East Bank Architecture
Our feature this week, the 4th in the series, is the Z Crepeau building. Built in 1892 on Hill Street, it sits just north of St. Joseph Catholic Church. While the building might appear simple at first glance, it contains some of the classic elements of the Italianate style. Italianate commercial buildings are known as one of the United States’ most prominent architectural features. The Italianate style is essential to the symbolic American landscape, prominent in most Midwestern town centers. The Crepeau building most recently housed the Sugar and Spice Candy Store. While Sugar and Spice is long gone, its legacy lives on at the South Bend Chocolate Company through owner Mark Tarner. Mark’s father ran Sugar and Spice, and by learning from experiences in his father’s store, he went on to make the Chocolate Company what it is today.