Director

The four-story Second Renaissance Revival vertical block theater building from the 1920s stands as a testament to architectural grandeur, crafted from fire block, brick, and stone. Originally designed as a single-screen movie projection theater with sound, it thrived until the mid-1900s, when it transformed into Jennette's Lounge. Subsequently, by the late 1990s, the space found new life as a home to various restaurants, a purpose it still serves today.Upon entering, the first floor greets visitors with altered storefronts and a contemporary box marquee. Historic images reveal that a partial canopy bearing the inscription "State Theater" once adorned the facade but has since been removed. Ascending, the upper three floors unveil a majestic three-story arcade adorned with four bays of 1/1 double-hung windows, each boasting stone sills and headers. Completing its majestic presence, a corbelled brick cornice crowns the edifice.Standing proudly at 259 East Main Street, the building finds itself flanked by the Valis Block, adding to the historical and architectural richness of the area.

Intersection of East Main Street and Arch Avenue, late 1920s

State Theater at Main Street and Arch Avenue 1926

Jeanette’s Lounge with mural of drinks located in the former State Theater

Constructed in the 1920s, the Second Renaissance Revival theater building, spanning four stories, showcases exquisite craftsmanship with fire block, brick, and stone. Originally serving as a movie theater, it later transformed into Jennette's Lounge before becoming home to various restaurants by the late 1990s. The building's ground floor boasts altered storefronts and a contemporary box marquee, while its upper levels feature a stunning three-story arcade adorned with double-hung windows and crowned by a corbelled brick cornice. Situated at 259 East Main Street, it is flanked by the Valis Block, enriching the area's historical and architectural landscape.

State Theater & Valis Building

The East Main Street National Historic District is situated along the main historic commercial corridor in Downtown Alliance, Ohio. The district follows East Main Street from Liberty to Union, the north boundary is defined by the railroad line and Prospect Street, and the south boundary is defined by Market Street. Sixty-five contributing buildings and 13 non-contributing buildings, along with 3 contributing statues in Freedom Plaza make up the district. This tour outlines 34 stops along East Main Street and East Market Street that are significant to the architecture or history of Alliance’s downtown. Watch the Marking Time in Alliance episode for an overview of the District - https://youtu.be/wrmV1Hnz63c?si=mI-1gakmDY2tQIaZ 
Street signs provided by a grant from Greater Alliance Foundation.

East Main Street Historic District Walking Tour

At the Turn of the 20th century, the intersection of Main and Union began a decades-long transition from a dense residential area, to an extension of the main street commercial district. Beginning in 1900 The Erwin, Lamborn, and Wallace Families residences dominated the intersection. At the Northwest corner stood the Impressive second Empire Lamborn Residence, at the southwest, the Erwin family home, and finally, at the southeast, the Wallace Family. These families were all notable local business persons with businesses at adjacent main street locations and throughout town. At the northeast corner of main and union stood a commercial district of meat markets and groceries stores that changed owners numerous times, yet in xxx were demolished for the present day building that was originally a Kroger Grocery store. A favorite of Alliance locals, the Caskey Building that once stood at the at the earlier site of the Erwin Family home. Built in the 1940s, the building was a fine representation of international and Bahuase early 1900s streamline design. It was originally a Buick dealership, then later became the home of well renowned Don Pancho's restaurant. The Caskey building was demolished in 1996.What stands today at this intersection is the remnants of a gas and service station at the southeast corner that moved in in the 1920s. Additionally, the Historic mid century modern Kroger building still stands today at the northeast corner with various other businesses occupying.

At the turn of the 20th century, the intersection of Main and Union underwent a transformative shift from a densely populated residential area to an extension of the main street commercial district. Notable residences included the Lamborn, Erwin, and Wallace families' homes, each owned by influential local businesspersons who operated businesses along Main Street and throughout the town. Today, remnants of a 1920s gas and service station persist at the southeast corner, while the historic mid-century modern Kroger building, originally a favorite Caskey Building demolished in 1996, remains at the northeast corner, housing various businesses.

