Henry Binder's Hall- 1871,1908

301 South Main Street

Henry Binder's Hall- 1871,1908
Selo-Shevel Gallery, 1980s

In the light of the success of other commercial "blocks" on this side of Main Street, Henry Binder decided in 1871 to replace his old home on this corner with a three-story brick block. The carved stone lintels above the windows, their elaborate cornices, and the rusticated stone pilasters on the corners illustrated a more ostentatious style than had previously been seen on Main Street. Binder was born in Germany and came to Ann Arbor at the age of 21. He started out by running a profitable hotel located near the Michigan Central Depot and later ran a saloon on the ground floor of this Main Street building. As he prospered, he "made judicious investment in city property and erected many of the store buildings now on Main street. These brought him a good rental, adding materially to his income." Curiously, despite his wealth, his biography noted that when he died in 1894, his wife and 11 children "were residing over one of his store buildings on Main Street."

Around 1877 S. and J. Baumgardner's Bakery, Grocery, Flower and Feed Store replaced Binder's Saloon. Baumgardner's was so successful that they built a brick bakery in the back in 1880. An 1881 biography of the company states that the brothers came to Ann Arbor from Germany in 1877 "scarcely knowing any of the English language. The success which has crowned them in this line of business is ample proof of their honesty and integrity." Despite their reputation as being one of the best bakeries in Washtenaw County, their business closed and by 1892 the storefront was rented as showroom space to the Ann Arbor Organ Company, another German enterprise which was then the second largest employer in town.

In 1908, the building was remodelled into the basic form it has today, shedding its frilly Victorian look for the staid appearance of a Roman-style facade. The German -American Savings Bank opened in the ground-floor space. In 1916 the bank moved out and was replaced by Hutzel's Ladies Apparel and occupied the corner for the next 70 years.

The Selo-Shevel Gallery purchased the building in the late 1980s and successfully obtained a variance from the sign ordinance to keep the 30-year landmark sign, simply changing the name.