Heath Iron Building
[ Kelso Building ]
| Dates: | 1892/2004-2005 |
| Location: | 116-118 S. Walnut Street, Muncie, Indiana |
This building was built during the Muncie gas boom of the 1880s-1890s. It originally housed the dry goods store of Rohrs & Bath. By the early-1920s it housed the Bath Paris Company, and then The Anspach Company. For many years the building sat in a severely neglected state, stripped of its cornice. The second floor and part of the first floor had been covered in blue and white panels in the 1960s. The windows of the third and fourth floors were boarded over with wood siding.
It has just been renovated at a cost of about $1 million and is a huge improvement to Downtown Muncie. The facade renovation was done under the direction of Underwood Architecture. The building contains twelve new apartments designed by U.S. Architects. Some of the original facade components were stored in the building and have been returned to their original places. A food court is planned for the first floor. The building was featured on the front page of the Muncie Star-Press on February 9, 2005.
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| 2-1-2005 The renovated exterior of the building | 11-2003, Heath Iron building (left) prior to renovation |
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| 10-2-04 Under renovation | 2-1-2005 Closer view of renovated facade |
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| 10-2-04 Reconstruction of cornice | 11-12-04 Detail of new metal cornice by Brand Sheet Metal Works of Muncie |