326 South State St.
Nickels Arcade is a commercial building listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. The building is notable as perhaps the only remaining example in Michigan of a free-standing commercial arcade building of a type that was popularized by the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan, Italy, and the Cleveland Arcade. The entire building, however, was not completed until 1918, due in part to delays caused by the onset of World War I.
This charming example of a glass-roofed shopping arcade in a Beaux Arts and Arts and Crafts Style was designed by local architect Herman Pipp. It was built in sections and there are 18 shops, some of which--including Van Boven's Mens Wear, Arcade Barbers, the Caravan Shop, and Maison Edward--have been there almost since the beginning over one hundred years ago. The Arcade is named for the Nickels family, who demolished their butcher business to construct it.
Nickels Arcade is a 261-foot-long gallery linking State Street on one side to Maynard Street on the other. The principal facade faces onto State Street, and consists of a three-story, three-bay open portico flanked with store/office blocks. The facade is clad with a buff-colored decorative architectural terra cotta. The Maynard Street facade is similar to the State Street facade in design, but is clad primarily with yellow brick, with additional ornamental detailing of terra cotta. The gallery running between the facades is covered with a gable skylight of metal-framed wire-glass panels.
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Historic Districts on the Highlights Tour