Carmel Development Company Building

The Carmel Development Company Building is a one-story concrete block commercial building in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. The building is the first and oldest commercial business block, and first "fireproof" concrete block building in Carmel. It is one of the buildings that has been designated in the city's downtown historic district property survey; and was recorded with the National Register of Historic Places on February 17, 2003.[1] The building is occupied by the Carmel Drug Store, which is the oldest remaining business in the block.

Carmel Development Company Building
Carmel Development Company on Ocean Avenue and San Carlos Street (1903).
LocationCarmel-by-the-Sea, California
Coordinates36°33′20″N 121°55′24″W
Built1902-1903
Current useRetail store
Architectural style(s)Commercial
Carmel Dev Co
Location in Carmel-by-the-Sea

History
Ocean Avenue in 1910, with the Carmel Development Company building.
Carmel Development Company building in 2022 with concrete blocks.

The Carmel Development Company Building was the first "modern" commercial building in Carmel built in 1902-1903 on the northwest corner of San Carlos Street and Ocean Avenue. It has a flat roof and its exterior wall covering is made up of hollow core "fireproof" concrete blocks. The concrete wall cladding for the building was made by the Wizard Face Down Concrete Block Machine made by the Sears and Roebuck Company. T. A. Work was responsible for the construction. Artie Bowen was the Carmel carpenter and the work was supervised by George Quentel.[2][1]

The building originally housed the Carmel Development Company of Frank Powers and Franklin Devendorf, the T. A. Work Hardware Company, and Devendorf's Preble Grocery. The building sits in the same location today. The grocery store continued in business until 1973. The Hardware store housed about three hardware stores, and the drug store is the oldest drug store in Carmel. The Carmel Drug Store has operated since 1908 and still has its historic interior.[2][3]

Changes in the original building were made in 1989, include three fixed display windows cut into the east side and the replacement of the veneering of the storefront with black marble panels on the Carmel Drug Store, cobblestone in the middle bay, and wood paneling on the then Dansk storefront. The Carmel Drug Store has the oldest example of exterior electric lighting in Carmel.[1]

The building qualifies for inclusion in the downtown historic district property survey because of its age, association with the founders of Carmel, and its importance to the economic development of Carmel. It also qualifies due to its unusual method of construction using "fireproof" concrete blocks.[1]

On July 15, 1923, the Bank of Carmel opened in a building on Ocean Avenue, between Mission and Dolores Streets, which adjoins the Carmel Development Company building. It was the first commercial bank in Carmel. T. A. Work was elected president of the bank.[4]

See also

References
  1. Kent L. Seavey (February 17, 2003). "Department Of Parks And Recreation" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  2. Seavey, Kent (2007). Carmel, A History in Architecture. Arcadia Pub. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. pp. 43–44. ISBN 9780738547053. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
  3. Hudson, Monica (2006). Carmel-by-the-sea. Arcadia Pub. Charleston, South Carolina. p. 35. ISBN 9780738531229. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
  4. "Ground to Be Broken For Bank at Carmel". San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco, California. 22 May 1923. p. 7. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
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