Then vs. Now: Historical Listings, Pt. 4

It's time for yet another round-up of our social media series, Fun Fact Friday!

Our brokers have a wide range of listings, including everything from new construction to massive office buildings, land for development, and manufacturing plants. But it's the buildings from yesteryear that intrigue us the most.

These last several months, we have been diving into the history of listings across Northern Indiana. Our brokers have listed former skating rinks, post offices, shopping malls, and office buildings, and we have been sharing those stories with the community in our "Fun Fact Friday" social media series.

We'd like to thank the Allen County Public Library, Huntington County History and Education Center, various local newspapers, and many others for supplying photos and research information and joining us in sharing these memories for all to enjoy.

Former Huntington Post Office

The Huntington Post Office at 50 East Market Street in downtown Huntington was built in 1914 by WM Everly General Contractor & Builder from Indianapolis.

This building operated as a post office and government office building from its opening until the late 1960s, and this location experienced 8 postmaster generals.

It still has the original safe doors, electrical panels, catwalks, hardwood floors, and small spiral staircases leading between the floors.

In the basement, you would have found offices for US Social Security & Old Age Benefits, the National Association of Letter Carriers, the National Federation of PO Clerks, and more.

The brick-lined streets and cross-traffic warning signs have been replaced with modern pavement and traffic signals.

After the post office closed in the 60s, the building sat vacant for about 9 years, until 1976 when Economy Auto Parts opened. They supplied quality automotive maintenance and repair parts to professional technicians, auto dealerships, and consumers.

This former post office sits within the Huntington Courthouse Square District, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

Today, the building is for sale and could be a great development opportunity! Contact John Caffray or Andrew Eckert at 260 424 8448 for more information on this beautiful historic property.

(Historic photo credit to Huntington County History and Education Center.)

The Pearl District in Downtown Fort Wayne

Surrounded by Main Street, Webster Street, Pearl Street, and Maiden Lane, The Pearl officially opened in 2024 as Fort Wayne’s newest downtown development, but back in the 1880s, the Pearl District was an area full of manufacturers, blacksmith shops, construction suppliers, and stables. We'll take you around the block to highlight this industrious downtown pocket.

The most popular businesses on Pearl Street in the early days were Perfection Biscuit Co., Troy Cleaners, the Interurban Freight Depot, and Wayne Hardware, all on the northern side of Pearl Street. Some of these are still prominent buildings and area businesses today!

Several structures throughout the Pearl District were razed, rebuilt, or restored throughout the 1900s to adapt to the popular, growing industries and technologies of the time.

For example, the Ducky’s FW location (SEC of Pearl and Webster) was once home to Universal Wheel Co., a business that made puncture-proof automobile wheels in the early 1900s.

That building was converted into a garage in the 30s and became part of Workspace Solutions in more recent years. This building ran along Webster Street between Pearl and Main Streets.

In the 30s, Central Motor Parts claimed the northeast corner of Webster and Main Street, where The Pearl’s new live/work units are now.

Star Bowling & Billiard Supply, as seen in the 1976 video screenshot above, occupied this corner in the 70s and 80s until Workspace Solutions moved in and stayed until the building was torn down.

False storefronts were built over several Main Street businesses between the 1980s and the 2000s in an attempt to clean up the block.

Many may remember Peerless Cleaners, Pioneer Barber Supply, and the Ross Hotel building along this section of Main Street, where Crescendo Coffee & Café and The Pearl Event Center now sit.

The south side of Pearl Street was once home to Gauntt Manufacturing Co., where they made and repaired machinery and auto parts.

Various garages, businesses, taverns, and nightclubs lined Pearl Street throughout its 150-year history, including Tamica’s Club, After Dark, and Ross Radio & TV in the early 90s.

Now, you can enjoy fine dining at Amoré, followed by a stroll down the quaint corridor.

The Pearl District’s early days of dirt roads and manufacturing plants have been replaced with pedestrian-friendly streets, luxury living, event spaces, and fine dining.

The live/work units along brick-paved Webster Street give a nod to those early years when it was common to live above your place of business.

Lucky for you, these live-work units are currently available to lease! You can live in the apartment space on the second floor while operating your business on the first, or use the whole unit for your company. Contact The Pearl to learn more.