Main & Union Intersection

Constructed around 1915, the Park Building, originally built as apartments, replaced three smaller residences on the same land. In response to a housing shortage following World War I, this transformation addressed the growing demand for accommodation. Among the notable residents on this land in 1900 was Derrell Patterson, a Carbon Trimmer, a skilled laborer crucial for maintaining early electric lights, particularly the carbon rods of early arc lamps. The Park Building, designed in the early 20th-century commercial style with Moorish Revival details, features modular brick masonry and minimal projections. Noteworthy Moorish elements include elongated arch openings and shadow lines on the historic hipped roof projection at the second story, likely made of clay tiles. The building also incorporates a central skylight and light well, historically used to illuminate the interior's vertical circulation and stairwell.Constructed between 1916 and 1918, the Williams Building seamlessly blends into the early 20th-century commercial style. The upper levels served as apartments, while the lower level housed Casselman Plumbing, Ramsey Auto Supply, and the Alliance Restaurant. Towards the rear, an original freight elevator facilitated the movement of plumbing and auto supplies for Casselman and Ramsey businesses. The distinctive gray and white washed red brick exterior of the building, adorned with stone plaques bearing its namesake, showcases its timeless appeal.

Dating back to 1915, the Park Building emerged as a response to the post-World War I housing shortage, replacing three smaller residences on the same land. Originally constructed as apartments, it reflects early 20th-century commercial style with Moorish Revival details, featuring notable elements like elongated arch openings and a historic hipped roof projection. Meanwhile, the Williams Building at 66 E. Main Street, completed between 1916 and 1918, seamlessly integrates into the early 20th-century commercial aesthetic, housing apartments on the upper levels and hosting Casselman Plumbing, Ramsey Auto Supply, and the Alliance Restaurant on the lower level. The building's distinctive gray and white washed red brick exterior, accentuated by stone plaques bearing its namesake, contributes to its enduring charm.

Williams Building

The complex consists of three main parts: the 1910-11 Parsonage, the 1957-58 Sanctuary, and the 1968 Educational wing. The Parsonage is in the Colonial Revival style, while the Educational wing features Neoclassical elements. The Sanctuary's first-floor facade has brick walls with cross openings and vertical windows on a stone foundation. The second story has a stone wall with four angled elongated windows. Stairs from East Main Street lead to a one-story entrance with metal and glass doors, concrete walls, and a cast concrete bell tower.The history of the First Christian Church in Alliance dates back to 1847 when two families moved to Mt.Union and started the Disciples of Christ congregation. Mathias Hester, a key figure, was instrumental in the establishment of a church in the community. In 1857, the first permanent Christian Church was organized with 30 charter members.Over the years, the congregation faced challenges, including doctrinal issues and a division in 1877. In 1887, the church was reorganized, and by 1897, it had outgrown its old frame building. In 1900, the congregation purchased the present property for future growth.In the early 20th century, ministers like A. B. Way, Isaac Errett, and W. C. McCallum played significant roles. Dr. McCallum, in particular, introduced innovative Christian Education techniques. The church continued to grow, and in 1924, a new Educational Building was completed.The church faced the challenges of two world wars and the Great Depression. In 1951, a building fund drive raised $203,000, leading to the demolition of the old sanctuary in 1957. In 1958, a new sanctuary, along with other facilities, was scheduled for completion.In the early 2000s, the congregation left the building for a new location on Beech Street. The building was later occupied by Feed My Sheep Ministries. In 2023, the building received the Alliance Preservation Award, awarded by the Alliance Area Preservation Society.

The complex features the 1910-11 Parsonage, 1957-58 Sanctuary, and 1968 Educational wing, each showcasing distinct architectural styles. The Colonial Revival Parsonage contrasts with the Neoclassical Educational wing. Stairs from East Main Street lead to a one-story entrance with metal and glass doors, concrete walls, and a cast concrete bell tower. Established in 1847, the First Christian Church in Alliance overcame challenges and grew, with a successful 1951 building fund drive leading to the demolition of the old sanctuary in 1957 and the completion of a new one in 1958. In the early 2000s, the congregation relocated, and in 2023, the building received the Alliance Preservation Award.

