Digital Division
307 Division St
F.O. Rice Building
est. 1889
This property of 307 Division Street has been home to two different buildings throughout the years. The first was constructed by F.O. Rice in 1889 for his real estate and insurance company, he also rented part of the building out to J.P. Fellner who owned a candy store. Rice later bought the candy store from Fellner, entering the sweets business. In 1905, Rice announced intentions to demolish the existing building and rebuild a new and improved one, but by 1916, all that was done was the announcement of a demolition. Yet another announcement came in 1922, when Rice announced detailed plans to build a two-story building the following spring, but work never seems to have started under Rice’s ownership.
In 1945, attorney Robert Koch and physician R.F. Mears purchased the building from F.O. Rice, and began construction on a building behind the F.O. Rice Building to house both of their practices. They moved in the following year, and stayed until 1951 when Lippert Jewelry moved in. In 1967, the building moved on from the jewelry business, becoming a Law Office owned by J.O. Caulfield. Later, it became a sports store, Serendipity boutique and gift shop, a flower shop, and now a photography studio.