original salvaged hemacite concrete fragments from the unusual house of david hotel

the michigan hotel comprised of hematite chips.

exterior photographic survery of the four-story, steel-framed mary's city of david hotel (1922-23; alterations, 1931), located at 163 colfax avenue, benton harbor, mich.

the 100-room hotel building was built by house of david commune leader benjamin purnell (1861-1927) and operated by his estranged widow, mary purnell (1862-1953).

the unusual facade is comprised of cast concrete modules or blocks containing hematite (a common iron oxide mineral that makes up the primary component of iron ore). the blocks were fabricated by the house of david colony. the design program employed on the facade contains a combination of out-of-scale and oddly arranged festoons and fluted columns with protruding bracketed shelves and roofline balusters flanked by rounded top finials. the hotel was one of the largest structures constructed by the house of david commune.

the architect behind the cobbled together building is not known.