Wagner's Block | |
 | |
| Location | 143 W. Michigan Ave.,Marshall, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°16′19″N84°57′38″W / 42.27194°N 84.96056°W /42.27194; -84.96056 (Wagner's Block) |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1870 (1870) |
| Architect | John Mills Van Osdel |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Part of | Marshall Michigan Historic Landmark District (ID91002053) |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000385[1] |
| Added to NRHP | October 7, 1971 |
Wagner's Block is a historic commercial building located at 143 West Michigan Avenue inMarshall, Michigan. It was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1971.[1]
Martin V. Wagner arrived in Marshall in 1863 at the age of 18, reportedly penniless. He started clerking at a store, then turned to reading law with a local attorney. By 1870, he had amassed enough wealth that he could construct this commercial block in downtown Marshall. Wagner hiredJohn Mills Van Osdel ofChicago to design this building. Construction was completed in 1871. Over time, the building housed various commercial enterprises on the ground floor, with Wagner's insurance agency on the second floor, and a ballroom/auditorium on the third. Wagner died in 1891.[2]
Wagner's Block is a three-storySecond Empire commercial building with a mansard roof. It has a heavilyornamented cast iron and limestone facade, with oval windows set into the slate covered mansard roof. Below, windows on the second and third stories are flanked by engaged Corinthian columns supporting heavy window hoods. A balcony projects from the third floor. The facade of the first floor has been modernized with large panes of glass.[2]
