Ardmore Park Place to Receive Historical Designation

The St. Clair Shores Historical Commission will dedicate the first historical marker plaque on a commercial building at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Ardmore Park Place.

Currently the building is home to unique boutiques, a salon and a cafe. But it was first built as a three-story home in 1880 by Frederick Schroeder. Later, the structure changed owners and during Prohibition it was a bordello, blind pig and gambling house.

In the years that followed the house was a banquet hall, furniture store, bridal salon and since 2008, it has been renovated into a mix of unique boutiques and cafe.

"Since we have been back, we changed the look of the building, got our liquor license and business is growing," said Ray Domke, who owns the building with Larry Berdasono.

The city's Historical Commission started the Historical Marker Program earlier this year and recognizes homes and businesses built in, or before, the year the city was founded - 1951. In April, the first plaque was dedicated at the Maison House on 12 Mile.