(Historic screenshot courtesy of ACPL video archives - Fort Wayne Street Scenes, Main Street - Northside. Camera and editing by Steve Fortriede.)

(Listing is no longer available through Sturges Property Group.)

Former Southtown Mall transitions to new Southtown Centre

We are shining the spotlight on Southtown Centre, a place with deep roots in Fort Wayne’s commercial and cultural landscape and in Sturges Property Group’s history.

Let’s rewind to July 1969, when the site opened as Southtown Mall, developed by Melvin Simon & Associates with anchors like JCPenney, Montgomery Ward, and Wolf & Dessauer. By its September dedication, 36 stores had opened, and Southtown was buzzing with activity.

Southtown Cinema I & II opened in 1971, and by 1982, the mall expanded to nearly 1 million square feet and 115 tenants by adding a new Sears and Service Merchandise wing.

But this rapid growth was followed by a slow decline. Some critics stated that the closing of the International Harvester plant around the same time as the expansion caused the mall to be "too big" for the area.

Others say the mall changed hands too many times in the 90s, saying new investors and management companies were not willing to put in the effort to revitalize the mall. Whatever the reasons, a changing economy led to decreased foot traffic and several major stores left throughout the 90s,

Southtown Cinema, GC Murphy’s, Old Country Buffet, Kohl’s, and others eventually became nostalgic memories. The former Southtown Mall pylon sign seen in the image above highlights some of these businesses.

With the City of Fort Wayne’s Department of Redevelopment, Sturges Development Group helped reimagine the entire area, which included:

• A new traffic signal and entrance off US 27
• New infrastructure: roads, utilities, and water systems
• Major anchor tenants like Walmart and Menards, which opened in 2006
• A new Public Safety Academy, which opened in 2007
• Outparcel buildings for Wendy’s, AutoZone, Firestone, and more

With just two parcels remaining today, Southtown Centre has become a cornerstone of South Fort Wayne’s rebirth. We’re proud to have helped turn a fading landmark into a thriving community hub, making Fort Wayne a better place.

(Historic image courtesy of The Journal-Gazette.)

The Landing Offices at the Bash Block - Part 1 & 2

Columbia Street, later known as The Landing, was Fort Wayne’s first business district and has been a bustling hub of commerce, travel, and entertainment for over 200 years!

Between the 1830s and 1870s, work began to dig the fifty-foot-wide Wabash & Erie Canal through Fort Wayne. The northeast corner of Columbia and Harrison Streets, where Nawa’s Bison Deck is today, once held the Orbison Basin, a boatyard lagoon for canal boats to dock and turn around.

The development of the freight and passenger railways quickly replaced water transport nationwide, and the canal became defunct. Nickel Plate Railroad purchased sections of the canal and began to fill it with dirt throughout the 1870s and 1880s to make way for new tracks.

When the Orbison Basin was filled in around 1876, Charles Bash came along in the early 1880s to develop a block of three buildings on that corner—a six-story centerpiece flanked by two four-story structures. The Bash Block, 126-136 W Columbia Street, was a statement of Romanesque Revival architecture. Architect Charles Kendrick designed the building with limestone Tuscan pilasters topped with a steel lintel, prism glass transoms, round arch windows, and metal cornices. 126 is the only remaining building of The Bash Block today.

Bash erected the central building for the use of A. L. Johns & Company, which can be seen advertised in the 1897 historic image above. At the time, A.L. Johns & Co. was the oldest and largest harness firm in the state, creating and repairing horse collars, whips, and saddlery. The east and west wings were used by Bash’s various enterprises. For example, Bash & Co. sold furs, seeds, hides, and produce from about 1885 to 1920.

Over the years, 126 W Columbia Street was home to various businesses that shaped Fort Wayne’s growth. Rothschild Brothers supplied wholesale paper in the 1920s, and Meyer Brothers Drug Co. distributed pharmaceuticals in the mid-20th century. Protective Electric Supply Company also resided at 126 W Columbia for about 60 years in the early to mid-1900s. Several ghost advertisements for these businesses are still visible from Dock Street, which was once the front of these buildings because they faced the canal.

But this tiny street’s history goes even deeper!