First Christian Church

At the westernmost corner of this block stands the International Order of Odd Fellows, also known as the I.O.O.F. Constructed in 1904, the building served as the meeting hall for the IOOF, alongside apartments, a barber shop, and a post office on its ground floor. The Alliance chapter was previously situated in the Coates Block on the east side of Main Street before its demolition.The I.O.O.F. building exemplifies early 20th-century commercial architecture, crafted from light sand-colored brick. Remarkably, it still retains its original prismatic glass storefront transom above the entryway. Centrally positioned within this composition is the Knights of Pythias building, located at 142 1/2 East Main Street on the north side of the street. Within the K of P building's basement lay a bowling alley, while the K of P chambers occupied the second floor. This establishment claimed the distinction of being Alliance's first bowling alley, as recorded in the 1906 City Directory. Adjacent to the building, a skating rink added to its recreational offerings.At the easternmost end stands the historic Ellis and McDonald building, affectionately known as El-Mac Hall. Ellis and McDonald, plumbers by trade, originally operated from 238 E. Main Street, now the parking lot next to the Troll Hole. This building, since demolished, also housed the notorious Jarman Printing Company. Erected in 1906, it embodies a vernacular style of early 20th-century commercial architecture, combining Richardsonian Romanesque arch openings with shallow facade details, harmoniously organized with business storefronts on the ground level.

At the westernmost corner of the block stands the International Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.), constructed in 1904 and hosting various amenities including a meeting hall, apartments, barber shop, and post office. This building, made of light sand-colored brick, showcases original prismatic glass storefront transoms. Nearby, the Knights of Pythias building features a basement bowling alley and chambers on the second floor, while the Ellis and McDonald building, erected in 1906, embodies early 20th-century commercial architecture with Richardsonian Romanesque elements and once housed the Jarman Printing Company before its demolition.

IOOF/KOP/Ellis & McDonald Building

Now the home of the Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce and its parking lot, the northeast corner of E. Main Street and Mechanic Avenue was the site of the first of three depot locations on the rail line. Later, this lot would be the home of Temple of Economy, Shafer Building and the Owl Grill, and today's Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce.In the 1880s and 1890s there was a one- and two-story rectangular depot on the front corner of this lot. According to historic Alliance maps, the first depot was a separate building on the front half of the lot. About 1897 the depot moved across Main Street to the southeast corner of E. Main Street and Mechanic Avenue, and the old depot became the location of a store called the Temple of Economy, a restaurant, a cigar factory, and some residential units.The old building here was soon moved off the lot to make way for a new building, the Fogg or Shafer Building, which was built about 1901; this building’s most famous tenant over the years was the probably the Owl Grill, a bar and restaurant known for its coney sauce. The Owl Grill lasted into the 1980s, and the building was taken down in the early 1990s. The building had a twin tower feature that made it very recognizable in old photographs. The Chamber building, which sits on the next lot to the east, was built in 1965.

The northeast corner of E. Main Street and Mechanic Avenue was the site of the first of three depot locations on the Lake Erie, Alliance &amp; Wheeling (LEA&amp;W) rail line in the 1880s and 1890s. This lot later became the home of Temple of Economy, Shafer Building and the Owl Grill, and today's Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce.

Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce/Owl Grill/Depot

Some sources suggest that "The Strand" refers to a street in central London, once home to several renowned theaters, akin to New York's Broadway during the Victorian era. The flourishing district in London served as inspiration for Strand theaters across the United States. Renowned for their ornate interiors featuring crystal chandeliers, luxurious carpeting, and decorative plaster walls, many Strand theaters nationwide have since been demolished.The Strand Theater stands on the former site of the Parth Block building, which was razed to make way for its construction in 1927. Characterized by Romantic Renaissance Revival architecture, the theater boasts multiple Juliet balconies, an arcade, and intricately embedded entablatures and plates hinting at subtle ornamentation. Upon its opening, movie tickets were priced at 40 cents per seat, and the theater introduced the city of Alliance to the first "sound movies." However, it ceased operations in 1960.

"The Strand" likely refers to a central London street known for its Victorian-era theaters, similar to New York's Broadway. Inspired by this district, Strand theaters were built across the United States, known for their opulent interiors. The Strand Theater, constructed in 1927 on the former site of the Parth Block building, features Romantic Renaissance Revival architecture, including Juliet balconies and ornate detailing. It introduced Alliance to the first "sound movies" but closed in 1960.

