434 Main Street (Racine, Wisconsin): Difference between revisions
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| location = 434 [[Main Street (Racine, Wisconsin)|Main Street]]<br/>[[Racine, Wisconsin|Racine]], [[Wisconsin]]
| start_date =
| opened_date = February 1, 1869
| owner = Blacktree LLC<ref name=property-record>[https://cityofracine.org/Source/Templates/WebPro.aspx?TabIndex=1&CardNumber=1&AccountNumber=130 Property Information: 434 MAIN ST], cityofracine.org.</ref>
| developer =
}}
'''434 Main Street''' is the address of a building, originally known as the '''Edward McEnery Building''', in downtown [[Racine, Wisconsin]], on the west side of [[Main Street (Racine, Wisconsin)|Main Street]] between [[4th Street (Racine, Wisconsin)|4th]] and [[5th Street (Racine, Wisconsin)|5th]] streets. The three-story {{w|Victorian architecture|Victorian}} building was constructed in 1869 for a dry goods store.
The building is [[Old Main Street Historic District (Racine, Wisconsin)|one of 73 contributing properties]] to the {{w|Old Main Street Historic District (Racine, Wisconsin)|Old Main Street Historic District}}, which is listed on the {{w|National Register of Historic Places}}.<ref name=nrhpdoc>{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=87000491}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Old Main Street Historic District |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |author=Don Rintz |date=1987 |accessdate=August 31, 2020}}</ref>
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==History==
===First floor===
[[File:434 Main Street, Racine, WI, December 1926.png|thumb|right|The interior of Thrift Shoe Store in 1926.<ref name=thrift-dec1926/>]]
The building was constructed in 1869 for businessman Edward McEnery,<ref name=nrhpdoc/> the operator of a dry goods store which moved into the building on February 1, 1869.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58438222/racine-journal/ Advertisement], [[Racine Journal]], December 23, 1868, page two.</ref> Before the current [[Racine addressing system]] was introduced in 1881, the building was known as '''160 Main Street'''. By 1881, 160 Main Street was occupied by Bazar of Bargains;<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58438283/racine-journal/ Advertisement], [[Racine Journal]], April 13, 1881, page three.</ref> the store remained in that location after the renumbering to 434 Main Street.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58438316/the-journal-times/ Advertisement], [[Racine Journal]], December 21, 1882, page two.</ref> In 1884, the building was the location of A. Wulff's piano and organ store, when Sheldon W. Vance entered into a partnership with Wulff on October 1, 1884.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58438440/the-journal-times/ "Notice of Partnership between A. Wulff and Sheldon W. Vance"], [[Racine Journal]], October 9, 1884, page three.</ref> The Wulff & Vance store closed and auctioned its remaining stock on October 29 and 31, 1885.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58438579/the-journal-times/ Advertisement], [[Racine Journal]], October 23, 1885, page two.</ref>
The [[Grand Union Tea Company]] chain opened a grocery store in the building on October 16, 1886.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58438608/the-journal-times/ "The Grand Union Tea Co. will open their store..."], [[Racine Journal]], October 14, 1886, page three.</ref> William J. Smith, the operator of a saloon in the neighboring [[436 Main Street (Racine, Wisconsin)|436 Main Street]] building, first became involved with the building in March 1893, when he petitioned the city council to have his license transferred to 434 Main Street.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58438683/the-journal-times/ "Improving the City: Saloon License"], [[Racine Journal]], March 21, 1893, page four.</ref>
The Model, a {{w|millinery}} business, announced in January 1912 that it would move into the building from its previous location at [[302 Main Street (Racine, Wisconsin)|302 Main Street]].<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58374499/the-journal-times/ "City Happenings: To Have New Quarters"], [[Racine Journal-News]], January 26, 1912, page five.</ref> The store's lease expired on July 1, 1922, and it moved into temporary quarters at [[413 Main Street (Racine, Wisconsin)|413 Main Street]], where it reopened two days later.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58374522/the-journal-times/ Advertisement], [[Racine Journal-News]], June 1, 1922, page 14.</ref><ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58374573/the-journal-times/ Advertisement], [[Racine Journal-News]], June 30, 1922, page four.</ref>
