Historic Downtown Greenville

Originally Built: 1905 as Ridley Cold Storage Warehouse
History of the Building: 

• 1905 - Ridley Cold Storage Warehouse
• 1937 - Charles Belshaw, local investor
• 1960's - City of Greenville 
• 1972 - Leased to the Flat River Historical Society and eventually turned into a museum                                                              

Today: Flat River Museum and you can visit Saturday and Sunday from 2:00 - 4:30 pm

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126 W Cass St.
Originally Built: 1880 as First Congregational Church of Greenville
History of Building:

• From the first gathering in 1852, until the present, the First Congregational Church of Greenville has been a part of the faith fabric of Greenville. 
• More than 100 years as the same church

Today: Remains the First Congregational Church of Greenville

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330 - 332 S Lafayette St.
Originally Built: 1869 for H.B. Fargo and J. Belknap
History of the Building: 

• 150 years in downtown Greenville
• The first brick building downtown and was made with bricks that were produced at the Greenville brickyard
• Built on the NE corner of the original village square
•  1869-1884 - 330 S Lafayette was home to the Post Office
• 1869 - 1884 - 332 S Lafayette was home to H.G. Fargo Grocery
• 1872 - The second floor served as the Ladies Library
• 1870 - The third floor was occupied by the Masonic Lodge
• The second floor then was home to Greenville's first hospital until 1915, with Dr. William H. Belknap
• When Dr. Belknap passed, the hospital was moved to Orange Street and known as the Belknap Memorial Hospital
• 1932 - Building was sold for a paint store
• 1953 - Nelson family purchased the building and it was home to Colony Furniture Store
• Renovated from 2017-2019 through private and grand funding
• 2022 -Clarity Realty renovated 332 S. Lafayette and moved in

Renovations: All brick on building was cleaned, replaced the entire front of building, new doors and windows, painted back of building, new roof on the back.
Today: Bold Statement Tattoo & Clarity Realty

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328 S. Lafayette St.
Originally Built: 1869 for the Fargo and Belknap Block
History of Building:

• More than 150 years in downtown Greenville
• Part of the first brick (commercial) building erected in Greenville (328-332), made with bricks produced at the Greenville brickyard
• Built on the NE corner of the original village square
• The second floor served as the Ladies Library until 1872, then was home to the first hospital until 1915
• Most of early 1900's - General Store or Variety Store
• 1947-1982, 1989-1991 - Jerry's Paint Store
• 2004 - L'Image Hair Salon
• 2015 - Renovated through private and grant funding 

Renovations: All brick was repaired, painted entire building, new doors and windows, new back entrance, new awnings, new sign
Today: L'Image Hair Salon

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314 S. Lafayette St.
Originally Built: 1888 as Jacobsen's Dry Goods
History of Building: 

• 1921 - Kellman Bros. Department Store
• 1922 - Packard Bros. Department Store
• 1930 - J.C. Penny
• 1992 - Jerry's Paint Store

Today: Unoccupied

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309 S. Lafayette St.
Originally Built: 1947 as Kroger & NCR
History of Building:

• 1947-1950 - National Cash Register Co.
• 1951-1960 - No information
• 1961-1982 - Gordon's 1 hr Martinizing
• 1986 - Cloths Press Cleaners
• 2006 - Building occupies many businesses 

Today: Kemp Insurance Sure, Guide Point Financial, United Federal Credit Union,
Montcalm County Association of Realtors, Blanchard Law, Edward Jones

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301 S. Lafayette St.
Originally Built: 1885 as Faber Shoe Store
History of Building:

• 1885 - Faber Shoe Store
• 1870 - Variety of clothing and dry goods stores
• 1907-1913 Movie Theater
• 1914 - First State Bank of Greenville
• 1986 - Old Kent Bank
• 2006 - Renovated upper two floors for Apartments and Condominiums