Strand Theater

The present-day Midland Buckeye Building was constructed in the late 1950s following the remodeling of the previous bank, The Peoples Bank. Records indicate that the site, located at the corner of Main and Arch, originally housed a wood-frame building dating back to the late 1800s, serving as an auctioneer school known as the US Auction Syndicate. In 1922, this structure was replaced by the Peoples Bank, a high-style neoclassical building occupying only half the width of the current Midland Buckeye Building. Subsequently, in the late 1950s, the adjacent JP Miller Saloon to the west was demolished to facilitate the expansion of the Midland Buckeye Building.Today, the Midland Buckeye Bank building stands as an iconic landmark in downtown, distinguished by its unique metallic and polished facade. Drawing inspiration from Louis Sullivan's Jewel Box Bank Buildings, it combines multiple design influences, featuring a square shape and the use of reflective building materials. Chrome cladding outlines window and door openings, while the remaining facade boasts dark polished granite, enhancing sheen and depth. The front facade entrance includes a large showcase window displaying beautiful mosaic tiles within, adding to the building's allure.

The Midland Buckeye Building, constructed in the late 1950s, replaced the previous Peoples Bank and its earlier wood-frame structure, which served as the US Auction Syndicate in the late 1800s. The new building expanded over the site of the former JP Miller Saloon. Today, it stands as a downtown landmark, characterized by its metallic facade inspired by Louis Sullivan's designs, featuring chrome cladding and polished granite accents, with a large showcase window displaying mosaic tiles at the front entrance.

Midland Buckeye Building

The 300 block of E. Main Street along with the 400 block, was always important for its retail stores. Cope Furniture, Alliance Hardware, and Spring Holzwarth were the anchors on the north side of the 300 block for much of the early to mid 20th century.Cope Furniture occupied the building at 314 E. Main Street, a 1906 vertical block commercial building, with details from the Chicago School. The first floor was altered to include a contemporary glass and metal storefront while the second floor is concealed behind a wide sign band. A vertical block commercial building was typical of "high rise" or buildings with four or more floors and usually having a simple facade or having a patterned brick or stone cornice. All the upper floor windows on this building have been filled with painted corrugated panels.The Alliance Hardware building at 318 E. Main Street, built in 1906, is a Jacobethan Vertical Block building constructed of red brick and steel beam construction with limestone details. Originally, the building was capped with an elaborate brick point, which was lost due to the 1931 Spring-Holzwarth fire at 320 E. Main Street. The building includes decorative carved limestone arches and floral motifs around the windows and a Tudor arch. A memorable feature of the Alliance Hardware Store was "Toyland" where every child would want to come for Christmas.The building at 320 E. Main Street was the rebuilt store for Spring-Holzwarth. The original building was destroyed by a large fire on February 1, 1931, Due to inadequate fire equipment, the Alliance Hardware store next door received extensive damage losing the top floor of the building. The current building is a non-contributing building to the National District due to alterations to the construction.

The 300 and 400 blocks of E. Main Street were historically significant for their retail establishments, including Cope Furniture, Alliance Hardware, and Spring Holzwarth on the north side of the 300 block. Cope Furniture's building at 314 E. Main Street, constructed in 1906 with Chicago School details, features a modernized first floor with all the upper floor windows filled with painted corrugated panels. Alliance Hardware at 318 E. Main Street, also built in 1906, boasted Jacobethan architecture with limestone details. "Toyland" was a popular attraction during the Christmas season. The building at 320 E. Main Street replaced the original Spring-Holzwarth Department Store, lost in a 1931 fire. The fire also damaged Alliance Hardware due to limited fire equipment at the time, resulting in the removal of its original elaborate brick point.

Cope Furniture, Alliance Hardware, Spring-Holzwarth

The building at 317 E. Main Street is of the two-part commercial building style and constructed from red bricks. A two-part commercial building consists of a public space, usually a storefront, and an upper private facade, usually consisting of residential space, meeting halls, or offices. Usually the storefront consists of display windows, transoms, and a wood or glass entrance.The building at 317 was built in 1910 and was originally home to the Surprise Store, a confectionery, and Jarman's Printing on the second floor. Later, it was home to Heggy's and then Alliance Antiques. It is now empty, but a mural of "Camelot" is painted on the west exterior overlooking the neighboring pocket park. The Wallace Building at 321 E. Main Street is now occupied by the Crystal Inn. It is a two-part commercial building and Italianate in style, made with red rock faced brick with stone accent work.The original occupant was a grocery store owned by Alva D. Wallace.

