The Stitt Building

The Stitt Building. . One of the early companies to usher in the automobile era in Hastings, the A.E. Stitt Company automobile dealership was relocated in 1926 on the first floor of the newly built Stitt Building at the corner of Third Street and St. Joseph Avenue. The Chamber of Commerce headquarters and radio station KFKX found early homes on the second floor. The Hastings Daily Tribune was also located in the building from June of 1934 until April of 1939. , The Stitt Company had entered the automobile business in 1908, selling automobiles at several locations before the construction of the Stitt Building. The A.E. Stitt Company sold many makes of cars including Brush, Chalmers, Lexington, Hudson, Essex, Studebaker, DeSoto, Reo and Saxon. The sale of automobiles was discontinued prior to World War II, and the Stitt Company operated a furniture store in the Stitt Building from 1940 to 1967. , The building had a charm of its own. Designed by architect Marcus L. Evans, interest centered on the upper-story bays located on the three corners fronting the streets. The upper bays were faced with Flemish bond brick, and plate glass windows fronted the entire building at street level. The bay located at the intersection of Third Street and St. Joseph Avenue was more elaborately embellished with wide center bands of art glass placed below the Flemish bond brick. The roof of the second story building was tiled and boasted four skylights, each measuring 8 x 15 feet. When the building was later modernized, the bays, art glass and skylights were removed.