Beginning March 1, 1926, the [[F. W. Woolworth Company]], which had recently opened a Woolworth variety store in the neighboring building at [[436 Main Street (Racine, Wisconsin)|436-438 Main Street]], leased the building from the estate of William J. Smith for a period of thirty years.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58309661/the-journal-times/ "Happenings in the City: Woolworth Lease for 30 Years"], [[Racine Journal-News]], October 29, 1927, page 4.</ref> The building became home to a [[Thrift Shoe Store]] chain store, which held its grand opening on March 27, 1926.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58374290/the-journal-times/ Advertisement], [[Racine Journal-News]], March 26, 1926, page 11.</ref><ref name=thrift-dec1926>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58374388/the-journal-times/ Advertisement], [[Racine Journal-News]], December 29, 1926, page 7.</ref>
A fire that began in the Thrift Shoe Store basement on the morning of June 22, 1935, severely damaged the building as well as the neighboring Woolworth variety store, and caused lighter damage to the building's other neighbor, [[S. S. Kresge 86|the Kresge variety store]] at [[430 Main Street (Racine, Wisconsin)|430-432 Main Street]].<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58298568/the-journal-times/ "$30,000 Blaze Sweeps Store Here; Whole City Force of Firemen Wage 2½-Hour Struggle"], [[Racine Journal Times]], June 22, 1935, front page.</ref> The Woolworth store acquired the Thrift Shoe Store building after the fire, removed the wall between the two buildings, and enlarged and remodeled the store into the new space. The first floor of 434 Main Street was primarily occupied by the store's new lunch counter and soda fountain. The enlarged store opened to the public on December 5, 1935.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58290105/the-journal-times/ "Enlarged Woolworth Co. Store to Be Formally Opened Dec. 5"], [[Racine Journal Times]], December 3, 1935, page four.</ref><ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58374242/the-journal-times/ "Woolworth's Enlarged and Remodeled Store Opens Tomorrow!"], [[Racine Journal Times]], December 4, 1935, Racine Day Edition, December 4, 1935, page twenty.</ref>
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After the Woolworth store closed on December 31, 1966,<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58299214/the-journal-times/ "Woolworth Store Downtown, Uptown Badger Paint Closing"], [[Racine Journal Times]], December 23, 1966, page 7B.</ref> the store's lease required the space to be restored to its prior state. The company hired [[L. S. Jones & Sons (Racine, Wisconsin)|L. S. Jones & Sons]], the same contractor which had removed the old wall three decades prior, to build a new wall in April 1967, separating 434 and 436 Main Street from each other once again. At that time, 434 Main Street was still owned by the estate of William Smith.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58287846/the-journal-times/ "Replacing Wall Removed in Store 30 Years Ago"], [[Racine Journal Times]], April 9, 1967, page 1D.</ref>
[[File:434 Main Street, Racine, WI, October 1986.png|thumb|right|The facade of Cherkinian's Card Shop in 1986.<ref>[https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/87000491_photos Old Main Street Historic District photo collection], National Register of Historic Places, October 1986, p. 23.</ref>]]
Jack Cherkinian purchased the building from the Smith estate on December 6, 1971.<ref name=property-record/> Cherkinian moved his Hallmark gift card shop, previously located at [[421 Main Street (Racine, Wisconsin)|421 Main Street]], into the building in January 1972.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/58309757/the-journal-times/ "Card Shop Will Move"], [[Racine Journal Times]], January 7, 1972, page 6B.</ref> The store was part of [[Cherkinian's Card Shops (Racine, Wisconsin)|a chain]] of gift card shops in Racine operated by the Cherkinian family, and it became known as Jan's Card Shop under the ownership of Janet Cherkinian. The shop permanently closed with Cherkinian's death on March 31, 2017, at which time it was one of the oldest operating businesses in downtown Racine.<ref>Burke, Michael. [https://journaltimes.com/business/local/jan-s-card-shop-closes-after-owner-s-death/article_59736eb8-313d-50f0-b11d-71821be603d0.html "Jan’s Card Shop closes after owner's death"], [[Racine Journal Times]], April 10, 2017.</ref> The building was purchased by Lakebirch Properties in September 2017, which subsequently sold it to Blacktree LLC in April 2018.<ref name=property-record/> In November 2019, Blacktree applied for a White Box Grant from the city of Racine to help fund its ongoing renovation of the building.<ref>Burke, Michael. [https://journaltimes.com/business/local/former-jan-s-card-shop-heading-for-rehab/article_811ea742-a542-5952-96da-c7d59c32b43d.html "Former Jan’s Card Shop heading for rehab"], [[Racine Journal Times]], November 6, 2019.</ref>
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