Located in the Lower 25th Street Historic District in Ogden, Utah.
241-243 25th Street
Official outlet of ZMCI (Zion’s Co-operative Mercantile Institution), “America’s First Department Store”. This building housed the Fayette Merc. from circa 1871 to 1888. It was part of the ZCMI co-operative system which served more than 150 communities in the Intermountain area with retail commodities and services beginning in 1868.
This building was constructed circa. 1915. The site was the original location of the ZCMI Granary, which was built on the lot before 1884. The eastern wall of the building was constructed in 1890 as a common wall with the building which still where the courtyard is now located. This wall was incorporated into the new construction of the building. The owner at the time of construction of the current building was William E. Newman. Newman owned the lot from 1912 until 1933, when he sold it to the Chemical Bank and Trust Company. This company sold the property to Milton L. Noble in 1943. Owners after 1943 include Lucile B Noble (wife of Milton), Delores Bush, and Valate Payne.
This building was a furniture store from 1917 until 1942. In 1917, Abraham Siner, a prominent member of Ogden’s Jewish community, opened the Utah Trunk Factory. After he died in 1919, his widow renamed it the Siner Trunk and Furniture Company and continued business until 1922. The Big Four Furniture Company, owned by Mollie Sugar, occupied the building from 1924 until 1935. From 1939 until 1942, Paul J. Kammeyer used the building for the Pioneer Furniture Exchange, a used furniture store. In 1942, Milton Noble bought the furniture exchange and converted the building into Noble’s Cafe two years later. After 1948, Katy Hirao used part of the building for the Jade Cafe.
This one-part commercial block is a one-story brick building in the Commercial Vernacular style. It has two recessed entrances with transom windows and kickplates. Each entrance has two large display windows. The brick enframing walls which define the two bays have decorative inlaid tile. Above the transoms, there are two decorative brick frames. The building was renovated in 1995.
