Sweet Memories

This summer, a South Bend landmark associated with a fondly remembered downtown business will be on the move. Preparations are underway to relocate the historic Poledor House, currently located at 211 Marion Street.

St. Clair Development donated the house to Indiana Landmarks to make way for future development adjacent to the Mar Main apartment building. We will move the house to a lot at 402 W. Navarre Street in the city’s Chapin Park Historic District.

Constructed c.1913, the Poledor House is one of the city’s best examples of Craftsman-style architecture. The house is named for longtime resident and owner Ted Poledor, whose family operated The Philadelphia confectioner’s shop and restaurant in downtown South Bend for more than 70 years.

The Poledor family immigrated from Greece, opening a candy store in downtown South Bend in 1901. Eustis Poledor lived with his family above the store until he purchased the house on Marion Street 1920, and members of the family continued to occupy the house for more than a century, until Ted Poledor passed away in 2022 at the age of 90.

The family were leaders in South Bend’s Greek community, hosting the Greek Ambassador to the United States in 1937 and the Bishop of the Greek Orthodox church in 1955. Generations of South Bend residents satisfied their sweet tooth at The Philadelphia until it was demolished as part of the city’s downtown Urban Renewal project in 1972.

Owing to the family’s ownership for over 100 years, the house remains largely as it was constructed, with original interior light fixtures, Craftsman-style woodwork, coffered dining room ceiling, and built-in cabinetry. One of the colored glass windows is a tribute to the Greek flag.

Last fall, a team of students in the Notre Dame School of Architecture’s historic preservation program conducted research to document the house and the Poledor family’s history, work that assisted Indiana Landmarks in planning for the house’s move and securing approval from the Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend.

Wolfe House and Building Movers from North Manchester will relocate the two-story house approximately two blocks to its new location on Navarre Street. After stabilization work and minor repairs are complete, the Poledor House will be sold with preservation covenants to protect its architectural character.

To learn more about the Poledor House and Indiana Landmarks’ other work in South Bend, contact Todd Zeiger, director of Indiana Landmarks’ Northern Regional Office, tzeiger@indianalandmarks.org.