The Coleman Beauty School and former apartment complex has been demolished and in a few days the entire site will be turned into an empty lot. The demolition was delayed a few weeks because the weather conditions in January and the beginning of February. On Monday February 24 city officials and DDA members were there for a ceremonial first hit on the building to take it down. Many of the business community are glad to see it go and some are hoping the city will use the land as additional parking in the downtown area. The city nor DDA have not committed the land to parking. At this time the land will go up for sale when the debris has been moved off. Matt Sype said the area will be seeded in the spring after the snow melt is done.
The building has history starting around the time of the Civil War. The picture below shows a view of Flat Rock over 100 years ago at the corner of East Huron River and Church Streets. The people around the building were waiting to see Dr. Hiram W Lobdell who’s office was in the former Coleman Beauty School. At that time there was also a beauty school in the building. From our facebook page, Brad Rogers said the“property belonged to Dr. Lobdell. He lived here, had a pharmacy and his office in this building. My wife went to beauty school here and when we first were married we lived in the apartment on the east end”.
Thanks to the Mrs. Bradley Lobdell and the Flat Rock Historical Society for their assistance in locating the picture below.