The building at 317 E. Main Street is of the two-part commercial building style and constructed from red bricks. The building at 317 was built in 1910 and was originally home to the Surprise Store, a confectionery, and Jarman's Printing on the second floor. Later, it was home to Heggy's and then Alliance Antiques. It is now empty, but a mural of "Camelot" is painted on the west exterior overlooking the neighboring pocket park. The Wallace Building at 321 E. Main Street is now occupied by the Crystal Inn. It is a two-part commercial building and Italianate in style, made with red rock faced brick with stone accent work.The original occupant was a grocery store owned by Alva D. Wallace.

Heggy's

The Jupiter building at 346 E. Main Street was built in 1925. The S. S. Kresge Company purchased the site and constructed the Neoclassical Two-Part Commercial style building for $150,000. The Kresge store remained at this location into the 1980s. Of note are the construction materials of light and blond brick. Kresge's Canteen, a downtown dining counter on Main Street in the 1940s, had a distinctive tile wall with 4 circular mirrors behind the counter.After Kresge's closed, Jupiter Department Store was located here. In 2008, Richie Kindler renovated the first floor space to open Jupiter Studios, a music performance space, a gallery featuring the work of local artists, and food and drinks from the added kitchen. The current owner, Jay Groom, converted the venue into a Greek mythology themed Jupiter Events Center and opened it for business in February 2017.

The Jupiter building at 346 E. Main Street was built in 1925. The S. S. Kresge Company purchased the site and constructed the Neoclassical style building for $150,000. The Kresge store remained at this location into the 1980s. Of note is the construction materials of light and blond brick. After Kresge's closed, Jupiter Department Store was located here. In 2008, Richie Kindler renovated the first floor space to open Jupiter Studios, a music performance space, a gallery featuring the work of local artists, and food and drinks from the added kitchen. The current owner, Jay Groom, has converted the venue into a Greek mythology themed Jupiter Events Center.

Jupiter

McCrory's 5 and 10 Cent store, located at 358 E. Main Street was located on the northwest corner of Linden Avenue and Main Street. It was built from 1925-1926 in the Neoclasical Two-Part Commercial style and was likely designed by McCrory Stores' New York corporate architect, William Simpson. The two-story brick and terra cotta building has contemporary metal and glass storefronts with roll-up awnings a wide sign board. Additional decoration to the facade is a carved stringcourse of egg and dart/running dog, which wraps around the east side of the building. A decorative entryway can be seen on the east side of the building. Originally this led to the Trianon Ball Room which was located on the second floor. The front and side are capped with a decorative cornice.It later became the home of Murphy's 5 and 10 store through the 1980s. Today it is home to Mac's Attic Flea Market. A distinctive stairway leading into the basement of the basement sales area is prominently available as you enter the store.

McCrory's 5 and 10 Cent store, located at 358 E. Main Street on the northwest corner of Linden Avenue and Main Street, was constructed in the Neoclassical Two-Part Commercial style between 1925-1926, likely by McCrory Stores' New York corporate architect, William Simpson. The two-story brick and terra cotta building features contemporary metal and glass storefronts with roll-up awnings, a wide signboard, and a carved stringcourse of egg and dart/running dog detailing on the east side. Originally housing the Trianon Ball Room on its second floor, it was later purchased by Murphy's 5 and 10 store and operated until the 1980s. Today it serves as the location for Mac's Attic Flea Market, showcasing a distinctive stairway leading into the basement sales area upon entry.

McCrory's Department Store

The Wm. S. Lindesmith building is a two-part commercial building constructed in 1910. It was the home of Lindesmith Hardware through the 1950s. In recent years, it was home to Paris Art Studio and antique shop and most recently Celebration Destination party store. Some of the notable architectural features include recessed brick panels between the floors and at the top of the building and a distinct signboard with "Wm. S. Lindesmith" added and an arched parapet at the top with "1910" added.