Today: Main floor is Mortgage 1 and upper floors are Lofts of Lafayette

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300 S. Lafayette St.
Originally Built: 1887 as Slawson & Hall, Druggists/Grocery Store
History of Building:

• 132 years in downtown Greenville
• The original site of the wood-frame George Louks building, built in 1852. The wood-frame building was moved later to Cass Street
• 1887-1969 - Building has been home to a variety of pharmacies and grocery stores
• 1969-1979 - Greenville Area Chamber
• 1975-2005 - Chapter III Gift Shop
• 2005-2006 - Candy Palace
• 2015 - Renovated through private and grant funding

Renovations: Installed exterior clock in tower that was never completed, new awnings, all exterior windows replaced, painted entire building, metal fabrication of corbels damaged from age, metal fabrication of all exterior finals (pineapples on top of building), which means "Welcome"
- In 2016, this building was awarded with "Excellence in Construction" from the Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.

Today: Beamers Tanning Boutique, Five Star Real Estate - Heather Jones Team, Amerifirst Home Mortgage, and housing

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221 S. Lafayette St.
Originally Built: 1874 for Norton and Ecker
History of Building: 

• More than 145 years in downtown Greenville 
• 1848 - The site of the second school house built in Greenville
• 1876-1894 - M.H. Norton & Co. Bank
• 1899-1946 - Jewelry Store, Ellsworth and Lewis, Attorney Office occupied 2nd floor
• 1953-1972 - Drug store

Renovations: New roofing, removed walls, new windows on all three floors with new transom windows on south side, painted entire building, and new signage 
Today: Greenville Floral, LLC with housing in upper floors

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226 S. Lafayette St.
Originally Built: 1884 for Maj. E.F. Grabill on Grabill Block
History of Building: 

• 1884-1892 - First National Bank
• 1892-1896 - D.J. Church & Co. Bank
• 1896-1914 - Greenville State Bank
• 1884-1907 - Greenville Independent Newspaper
• 1884-1907 - U.S. Post Office
• 1853-1955 - Sears Roebuck & Co.
• 1956-1964 - Bruce's Bootery - Bruce Rasmussen
• 1966-1971 - Montgomery Ward & Co.
• 1974-1986 - Clothes Tree Men's Store
• 1986-1993 - Pete Frye Attorney At Law
• 1986 - Classic Image Inc. Salon
• 2017-2019 - Renovated through private and grant funding 

Renovations: Replaced windows and painted entire building 
Today: TSC Drug Testing Center and Classic Image Inc. 

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222 S. Lafayette St.
Originally Built: In the 1890's
History of Building: 

• More than 120 years in downtown Greenville 
• 1908 - Building was sold to Percy D. Edsall and opened as a book store
• 1913 - A fire from a leaky gas stove caused $8,000 in damages to both the first and second floors
• 1935-1980 - The building was home to many businesses including: a bowling alley, a tavern and a shoe store
• 1943 - Jib Jab Tavern, owned by Louise Edsall caused three fires to the building in the course of four months 
• 2018 - Renovated through private and grant funding

Renovations: New windows in front, painted building, installed original building sign at top front
Today: Studio Two Twenty Two

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219 S. Lafayette St.
Originally Built: 1873 for Mrs. M.H. Nichols - one of two buildings commissioned to be built for a woman!
History of Building:

• More than 145 years in downtown Greenville
• Originally built as one building with addresses 219 and 223, but entrances have been changed
• Laura Bremer (hat store) for 49 years
• 1981 - A fire caused the second floor of this building to be removed
• 2018 - Renovated through private funding

Renovations: Entire building was demolished from wall to wall and ceiling to floor - front of building exterior was completed with new transom windows and flower boxes, farm-style lights added which replicate the original lighting in the 1900's
Today: Farm Bureau Insurance - Lum Agency

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216 S. Lafayette St.
Originally Built: 1890 for John Avery & Son
History of Building:

• 1890 - John Avery & Son Drugs
• 1900-1906 - C.L. Glimour Jewelers
• 1908-1926 - Home to a variety of Confectionaries
• 1930 - United Dress Shop
• 1932 - Hughes Dress Shop
• 1935 - Tastie Bake Shop
• 1937 - Hill's Bakery
• 1940 - Townsend Cut-Rate Drugs
• 1943-1969 - Owen's Cut-Rate Drugs
• 1969-1977 - Faber's Jewelers
• 1978-2005 - Pitcher's Jewelry
• 2006 - Jaques World of Fine Art

Today: Unoccupied

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212 S. Lafayette St. 

