Schweninger Building

Schweninger Building
Carmel Bakery
Schweninger Building (Carmel Bakery)
Location	Ocean Avenue Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
Coordinates	36°33′17″N121°55′21″W / 36.55472°N 121.92250°W / 36.55472; -121.92250
Built	1899
Built by	Artie Bowen
Built for	Fritz S. Schweninger
Original use	Bakery
Current use	Carmel Bakery
Architect	Unknown
Architectural style(s)	Vernacular
Schweninger Building Location in Carmel-by-the-Sea Show map of Carmel, California Schweninger Building Schweninger Building (California) Show map of California

The Schweninger Building (also known as the Carmel Bakery) is a historic mixed-use commercial building in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. It was built in 1899, by Artie Bowen for Fritz Schweninger. It is an example of Vernacular style. The structure is recognized as an important commercial building in the city's Downtown Conservation District Historic Property Survey, and was nominated and submitted to the California Register of Historical Resources on July 25, 2002. ^[1] The building has been occupied by the Carmel Bakery since 1899.

History

Schweninger Building (Carmel Bakery) on Ocean Avenue in 1908.

Schweninger Building (Carmel Bakery), in 2022.

The Schweninger Building, (sometimes spelled Schweinger), is a two-story false front Victorian wood frame commercial Vernacular-style building on Ocean Avenue between Dolores and Lincoln Streets in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Artie Bowen constructed the building in 1899 for Fritz Seraphin Schweninger (1867-1918). ^{[1] [2] [3]}

The building has vertical board and batten siding on the upper story with two bay windows with a shingled hipped roof. The ground floor has a large bay showcase display window with two doors, one leading to the upper floor and the second, a Dutch door that leads to the bakery. The original owner, Fritz Schweninger, lived in the apartment above the bakery for many years. The overall details of the building are similar to those found in photographs of 1910-1920. ^[1]

The bakery was successful, but in September 1917, the Schweninger announced they would close the business to spend more time with a grocery business they had acquired two lots west of the bakery. ^[4] The bakery sat vacant throughout 1918-1919 and reopened as the Carmel Bakery in April 1920 under a lease to Carl Husemann. ^{[5] [6]} The building was leased to several other people who ran the bakery. The Schweninger heirs sold the building to Charles and Doris Rayne in 1963. The Pèpe family bought the bakery building from the Rayne family in 2013, having operated the bakery since the 1980s. ^[2]

The building qualifies for inclusion in the city's Downtown Conservation District Historic Property Survey, and has been nominated and submitted to the California Register of Historical Resources on July 25, 2002, by Richard N. Janick. The property is significant under the California Register criterion 3, in architecture, as one of two wood frame commercial building still remaining on the south side of Ocean Avenue, with two second story false-front window bays, that date back to the 1910s. The building has housed a commercial bakery since it was established by Fritz Seraphin Schweninger in 1899. The other building of similar design is the Adam Fox Building located two blocks to the east of Ocean Avenue. The two buildings are the oldest buildings before the incorporation of Carmel-by-the-Sea in 1916. ^{[1] [3]}

Several additions and remodelings took place over the years. In 1920, an addition to the rear of the building was done for $2.000 (equivalent to $29,216in 2022). A new store front was done by Michael J. Murphy in 1939 for $500 (equivalent to $10,519in 2022). In 1960, contractor Ben Logan architect Elston & Cranston did an addition to the rear bakery kitchen for $17,000 (equivalent to $168,164in 2022). In 1964, a new store front for the bakery was done by contractor Comstock & Associates for $1,000 (equivalent to $9,436in 2022). A remodel of the front interior showcase was done in 1968 for $3,000 (equivalent to $25,246in 2022). ^[1]

See also

List of Historic Buildings in Carmel-by-the-Sea

References

1. Richard N. Janick (July 25, 2002). "Department Of Parks And Recreation" (PDF). National Park Service . Retrieved June 21, 2022.
2. Neal Hotelling (June 24, 2021). "Professional historians refuse to settle for half-baked legends" (PDF). Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. pp. 27–28. Retrieved 2022-06-22.
3. Dramov, Alissandra (2019). Historic Buildings of Downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California: Arcadia Publishing. p. 66. ISBN   9781467103039 . Retrieved 2022-06-22.
4. "It Is To Weep". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. 1917-09-20. p. 2. Retrieved 2022-06-22.
5. Watkins, Rolin G.; Hoyle, Millard F. (1925). History of Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties, California: Biographical . Retrieved 2022-06-22.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
6. "Announcement, Opening Of Carmel Bakery". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. 1920-03-18. Retrieved 2022-06-22.

External links

• Downtown Conservation District Historic Property Survey