The Wm. S. Lindesmith building at 355 E. Main Street is a two-part commercial building constructed in 1910. It was the home of Lindesmith Hardware through the 1950s. In recent years, it was home to Paris Art Studio and antique shop and most recently Celebration Destination party store. Some of the notable architectural features include recessed brick panels between the floors and at the top of the building and a distinct signboard with "Wm. S. Lindesmith" added and an arched parapet at the top with "1910" added.

Lindesmith Building

The Lamborn building at 426 E. Main Street is a Tudor Revival Two-Part Commercial building, built in 1925. The deepest of all the storefronts on E. Main Street, it consists of a main building facing Main Street and an annex attached to the rear of the main building that faces Prospect Street. This annes was used as a loading dock and more recently used as an automotive garage. It is finished in yellow terra cotta. The one-story building to the east was added on or connected to the main building by 1954 and is adjacent to Prohibition Alley. The 3-D mural was painted onto the building in 2023 and depicts the double meaning of "railroads" in Alliance: the Underground Railroad and the actual railroads that created Alliance.The shields of the original design have been covered over by vinyl siding and shingled signboard below the second floor. The second floor windows include fleur-de-lis details and arches with Corinthian columns. The name LAMBORN is engraved above these windows and is flanked by stylized shields.In 1925, the J. C. Penney Company signed a long-term lease for the 9,000 square foot first floor retail space. It remained here until the 1980s when it moved to the Carnation Mall.

The Lamborn building at 426 E. Main Street is a Tudor Revival Two-Part Commercial building, built in 1925. The deepest of all the storefronts on E. Main Street, it consists of a main building facing Main Street and an annex attached to the rear of the main building that faces Prospect Street. It is finished in yellow terra cotta. The one-story building to the east was added on or connected to the main building by 1954 and is adjacent to Prohibition Alley. The 3-D mural was painted onto the building in 2023 and depicts the double meaning of "railroads" in Alliance: the Underground Railroad and the actual railroads that created Alliance.

Lamborn Building

Located on the east side of Prohibition Alley at 436 E. Main Street, the Koch Building was built in approximately 1910 in the Neoclassical Two-Part Commercial style. The building is constructed with blond bricks and was designed by Cleveland and Massillon architects Albrecht, Wilhelm &amp; Kelly. The Koch Clothing Store operated by Isadore and Joseph Koch, was founded by their grandfather in Alliance in 1858 and was one of the foremost textile stores in the area.The F. &amp; W. Grand 5-10-25 Cent Store occupied the building in 1924 and an annex was constructed on the rear of the building that same year by builder A. F. Wendling of Massillon. The Upan-Inn Billiard Room was located on the second floor.A contemporary signboard with "SEARS" was added when the Sears Roebuck Company moved into the building in 1961. The Sears store remained here until 1978 when it moved to the College Plaza. The name "KOCH" is engraved on the projecting cornice and raised parapet. The exterior wall on the east side of the building is referred to as a brick party wall. At one time it separated the Koch building from the adjoining building. Now it serves as an exterior wall facing the pocket park to the east.

Located on the east side of Prohibition Alley at 436 E. Main Street, the Koch Building was built in approximately 1910 in the Neoclassical Two-Part Commercial style. The building is constructed with blond bricks and was designed by Cleveland and Massillon architects Albrecht, Wilhelm &amp; Kelly. A contemporary signboard with "SEARS" was added when the Sears Roebuck Company moved into the building in 1961. The Sears store remained here until 1978 when it moved to the College Plaza. The name "KOCH" is engraved on the projecting cornice and raised parapet. The exterior wall on the east side of the building is referred to as a brick party wall. At one time it separated the Koch building from the adjoining building. Now it serves as an exterior wall facing the pocket park to the east.

