Barskin's Department Store - Martinsville, Indiana - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

This large building is faced with brick from the Martinsville Brick Company. Two stories in height, the building is plain and practical in design. All original windows have either been filled or reduced; the most severely altered are the street-level display windows, now non-existent. The original doors have also been replaced.

When completed in 1922, Samuel Barskin's impressive new department store was the realization of his dream "to build a big store room, modern and convenient and have departments for different lines." Consisting of two floors and a basement (on the second floor was a large auditorium and four large apartments), "the splendid business block," extolled the Martinsville Republican, was the result of "Mr. Barskin's methods of courtesy and square dealing. . . ." In November 1940, needing a rest and unable to pass up the deal of a lifetime, Samuel Barskin leased the building sans merchandise to Sears, Roebuck and Company. Sears left the building and the city of Martinsville in February 1984. The property was then acquired by a local contractor and converted into apartments. - Historic District Nomination Form