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Any photos not otherwise credited are from the personal collection of Frank Passic, Albion Historian.
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Morning Star, March 14, 2010, pg. 8 Across the river from City Hall is a parking lot. For many years however, a large brick building once stood there at 110 N. Clinton St. It was a large carriage barn that was erected at the beginning of the 20th century. The structure originally served as a carriage and automobile painting facility, and a sign painting shop. The name of the business was the City Paint Shop. It was operated by Patrick H. Hanlon (1854-1934), a New York native who came to Albion in the 1880s. (Note: His son was Leo Hanlon after whom our American Legion post is named). Hanlon was Albion’s sign painter for many years, and was known for his detail work. The building was located on the site of the former Sheldon & Fanning tannery which existed here in the late 19th century. Beginning in the 1920s, the building became the home of the Darrow Boat Company. This firm manufactured its popular portable steel boats in this facility in from the 1920s into the 1940s. Following the departure of the Darrow Boat Company in the late 1940s, the building stood vacant for a time, and then was transformed into the Albion Bowling Lanes in the early 1950s. It was operated by Harold Collmenter. Later, Stephen Macaluso became the owner. He built the Collegiate Bowl at 16653 E. Michigan Ave which opened on September 10, 1962. The Albion Bowling Lanes was subsequently closed. On August 7, 1963, the structure suffered a major fire. The building was subsequently demolished, and a parking lot was then constructed. The site is still used as a parking lot today. From our Historical Notebook, we present an unusual photograph taken around 1907. It was taken from within the Fire Station door on W. Cass St., which today is the parking lot next to Hungry Howey’s pizza. Notice the hanging flowers on each side. The view looks north across the river. On the left we see the City Paint Shop carriage barn. In the center behind the three men is a rectangular building. This was the boiler room building for the Parker-Kessler block on the corner with Superior St. How many of our readers remember the Albion Bowling Lanes building on N. Clinton St?  Unidentified firemen and the City Paint Shop carriage barn
All text copyright, 2024 © all rights reserved Frank Passic
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