Known now as “Baywater Square,” the example of ornate architecture at East Bay and Newnan streets was originally dubbed “The Herkimer Block.”
One of the first structures that rose from the ashes of the Great Fire of 1901, the building was designed by architect J.H.W. Hawkins and built by the W.T. Hadlow Construction Co.
Businessman Israel Putnam purchased the property in 1901 and erected the three-story building to serve as office and retail space.
According to local historian Wayne Wood, architect Mellen C. Greeley, who was employed by Hawkins as a draftsman, described the design as representing the “architecture of the Hanseatic Lowlands,” referring to a region of Germany north of Berlin.
The building was renovated in 1981 but retains its 1902 appearance.
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