Main Street, Ada Ohio

There are a couple of buildings in Ada that are sure to catch the eye of someone who may be passing through. If coming from the north, the large First United Methodist Church can be seen on the right with the more modern Ada Public Library on the left. Continuing south, at 115 North Main St. is a white and green building with unique brickwork and ‘Cole-Humphrey Insurance’ written in cursive on the side. Once making it over the railroad track, an onlooker will likely notice a modern building housing Liberty National Bank on the left and another church on the right followed by the one screen Ada Theatre with a noticeable marquee in the front. Now, approaching the campus of Ohio Northern University, most of the more beautiful and historic building architecture was likely missed.

When traveling again from north to south, the first block after the First United Methodist Church includes two three-story buildings. The first is occupied by Grimslid & Hood law attorneys at 231 North Main St. and is titled “Tressel Block 1914” which, for any football fan, will probably stick out. Lee Tressel, father of the former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, was born in Ada, Ohio and came from a family rooted in the village. Continuing down the street, many of the buildings all have similar names and dates below the façades of the brick buildings. One of the most unique buildings on Main Street that must be mentioned is the rustic yellow building located on the west side of the street just south of the railroad track. This building has the date ‘1900’ engraves in the stone with the name “B.S. Young” eloquently placed between the 19 and the 00. On the second floor, a stained-glass window of a flower acts as the building’s centerpiece.

The stained-glass window is not the only beauty that can be found through this three block stretch of road. Just a couple doors down, at 117 South Main St., is a red and white building that has a staircase leading up to the second story. The staircase is open to the environment and has two cast iron pillars flanking either side of the entrance, which aid in holding up the building above. On either side of this building are a couple of additional architectural attractions in the form of decorative eaves that give a 1900s feel to the block. By taking a couple of moments to really observe Main Street in Ada, the architecture does not stop at the couple of buildings mentioned. Remember the Cole-Humphrey Insurance building, it too has stunning brickwork and decorative designs above each of the windows. An old picture of this building can be located above which shows it serving as a First Liberty Bank and includes the date of 1881 displayed on the roof (this likely had to be removed due to structural issues and can't be seen today).

Prior to the turn-of-the-century, Main Street served a different purpose than what it does now. The road was brick and occupied by horses and buggies. Main Street was where everyone of the village went to get any necessary item instead of traveling to the nearest Walmart. To get groceries, one would likely visit Keystone Grocery on Bauman block, or go to F.L. Rice on Young block (same building as the stained-glass window). To get meat, there was J.W. McCafferty who was also located next to Young block. There is a picture of an advertisement above from an 1894 newspaper that describes McCafferty selling beef for just 6-10 cents a pound! This was the case for just about everything, residents of the village went to Main Street for harnesses and saddlery, stoves and tin ware, Blacksmiths, and even for jewelry. The unique architecture that is still seen in downtown Ada serves as a reminder of what this small village was built on; it just takes a moment to pause and truly observe the buildings to appreciate what still stands.

“Historical Ada.” The Ada Icon, www.adaicon.com/news/historical-ada. 

“REMINISCE.” Adaohiohistorical, www.adaohiohs.com/reminisce. 

"Ada Business Directory," The Ada Record, 31 January 1894, p. 2.