J. Vivian, Jr. and Company Building
Encyclopedia
The J. Vivian Jr. and Company Building is a commercial building located at 342 Hecla Street in Laurium, Michigan
. in the Italian Renaissance Revival, and Italianate
architectural style
s, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2003.
to work as a mining captain, first in Eagle Harbor, then moving to mines located in Copper Harbor
, Phoenix
, Hancock
, and Ontonogan
, among other places.
Captain Vivian had four sons, one of whom was Johnson Vivian, Jr. The younger Vivian was born in the United States and attended high school in the area. Captain Vivian had a number of commercial interests, and in 1886, the younger Vivian, with assistance from his father, established J. Vivian Jr. and Company, a mercantile business, in Osceola
.
In 1894 the father and son established a branch of their mercantile business in Laurium, constructing a building on Hecla Street. At the time, the firm was taking a risk as the store's location was viewed as remote. However, the store was an immediate success, and by 1895 employed 50 people. Other merchants followed Vivian's example, and the block on Hecla soon became the commercial center of the area. In 1903, the store was the largest in the area.
Johnson Vivian, Jr. took over his father's business when the latter died in 1909. He continued as a leading citizen in Laurium. He was the president of the State Savings Bank and the Palestra
(the Laurium ice rink), a director of the Laurium Park Association, and on the Board of Directors of the Calumet Public Hospital.
The J. Vivian Jr. and Company was in business until 1936.
The building is constructed in an Italian Renaissance Revival design from brick with sandstone trim. The structure has four bays, each with a two-story round-arched window. A cornice features alternating marble medallions and attic windows. Brick and sandstone piers divide the plate glass windows on the first floor.
Laurium, Michigan
Laurium is a village in Calumet Township, Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan, in the center of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The population was 2,126 at the 2000 census.-History:...
. in the Italian Renaissance Revival, and Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
architectural style
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
s, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2003.
History
Captain Johnson Vivian Sr. was born in Cornwall, England. He worked in the mining industry in his home country, then emigrated to Michigan's Keweenaw PeninsulaKeweenaw Peninsula
The Keweenaw Peninsula is the northern-most part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It projects into Lake Superior and was the site of the first copper boom in the United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was roughly 43,200...
to work as a mining captain, first in Eagle Harbor, then moving to mines located in Copper Harbor
Copper Harbor, Michigan
Copper Harbor is a small unincorporated community in northeastern Keweenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is within Grant Township on the Keweenaw Peninsula that juts from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan into Lake Superior.-History:...
, Phoenix
Phoenix, Michigan
Phoenix is an unincorporated community in Keweenaw County, Michigan, United States. Phoenix lies at the junction of M-26 and US 41. Phoenix lies about two miles south of Eagle River, Michigan, near the shores of Lake Superior.-Copper:...
, Hancock
Hancock, Michigan
Hancock is a city in Houghton County; the northernmost in the U.S. state of Michigan, located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, or, depending on terminology, Copper Island. The population was 4,634 at the 2010 census...
, and Ontonogan
Ontonagon, Michigan
Ontonagon is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 1,769. It is the county seat of Ontonagon County....
, among other places.
Captain Vivian had four sons, one of whom was Johnson Vivian, Jr. The younger Vivian was born in the United States and attended high school in the area. Captain Vivian had a number of commercial interests, and in 1886, the younger Vivian, with assistance from his father, established J. Vivian Jr. and Company, a mercantile business, in Osceola
Osceola Township, Houghton County, Michigan
Osceola Township is a civil township of Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,908 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...
.
In 1894 the father and son established a branch of their mercantile business in Laurium, constructing a building on Hecla Street. At the time, the firm was taking a risk as the store's location was viewed as remote. However, the store was an immediate success, and by 1895 employed 50 people. Other merchants followed Vivian's example, and the block on Hecla soon became the commercial center of the area. In 1903, the store was the largest in the area.
Johnson Vivian, Jr. took over his father's business when the latter died in 1909. He continued as a leading citizen in Laurium. He was the president of the State Savings Bank and the Palestra
Palestra, The Marquette (Michigan)
Palestra, The Marquette was a 4,000–5,000 seat arena was originally built in 1904 in Laurium, Michigan and purchased by the Palestra Co. in 1921. The Palestra was best known for hockey, even hosting a Detroit Red Wings exhibition...
(the Laurium ice rink), a director of the Laurium Park Association, and on the Board of Directors of the Calumet Public Hospital.
The J. Vivian Jr. and Company was in business until 1936.
Description
The J. Vivian Jr. and Company building was constructed in multiple stages. The original building, dating from 1894, was two stories tall and three bays wide, measuring 58 feet across. This soon proved too small, and in 1898 a third story was added to the structure. In 1906, a fourth bay was added on the north side, bringing the total building width to 90 feet. A one-story addition to the rear was completed in 1974.The building is constructed in an Italian Renaissance Revival design from brick with sandstone trim. The structure has four bays, each with a two-story round-arched window. A cornice features alternating marble medallions and attic windows. Brick and sandstone piers divide the plate glass windows on the first floor.