Wightman Building
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S5280ft
N 43° 22.302 W 083° 35.005
17T E 290699 N 4805334
Located on the east side of South Main Street, just south of Huron Avenue (M-15). Streetside parking available.
Waymark Code: WM10RF
Location: Michigan, United States
Date Posted: 12/05/2006
Views: 10
From the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office website:
Narrative Description:
The Wightman Building is a three-story, red brick, Italianate commercial building fronting Main Street in downtown Vassar. The second and third floors contain apartments. Constructed in 1885, the Wightman Building, part of the Union Block, has always had commercial space on the ground floor and residential space on the upper floors. The front facade of this building has a corbel brickwork frieze on the parapet with a flat roof. There are hood moldings over the windows on the second and third stories. These moldings support the original date of construction for the second story and the subsequent addition of the third floor. The moldings appear to be cast metal on the second floor and stone on the third, and are reflected in a c. 1896 historic photograph. The building is anchored with piers on its flanks. The commercial space has a recessed doorway with display windows framing the door. All of these elements are seen in the historic photograph and remain unchanged today. This building has a tremendous degree of historic integrity on both the exterior as well as the interior, which is unusual for buildings of this type.
Statement of Significance:
The Wightman Building was constructed in 1885, as one of three buildings in the Briggs Block for James Briggs of Detroit. Briggs sold the block to Franklin W. Wightman in 1893. This building was the location of Wightman's jewelry business. Briggs operated a jewelry business in this location prior to Wightman purchasing the space because the display cases and the vault were a part of the land contract between Briggs and Wightman. We find the use of the Wightman name on the business as early as an 1895 publication advertising watches, silverware, watch repairing, engraving, and fitting eyes with glasses.
Historical Name: James Briggs, Franklin W. Wightman
Parking nearby?: yes
D/T ratings: 
Registered Site #: Local Site #2011
Historical Date: Not listed
Description: Not listed
website: Not listed
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