The Landing hit a real turning point in March 1965 when a group of Notre Dame students, local advocates, and Mayor Harold Zeis stepped in to successfully promote this section of Columbia Street as a priceless complement to major downtown development. This area was now safe from demolition and officially named “The Landing” to pay tribute to its canal-era roots when Columbia Street was a hub for boats, stagecoaches, and rail travel.

The Landing was officially dedicated to the city on October 23, 1965.

Throughout the late-60s and early-70s, the city purchased surrounding blocks and razed buildings for new civic projects, but in 1978, restoration began on the 100 block of West Columbia Street with a new street, sidewalks, landscaping, and streetlamps. The Landing's revitalization efforts were constantly challenged between the 60s and 80s by arson fires, suburban growth, and urban crime. However, the building at 126 West Columbia Street held its ground, truly standing the test of time.

The Bash Block has always been a hub of commerce, from canal-era warehousing to mid-century wholesaling. From the mid-80s until the 2010s, this building was home to Productive Business Interiors, which occupied multiple floors, including the basement, 1st, 2nd, and 4th.

Other tenants at 126 W Columbia over the years included Indiana Records Managers, Marquet-Carpenter Corp, Vantage Financial Services, Typographic Compositors, and our personal favorite, The Mole Hole Gift Shop, which can be seen in the 1974 and 1975 historic images.

In 2018, The Landing underwent a massive revitalization, bringing new life, businesses, and energy to this historic part of Fort Wayne. Today, the district is home to some of the city’s most beloved restaurants, shops, murals, and events—including Nawa, Bru Burger Bar, Mercado, Summit City Vintage, Marquee, Dana's, and Night Train, among many others!

From its roots as a frontier trading post to its rebirth as a modern urban hotspot, The Landing symbolizes Fort Wayne’s resilience, growth, and innovation. There’s even a chance history will repeat itself with The Exchange, The Landing’s latest development on The Bash Block’s location.

In the top 1897 historic photo, you’ll notice a grocery store in the bottom left corner, and The Exchange hopes to bring a new grocery store to the first level! Wouldn’t it be great to have a grocer in that location again?

It’s said that more than 2,500 businesses have occupied the entirety of East and West Columbia Street since the late 1700s. The Bash Block alone has supported everything from creative agencies to consultants to wholesalers, and now, they are ready for the next generations to make their mark in the building.

(Historic images courtesy of Columbia Street History Book: page 107, and The Landing's website.)

(Listing is no longer available through Sturges Property Group.)

Former USA Skate Center in Mishawaka

We are rolling back (literally) to the former USA Skate Center in Mishawaka, a beloved local landmark that first opened its doors on November 21, 1975!

Built by roller rink pros James & Marjorie Wall, this 20,000 SF center popped up on what was, at the time, nothing but a cornfield and dirt road off Day Road.

The Walls had already made a name for themselves with skating rinks in Fort Wayne and Muskegon, and Mishawaka was next on the map.

According to an article published in the South Bend Tribune, this building was originally planned to be called "Roller Dome Skate Center", similar to the ones in Fort Wayne. It transitioned into a USA Skate Center just before opening.

The Mishawaka location featured:

• An 80' x 160' skating floor
• Carpeted walls
• A quadraphonic sound system
• Penalty boxes for rule-breakers
• Freakout Fridays with blacklights and glowsticks

Admission prices ranged from $1.00 - $2.50, depending on the day/night, with $.75 skate rentals. And we can't forget Uncle Skates, the rink's roller-disco mascot, who invited families to "rock-n-roller skate at the USA!"

In May 1977, the rink hosted an exhibition from the World Silver Medalist skating duo, Ray Chappatta and Karen Mejia.

For over 41 years, Ken Wall, the son of James and Marjorie, managed the rink from its very first day until its closure on June 8, 2016. Though always successful, Ken chose to close the skating center to travel with his wife.

In 2019, there were rumblings that Urban Air Adventure Park was going to open a new facility at this location, but nothing ever happened.

Today, the former USA Skate Center sits vacant, but the memories of slow skates, all-night lock-ins, and the sound of wheels gliding on wood live on.

The building is now being offered for sale as a redevelopment or repurposing project. Call Neal Bowman or Philip Hagee for more information at 260 424 8448!

(Historic image courtesy of an article from The South Bend Tribune, March 9, 1975.)

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