A snapshot history of the Phoenix Building at 119 Petaluma Blvd. North
Buildings may stand as testaments to time, but like clothing and hair styles, they are also prone to makeovers. Such was the case with Main Street’s Fritsch & Zartman Building.
Originally constructed in 1852 by John Fritsch and William Zartman as a one-story blacksmith and wagon-making shop, it became a storefront rental after Fritsch and Zartman moved their shop to Western Avenue in 1861.[i]
For almost 30 years, their two tenants were a dry goods store operated by Thomas Gilbert and a stationary store operated by Philip Cowen. In 1884, Fritsch and Zartman decided to join the Italianate architectural craze sweeping the city, and remodel the building, adding a second story and ornate iron front face.[ii]
In the late 1890s, Gilbert’s store was replaced by The Racket, a dry goods store owned by Ira and Henry Raymond, and Cowen’s store by Frank Atwater’s Stationary Store. In 1906, Atwater closed his store, and the Raymonds expanded into the other half of the building, renaming the store Raymond Bros.[ii
In 1924, the Raymonds retired, and their sister May assumed half of the storefront to operate a women’s clothing shop called Raymond’s. The other half was occupied by The Leader, a dry good store operated by Mose Goldman. In 1929, Raymond’s Clothing Store moved to Kentucky Street, and Goldman expanded into their half of the building.[iv]
In 1941, Goldman erected a new building for The Leader at the northwest corner of Western Avenue and Kentucky Street (later occupied by Carithers, and currently the new corporate headquarters of Amy’s Kitchen).[v]
J.C. Penney’s Department Store then moved into the Fritsch & Zartman Building from the Wickersham Building up the street (current site of Seared Restaurant), which they had occupied since 1922. In 1952, looking to modernize the building, Penney’s covered over the building’s Italianate front with a white slipcover.[vi]
In 1976, Penney’s moved to the new Petaluma Plaza shopping center at McDowell and Washington Streets. They were replaced by Marin Outdoors, which occupied the building for 13 years. Since 1998, Sienna Antiques has occupied the building.[vii]
In 2006, the building’s owners, working with Heritage Homes of Petaluma, secured a no-interest loan from the city’s historic restoration program to remove J.C. Penney’s slipcover, described by one local preservationist as “a gigantic heater grate.”[viii]
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FOOTNOTES:
[i] “William Zartman Founded Growing Holm Tractor Co.,” Petaluma Argus Courier, August 17, 1955, “Twenty years Ago,” Petaluma Argus, December 3, 1875.
[ii] “Will Build,” Petaluma Argus, March 8, 1884; “The Death of T.A. Gilbert,” Petaluma Argus, April 15, 1919
[iii] “Will Remove,” Petaluma Courier, February 8, 1895; “The Rack to Move,” Petaluma Courier, November 6, 1897; “Frank Atwater passes at Bay City,” Petaluma Argus-Courier, December 16, 1941; “A New Firm,” Petaluma Courier, January 14, 1899; “Raymond Bros. Have a Big Store Now,” Petaluma Argus, May 23, 1906.
[iv] Ad, Petaluma Courier, April 26, 1923; Ad, Cockburn & Berger, Petaluma Courier, July 8, 1923; “Notice of Dissolution of Partnership,” Petaluma Courier, February 1, 1925; “Will Dispose of Store Here,” Petaluma Argus, February 8, 1924; “Dry Goods Merger By Mose Goldman,” Petaluma Courier, February 14, 1924; “’Raymond’s Will Move to Kentucky Street Store,” Petaluma Argus-Courier, September 29, 1929; “The Leader in Great Expansion, Leases the Entire Gwinn Building,” Petaluma Argus-Courier, September 13, 1929.
[v] “The Leader—Petaluma Congratulates You,” Petaluma Argus-Courier, August 7, 1941.
[vi] “New Home of J.C. Penney Company,” Petaluma Argus-Courier, November 13, 1941; “J.C. Penney Modernizes Local Store,” Petaluma Argus-Courier, August 19, 1952.
[vii] “J.C. Penney Will Move to New Site,” Petaluma Argus-Courier, June 7, 1976; Marin Surplus Moving to Larger Quarters,” Petaluma Argus-Courier, October 1, 1984; “New Name for Marin Surplus,” Petaluma Argus-Courier, March 29, 1989; Marin Outdoors Closes Petaluma Store,” Petaluma Argus-Courier, January 21, 1997; Ad for antique open houses, Petaluma Argus-Courier, December 4,1998
[viii] “Downtown Group Wants to Uncover Ironfront Facing on building,” Petaluma Argus-Courier, July 25, 1995; “Facelift for Downtown Store begins,” Petaluma Argus-Courier, July 6, 2006.