Koch Building

The Alliance Bank Company was founded in Alliance in 1872 as a state bank, and was located at 508 East Main Street, just east of this building. Its early directors and officers included prominent Alliance business figure such as W. H. Ramsey, I. G. Tollerton, C. C. Baker, Frank Transue and George Reeves.Their new six story bank and office building was a part of an apparent Alliance competition to build “Sky-Scrapers” on Main Street according The Alliance Review of 12-20-1906. That month, Allott-Kryder Hardware announced it would build a six-story facility, and it was followed two days later by neighbor Katzenstein Carpets announcing a similar plan. Allott-Kryder, a decades-long fixture on the Square, was responding to the new Alliance Hardware and it’s six-story Ramsey Building just being completed further west on the north side of Main, which was passing the just constructed Cassaday and Crist blocks there in the 300 block.The bank’s grand opening was held on January 16, 1915 where over 8,000 carnations were distributed during a four-hour open house.Through the years, the bank’s name would change to the First National Bank of Alliance, Central Trust and eventually Chase Bank before leaving Downtown. In 1995, it was listed on the National Register and received funding for renovation to create city offices in the basement and on the first and second floors, and apartments on the remaining four floors.

The 1914 Renaissance Revival six-story bank building was designed by Canton architect Lewis W. Thomas and constructed by Cleveland builder George B. McMillan Co. A 1923 three-story wing to the rear was designed by Cleveland architects Walker &amp; Weeks. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

First National Bank Building

It may be best to allow you to gaze at the 1887 Building/Stone Block structure for a moment or two to let it soak in a bit, and then read this description prepared by preservation consultants Wendy Hoge Naylor and Diana Wellman for the Historic District’s NRHP nomination:The façade is divided into first floor storefronts and two-story arcade with blind arches at the fourth floor. The two-story piers at the third floors are finished with carved capitals at the springing of the arch. The stone piers at the first floor level are flanked by contemporary storefront systems with a separate entrance to the upper floors. A metal canopy conceals the area between the first-floor storefronts and second floor. Six bays comprise the width of the building at the second and third floors composed of asymmetrical fenestration pattern with the central bay slightly narrower. This narrower bay is flanked by engaged columns that extend through the roof line and capped with hemispherical orbs. The stone voussoirs are further defined by dentiled carved stone with rosettes at the springing. Checker board pattern stone work is exhibited in the spandrels between the second and third floor and fill in the area above the arches to the corbelled blind arcade at the parapet. A carved central plaque at the parapet dates the building “1887.” A carved lion’s head is located above the arch below the carved date. The fenestration is replacement sash. Historically, the building is likely best remembered as the headquarters for the Ohio Public Service Company’s Alliance central office operations, with a large two-story neon sign attached at the building’s center.

The 1887 Building, also known as the Stone Block, is a Richardsonian Romanesque Two-Part Commercial four-story building is composed of rock faced ashlar sandstone, built in 1887. It is arguably Downtown Alliance’s most precious, and most underappreciated, architectural gem. It has hosted a broad spectrum of tenants through its 130-plus years. In the mid-60s it was home to Seikel Paint &amp; Wallpaper and Band-Orch, but in recent decades hosted several, and has now been acquired by the City of Alliance for additional office space.The City Administration Building was acquired by the City in 1994 after the closure of Bank One’s Downtown Alliance office, along with the 1915-16 Alliance Bank Building. The Administration Building was a 1971 renovation of two circa mid-1870s structures into a combined modern office space in the New Formalism Style. The best remembered historic tenants of these buildings were the Vale Drug Store and the C. C. Crawford/Crawford’s clothing store

