There are still many surviving examples of 19th century commercial architecture in Rochester’s downtown business district. The oldest surviving example is the Rollin Sprague/Old Stone Store, built of course cobblestone in 1849. This property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Rollin Sprague Building or Old Stone Store, is the oldest commercial building in downtown Rochester, built around 1849. It’s one of about 45 buildings identified in Michigan to have been built with coursed, cobblestone construction. It is the only example in Rochester.
In 1899, a major renovation of the Rollin Sprague building took place, during which the entire front of the building was remodeled and an ornate Victorian cornice was installed. During that renovation, the Rochester Era reported: “The stone store was built fifty-five years ago last summer and a new roof has been put on, in connection with other improvements – the second one ever on the building.” This is a photo of the store from 1902 showing the recent 1899 renovation. According to a 1923 memoir by members of the Sprague family, the store was built by an English-born stone mason named Thomas Anscomb, who lived in nearby Troy Township at the time. Anscomb used quick lime and stones gathered from the Sprague farm on South Hill in the construction.
Following the Sprague proprietorship, the Old Stone Store was operated as a general store by the partners William H. Barnes and Samuel C. Goodison, under the name Barnes & Goodison.
Following Barnes & Goodison, the building housed at various times in history the Rochester Era newspaper, a grocery store, restaurant, a used car sales office, and Oakland Dairy ice cream store.
The building housed an Oakland Dairy store in the 1930s and ’40s and was converted to use as a bakery in 1947. It was later named Home Bakery.
