Fidelity Building - Benton Harbor, MI
N 42° 06.892 W 086° 27.277
16T E 545086 N 4662673
The Fidelity Building occupies what was once a prominent position in the center of Benton Harbor. At the time of its construction in 1926, it was reputedly largest retail and office building between Kalamazoo, Michigan and South Bend Indiana.
Waymark Code: WM36RQ
Location: Michigan, United States
Date Posted: 02/19/2008
Views: 24
From the Michigan Government Historic Sites web site:
"The Fidelity Building occupies what was once a prominent position in the center of Benton Harbor. At the time of its construction in 1926, it was reputedly largest retail and office building between Kalamazoo, Michigan and South Bend Indiana. Located on a triangular parcel of land at the corner of Pipestone and Michigan Streets, it was commonly called the Flatiron Building after its well known east coast predecessor. The Fidelity is composed of seven bay facades on both Pipeston and Michigan streets, and its distincitive curved corner overlooks the five point intersection known locally as Five Corners. Once a bustling business district, the area around the Fidelity is now characterized by open lots and vacant buildings.
The Fidelity Building is the largest office building in Benton Harbor. Constructed in 1926 during an unprecedented period of growth and prosperity, it is located on a wedge shaped lot at the city's historic and commerical core. The building overlooks the busiest commercial intersection in Benton Harbor and, in its heyday, was the hub of professional and business life there. The Fidelity is nominated to the National Register under Criterion A for its association with this progressive period of the twentieth century commerical history in Benton Harbor. It is also nominated under Criterion C for its architectural significance, as a locally notable example of commercial/office building design of the 1920s."