A 130-Year-Old Landmark in Downtown Mooresville

One of the many tragedies of the tornado that devastated downtown Mooresville, Indiana on April 8, 2020, was the second-story collapse of the Bass Building, constructed circa 1890 on the southeast corner of the intersection of Main and Indiana Streets. (Click images to enlarge.)

The Bass Building at 3 East Main Street
after the 4/8/2020 tornado
(photograph © 2020 by Andy Hendricks)

Structural Support to the Bass Building (July 2020)

(photograph & video by William R. Buckley)

George W. Bass (1842-1924) was a Civil War veteran who moved to Mooresville in 1878. Around 1880 Bass built a single-story, wood-frame building to house his drugstore. We have a photo from about the time Bass opened for business. which shows the original structure, which was "a one-story, Greek Revival, gable-front frame building with Doric columns supporting a portico over the sidewalk," according to architectural historian Joanne Raetz Stuttgen.

(Circa 1880 photograph by J. P. Calvert,
donated to Mooresville Public Library
by Bonita Marley, October 23, 1968)

  (Circa 1885 photograph by J. P. Calvert showing East Main Street--Bass Drugstore is on the right)

 

 George W. Bass' house in Mooresville

(circa 1880 photograph by J. P. Calvert)

Around 1890, George Bass decided to upgrade his wooden structure, replacing it with a two-story brick building that has served the community for 130 years.  It was one of the oldest structures in downtown Mooresville.

The South side of East Main Street in downtown Mooresville

(Bass Drugstore is on the corner) 
(circa 1910 postcard photograph by J. P. Calvert)

1931 Photograph shows the Bass Building (far right)

when it housed Citizens Bank

(courtesy of Citizens Bank)

The Bass Building as it appeared in October 2007

(Photograph by William R. Buckley)

Compare the 1885 picture (below) with the 1920 picture (further below) to see the difference between the single-story and two-story buildings.  Both photos were taken from atop the Methodist Episcopal (M.E.) Church steeple, facing north.  Local photographers J. P. Calvert and Manley Brown took the 1885 and 1920 photos, respectively.

(1885 J. P. Calvert photograph courtesy of the
 Mooresville Times, August 8, 1974)

(Photograph by Manly Brown, 1920)

Let's add a couple of arrows to make the comparison easier.

The second floor consisted of a stage and large meeting room, which was used for town hall meetings, plays and musicals.  It was commonly called the "Mooresville opera house" around the turn of the 20th century.

The basement was the location for many businesses, including a barbershop (1890s-1920), and, most recently, a video store (2000s).

The first floor of the building was divided into two halves, which housed:

• West half:
• Bass Drugstore (1890-1920)
• First National Bank (1920-1927)
• Mooresville State Bank (1927-1930)
•  East half:
• Burch Grocery (1890s-1920)
• George Allison's Grocery (1920-1927)

 

Burch Grocery occupied the east half of

the Bass Building.  Burch used horse-drawn wagons

to delivery groceries
(circa 1908 photograph by J. P. Calvert)

Burch sold out to George Allison in 1920.

Allison operated his grocery there until 1927,

when he moved to South Indiana Street

(circa 1920 photography by Manley Brown)

Interior of George Allison's grocery

(George is standing on the right)

in the east half of the Bass Building

(early 1920s photograph)
 

In 1931, the separating wall was removed, allowing the entire first floor to be used by Citizens Bank, which operated in the Bass Building until 1966, when it was replaced by a clothing store (into the 1970s).

1931 Photograph shows the Bass Building (far right)

when it housed Citizens Bank

(courtesy of Citizens Bank)

(Below) Advertisements from the 1955-1968

Wagon Trails, Mooresville High School's yearbook

Those last three advertisements show Citizens Bank at its current location on the east side of North Indiana Street downtown.

The Bass Building has been an important part of Mooresville history for well over a century.  Restoration was not possible, but at least we can honor its place in our hometown community story.

UPDATE FALL 2022:  The Bass Building was demolished in September and October, 2022.  Learn more from this blog post.

Bass Drug Store

Then... George W. Bass Drug Store (c. 1880)

(3 East Main Street, Mooresville, IN). This photograph (circa 1880) shows the first building to house the George W. Bass Drugstore, which operated for 35 years. [FN 1] George W. Bass (1842-1924) was a Civil War veteran who moved to Mooresville in 1878. This photo shows the original structure, which was "a one-story, Greek Revival, gable-front frame building with Doric columns supporting a portico over the sidewalk." [FN 2] (Photograph donated to the Library by Bonita Marley, 10/23/1968).

Then... George W. Bass Drug Store (c. 1902-1920)

(3 East Main Street, Mooresville, IN). The original frame structure was replaced by the existing two-unit, two-story brick building sometime between 1890 and 1902. In 1902, this structure, which still stands, housed the G.W. Bass Drugstore in the west portion, while the Burch Grocery occupied the east part. A barbershop was in the basement. There was a dividing wall between the first floor rooms; the second floor was used as the town hall/opera house. By 1910, the opera house replaced the town hall with stage and scenery, while the first floor remained shared by G.W. Bass Drugstore and Burch Grocery. By 1920, First National Bank had replaced G.W. Bass Drugstore in the west room, but Burch Grocery, which later became George Allison's grocery, continued business in the east room. A "hall" was designated as the second floor user in 1920 instead of the opera house. [FN 3]

Now... (2007)

2020 UPDATE:  On April 8, 2020, the Bass building was destroyed by a tornado.  After considerable delays, demolition of the structure was slated for Summer, 2022 (photos below courtesy of Andy Hendricks).  Learn more here.

 

OCTOBER 2022 UPDATE:  The Bass Building was demolished in September/October, 2022.  Learn more from this blog post.

 

 

FOOTNOTES & REFERENCES:

 

[FN 1] Marylou Smith, M.L.S., A Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Mooresville (Mooresville Public Library, April, 2007).

 

[FN 2] Joanne Raetz Stuttgen, Morgan County Historic Preservation Society, Nomination of Mooresville Commercial Historic District, Morgan Co., IN, National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Section 8, Page 31 (Dec. 19, 2001) [hereinafter cited as National Registry Nomination].

 

[FN 3] National Registry Nomination, Section 8, at pp. 31-32.

 

© 2008 by the Mooresville Public Library. All Rights Reserved. Photographs reprinted by permission.