Originally Built: 1906 as a Jewelry Store
History of Building:

• 1906 - C. L. Glimour Jewelry Store
• 1929-1957 - Wolf's Jewelers, Roy Wolf
• 1959 - Wolf's Jewelers, Jack Wolf
• 2000 - Huch's Fine Jewelry 
• This building was home to a popular jewelry store for over 100 years! Some of the tools and wooden wall showcases remained in use for many years

Today: Tiffiny's Online Treasures

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210 S. Lafayette St. Originally Built: 1874 for Partlow Block
History of Building:

• 1900 - Book Store
• 1913-1923 - RJ Tower Electric Co. Office
• 1926-1973 - Consumers Power Co. Office
• 1974-2000 - AAA Insurance Office, Wells/LaMarte
• 2000-2014 - AAA Insurance Office, Roy LaMarte Agency
• 2014 - Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce and Danish Festival Inc.

Today: Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce and Danish Festival Inc. offices

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202 S. Lafayette St.
 
Originally Built: 1870 for J.J. Shearer, a hardware merchant early in Greenville's history
History of Building:

• 150 years in downtown Greenville
• 1870 - Shearer Hardware Store
• 1880 - Building purchased by the Gibson brothers, used as a clothing store and furniture store
• Early 1900's it was home to the local undertaker
• 1923-1955 - Variety of grocery and department stores
• 1957 - J & D Piano Co.
• 1959-1963 - Greenville Loan Co.
• 1965-1967 - Greenville Finance Co.
• 1969-1979 - Credit Thrift of America
• 1988 - Chamber of Commerce
• 1994 - Tivoli Gallery
• 2005 - Town & Country Title Agency
• 2017-2019 - Renovated through private and grant funding

Renovations: Repainting the brick front and back, new roof, new windows throughout, paint, and a back staircase addition
Today: Flat River Medical, LLC, Tori Ensing Realty                                  

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132 S. Lafayette St.                 

Originally Built: 1917 as Oscar A. Rasmussen Building
History of Building:

• 1919 - Bob's Place Restaurant, Ford Auto Sales & Gas Station & Standard Land & Co.
• 1923 - Oakland & Dodge Auto Sales & Gas Station
• 1926 - Buick Agency
• 1950 - The Vaughn Co. Department Stores
• 1967 - Vacant
• 1972 - Sears Roebuck Automotive Store

Today: Data Specialists Inc.

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124 S. Lafayette St. - Christensen Building

Originally Built: 1870 as W.J. Fowler & Co. Hardware
History of Building:

• 1917 - Winter Hardware
• 1920 - Winter & Whalen Hardware
• 1923-1982 - Reliable Hardware stores
• 1986-1989 - Reliable True Value Hardware
• 1990-1993 - Public Warehouse

Today: Reed & Glovick, attorney and Liberty Tax Service                                       

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123 S. Lafayette St. 

Originally Built: 1949 for the Jimos Brothers as Gambles Department Store
History of Building:             

• 70 years in downtown Greenville
• Gambles Department store occupied the building for many years
• 2019 - Renovated through private funding

Today: Image M-Porium     

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118-120 S. Lafayette St.

