104-116 North Center Avenue
MAMMOTH BLOCK
Address: 104-116 North Center Avenue
Built: 1872
Builder: Unknown
Previously: Mammoth building
Owners: Various
Extant: Partially
Construction of the Mammoth Block began immediately after the great Somerset fire of May 9, 1872. Tenants began occupying the new building less than six months later. Though the Mammoth Block appeared as a single monolithic building, it was in fact four separate buildings with four separate owners. Henry F Schell and Henry C "Harry" Beerits being two of the more well-known ones. The site was previously occupied by another large frame building also referred to as Mammoth. The new Mammoth Block was constructed of brick and rose to three stories. There were originally six commercial bays with offices, club rooms and living apartments on the upper floors. The tenants housed in the Mammoth Block are too numerous to list, but a few of the better known ones were Picking's Drug Store, attorneys Henry F Schell, John H Uhl and Alexander H Coffroth, Welfey's Photographic Gallery, and the shoe store of John G Sanner. The appearance of the Mammoth Block began to change in 1930 when Picking's Drug Store extensively rebuilt the northernmost building. Six years later the Shoemaker Brothers did the same to the next building southward. The Shoemaker Building is now occupied by Beeghly & Keim. The next building to the south, now occupied by the AAA Insurance, was extensively remodeled to the point of lowering the building. The only building of the Mammoth Block mostly intact is on the corner, now occupied by Laurel Mountain Coin & Jewelry.
