slender cast iron columns, large plate-glass display windows and transoms. The second floor displays ornate arched window hoods and double-hung sash. The galvanized tin cornice and large brackets are characteristic features of the Italianate style.

The block-long structure is actually made up of four individual storefronts. At 220 E. Main Street, Daniel Strauss, the original owner, sold everyday necessities including feed, ice and coal. Over the years, other business owners on the block advertised furniture & caskets, bake goods, a meat market, a bake shop, and a local favorite — the East End Tavern, in business for over 70 years.

Today, three quarters of the building is owned by the Strauss Family Partnership, direct descendants of the original builder. One of the first floor tenants displaced by the fire is the Wabash County Community Foundation. Its Executive Director Patty Strauss Grant is a fifth-generation family member of the original owner.

Insurance officials are still assessing the condition of the building. While most of the front facade appears intact, the rear of the Brewhouse suffered a major roof and rear wall collapse. Indiana Landmarks has reached out the Strauss family to offer preservation assistance in hopes of saving the downtown landmark.

For more information, contact Paul Hayden, director of our Northeast Field Office, 260-563-7093 or phayden@indianalandmarks.org.