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: WM3PCA
Location: Michigan, United States
Date Posted: 04/29/2008
Views: 17
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."