Marshall's Store, also known as DeHaven's Store, or the Marshall/DeHaven Store, is a commercial building located at 102 East St. Joseph Street in

Lawrence, Michigan Lawrence is a village in Van Buren County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 996 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Lawrence Township. It is host to a historic "Ox Roast & Homecoming Festival" which occurs annual ...

. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1979 and listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 2002.

History

Hannibal M. Marshall (1835-1918) was born in

Antwerp, New York Antwerp is a town in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 1,683 at the 2020 census. The town is named after Antwerp, Belgium, the home of the early investors in the town, who had organized under the name of the Antwerp Co ...

and as a child moved with his parents and siblings to

Oakland County, Michigan Oakland County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a principal county of the Detroit metropolitan area, containing the bulk of Detroit's northern suburbs. Its county seat, seat of government is Pontiac, Mic ...

and then to

Van Buren County, Michigan Van Buren County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, the population was 75,587. The county seat is Paw Paw, Michigan, Paw Paw. The county was founded in 18 ...

in 1838. He taught school for three years, then in 1859 began clerking in Dr. Nelson Rowe's store in

Hartford, Michigan Hartford is a city in Van Buren County, Michigan, Van Buren County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,688 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. The city is located within Hartford Township, Michigan, Hartford Township, bu ...

. At the end of the year, he bought out Rowe and went into business for himself. The store prospered, and by 1874 Marshall was able to construct this large building in the village of Lawrence. The store was built at least in part by a local mason named John Denton. Marshall owned the store through the end of the 19th century. Until 1902 the third floor of his building was used by Masons and other fraternal organizations as a meeting place. In 1906, the store was sold to Levi C. DeHaven (1852-1935). DeHaven had already purchased a store in

Bangor, Michigan Bangor is a city in Van Buren County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,885 at the 2010 census. The city is located in the northeast corner of Bangor Township, but is politically independent. It was first organized as a town ...

in 1871, and had other business ventures, including later purchasing the "Big Store" in Bangor in 1900. After purchasing Marshall's store, DeHaven changed the name to "DeHaven and Sons." He operated both the Lawrence and Bangor stores until 1924, when he sold the Lawrence store to Henry R. Phillips. Phillips continued to operate the store using the name, "DeHaven's Store" until his death in 1965. After Phillips' death, the store closed for good, having served as the main grocery and dry goods store in Lawrence from its construction through the mid-20th century. The structure remained vacant until 1976, when Kim Traverse purchased it. From 1977 to 1983, the DeHaven Store served as the home of the Whole Art Theatre Company. It has remained one of the best preserved and most distinctive

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style combined its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century It ...

commercial buildings in the region.

Description

Marshall's Store is located at the center of the village of Lawrence, and is by far the largest and most visually striking building in the commercial district. It is a three-story red brick

structure stretching five bays wide. The first floor has three display windows and two doors. The name "DEHAVENS STORE" is painted directly on the bricks above the entrance.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan Italianate architecture in Michigan Commercial buildings completed in 1874 Michigan State Historic Sites National Register of Historic Places in Van Buren County, Michigan 1874 establishments in Michigan