Ludwig Walz Grocery, 1880

111 West Liberty Street

Ludwig Walz Grocery, 1880

This late commercial Italianate structure was built in 1880 as the grocery and saloon of Ludwig Walz. Born in Germany in 1843, Walz came to Ann Arbor when he was two years old. He apprenticed to confectioner Herman Schlotter-beck and then entered business himself. Walz remained here until 1892 when his son-in-law, Sid Millard, converted the building to a printing shop.

Until the 1970s the Millard Press was run from this address and from a small addition built to the east in the 1890s. One of Millard's biggest customers was the University of Michigan's Athletic Department. A wall of autographed photographs attested to his popularity with the home teams and Millard painted both buildings bright blue to show where his sympathies were. Upon Millard's retirement, neighbors Carolyn and Joseph Arcure bought the building and sensitively restored it, even retaining an old bake oven in the basement. In 1991 the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission presented the Arcures with a Special Merit Award for restoring the cornice using ornamental brackets from the demolished home of William S. Maynard at Main and William Streets.

The building with its fine restoration, is one of the best downtown examples of the late Italianate commercial style. It is characterized by tall narrow windows with segmental arches and keystones, a bracketed cornice and varying planes of brick corbelling under the cornice. The original storefront is one of very few remaining examples from this period. Attractive flats with flower-filled rear decks occupy the two upper floors.