Originally Built: 1962 for J.A. Weitzel
History of Building:

• Once was a two frame building and one of them was Greenville's first funeral home 
• 1967-1982 - Vaughn Co. Dept. Store, and is historically known as the Vaughn block
• Early 2000's building is purchased by O'Connor Shoes
• 2018 - Renovations completed through private funding

Renovations: New windows replaced in front of building
Today: O'Connor Shoes

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116 S. Lafayette St.

Originally Built: 1870 as Flour & Feed Store
History of Building:

• 1870-1948 - Housed a variety of retail and service venues including: a flour/feed store, bakery, tailor, shoe repair shop, cigar shop, tire repair shop, plumbing business, and a coffee shop
• The building was once two stories, however after a fire the second story was removed
• 1948 - Hansen's Music House was founded
• Hansen's Music House was in business for more than 50 years until they closed their doors in 2014
• 2015 - Vaping Sensations 

Today: Burning ScentSations
   

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110/112 S. Lafayette St.

Originally Built: 1913 as Fred Gleason Real Estate & Insurance
History of Building:

• Over 100 years in downtown Greenville 
• 1913-1926 - Fred Gleason Real Estate & Insurance
• 1922 - Hopkins-Fowler Co.
• 1930-1961 - Claud T. Tuck Real Estate, Insurance & Co.
• 1947 - Daniel's Sport Center
• 1963-1965 - Mac Cambridge Bernard Co, Insurance
• 1967-1969 - Green Village Insurance & Real Estate
• 1971 - Lee's Sport Center
• 1976-1978 - U.S. Marine Recruiting Office
• 1979 - Radio Shack
• 1985 - Happy-Go-Lucky Saloon
• 1992-2017 - Huckleberry's Restaurant

Today: Unoccupied

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108 S. Lafayette St. Originally Built: 1875 as E.B. Edwards Dry Goods Store
History of Building:

• Over 100 years in downtown Greenville
• 1884 - Dry Goods Store
• 1900 - Millinery Store
• 1908 - C.C. Sprout Clothing Store
• 1915-1949 - Frank Nelson Meat Market
• 1950-1969 - Nelson's Food Market
• 1973 - Liberty Loan
• 1976 - Westdale North

Today: Appleland Realty 

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101-107 S. Lafayette St.

Originally Built: 1863, present building 1937 for Oscar A. Rasmussen
History of Building:

• 1863 - Conant Brothers Blacksmith and Wagon Shop
• 1943 - Son-I-System Dry Cleaners
• 1950 - Vogue Cleaners & Econo Wash
• 1975 - Vogue Services
• Present building has been in downtown Greenville for more than 75 years
• 2015-2016 - Renovated through private and grant funding

Renovations: Restoration of original brick which was still intact, complete tear out of foundation and re-pouring, all new front and rear facade, all new electrical, plumbing, and heating and cooling, over $1 million was spent in renovation costs
Today: Flo's Pizzeria Ristorante & Sports Bar and Bizaar Pets

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100 S. Lafayette St.

Originally Built: 1903 as VanDeinse Drug Store
History of Building: 

• 1903-1939 - VanDeinse Drug Store under various family member owners
• 1939-1955 - Rosterick's Drug Store
• 1957 - Owen's Drug Store
• 1959-1970 - Paul's Pharmacy 
• 1971-1976 - H.R. Block Tax Service
• 1979-1993 - Flower Shop
• 1993 - Computer Corner
• 1997 - The Health Store

Today: The Health Store

     

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100 N. Lafayette St.

Originally Built: 1901 for T.B. Winter as the Winter Inn
History of Building:

• There has been a hotel on this site since 1855
• Current building was built on the site of burned down Northern Hotel which, in turn, was built on the site of the burned down Rossman House
• The Winter Inn was one of two first class hotels in town, servicing many of the visitors coming in by rail
• 1918 - The two story addition along Grove street was built
• 1922 - Sold to Martin Welsh
• 1979 - Bought by John and Linda Stafford, they were in the process of renovating when a fire in the adjacent City Club, to the north, caused extensive smoke damage - They then restored the building to the original appearance