City Administration Building & 1887 Building

Architect and preservation writer Bruce Snyder noted that “In the rapidly expanding United States of the late 19th century, anywhere that wished to be considered somewhere needed an opera house.” They were a mainstay of main streets across America, but they only infrequently presented operas—they were the one-night stand for touring musicians, speakers, and theater companies (high drama to low comedy), and just as importantly, according to author Ann Satterthwaite, they “were often in places where it was the only sort of neutral turf for a community hall.” They could also be very profitable, a significant consideration for businessmen of the 19th, and every other century since.Such was the goal of young Emmor Crew of Damascus, one of the entrepreneurial spirits who came to Alliance in the 1850s with the arrival of the railroads, and made his way as a photographer. By 1860 he was a leader of local Lincoln supports and served as the chairman of the Alliance Committee who welcomed the President-elect at the Alliance train station on his inaugural trip to Washington DC February 15, 1861. Crew introduced the tall, newly-bearded man from Illinois to the thousands waiting at a makeshift platform at The Crossing. He would spend much of the ensuing years creating portraits of soldiers passing through Alliance on trains during the Civil War at his studio near that same station.After the War, Crew took a bold step by building the first Alliance Opera House, a three-story structure at the northeast corner of Alliance Street (now Main) and Fifth Street (now Seneca Ave), an imposing site encompassing most of the western have of the block. The first floor held retail store rooms while the second floor featured.  Crew’s Photography Studio and other offices, and the 1,000-seat opera hall was located on the third floor. The cost of the building was estimated at $75,000. Though Crew enjoyed only modest success with the Opera House, as his focus was on his photography business, and he eventually decided to move to Texas, reportedly for his health, where he operated a watermelon farm. Local investor and merchant Charles Marchand purchased the building in 1877 for $17,000, and with his son as manager revitalized the opera houses main business.Although Marchand had invested $15-20,000 in renovations after his purchase, seven years later there were doubts to its safety and arrangements were in progress to put it in a secure condition when it was inspected by J. T. Weybrecht the morning of June 2, 1886. He warned all inhabitants to vacate the premises. At approximately 4:30 p.m., the building collapsed. The cause was thought to be partially defective bricks used for its original construction. There was some speculation that vibrations from closely passing railroad trains contributed to the shifting of the bricks. No one was hurt in the collapse. F. C. Marchand used much of the western half of the building to rebuild a two-story business block. Remnants of the building were still extant until the final demolition in 1971 after Chuck’s Inn collapsed during renovation.Items of Note• Prior to being located on the Public Square, city offices were located in the Crew building and council met there when passing the ordinance to build a free-standing Town Hall.• Occupants in the building included the E. McConnel shoe store, J. Hiller’s notions shop, L. H. Nogel’s tin shop and stove store, the offices of Dr. Cleverly, Attorney (and former mayor) Harvey Laughlin, and Johnson &amp; Son, in addition to the Marchand office and opera hall.• According to the Review, among the highlights of the Winter &amp; Spring 1886 season were Prof. George Widle champion gymnast and leaper of the world, leaping 40 feet on the Hying trapeze; Daniel Solly's Grocery as played 150 nights in New York; A Russian Honeymoon, produced by the Madison Square Theater more than 100 times; A Hot Time, the greatest musical comedy of the day; the eminent actor Edwin Thorne in the London and New York sensation The Black Flag: the charming little actress Bella Moore; Robert McWade in Rip Van Winkle; Mattie Vickers; J. Z. Little's World, including the following scenes: The Departure, The Sinking Ship, The Raft, The Lunatic Asylum, and The Revolving Wall.• Belle Rosenberg, long time Alliance resident who witnessed the top of the Orr Block explosion, was not near the collapse at the Opera House when it happened two years later but was among the thousands that went to the scene to view its aftermath, grateful that no one was killed.• Two community meetings held at the Opera House with striking railroad employees on July 22 and 26, 1877 helped Alliance, which was at a new high point as a Pennsylvania Railroad town, find a middle ground in supporting the strikers’ goals while protecting goods and property on the station grounds. Meanwhile, the pinnacle of The Great Railroad Strike’s destruction where the Pittsburgh depot and rail yards were burnt to the ground and forty died.

The Alliance Opera House (also known as the Crew opera House and the Marchand Opera House) stood on this site from 1868 until 1886. It is best remembered for its ignominious collapse, but was also the most important gathering place in Alliance during its two decades of operation. It was the venue for famous performers and touring companies of the post-Civil War era, hosted community and political events, and was the site of desperate meetings to keep the peace in Alliance during America’s Great Railroad Strike of 1877. It also housed prominent businesses, including that of its illustrious builder at the center of early Alliance’s bustling business district.

Opera House

By the 1890s, traffic growth on the two rails lines and the growth of the Alliance community brought ongoing tensions to a head. The station and roundhouse grounds had grown to bursting, and could not expand because of the industry and housing that had grown up around it. The Pennsylvania Railroad (still operating its lines as the C&amp;P and the PFW&amp;C) began acquiring land between Union Avenue and Rockhill Road in order to build out what had previously been modest auxiliary switching yards. These new western yards were limited however by the crossing of tracks at Lincoln Avenue and Rockhill, and the PRR sought to have those streets vacated and the full right of way returned to the railroad. At the same time, congestion strangled traffic to and from the north and east of downtown at the railroad station. The City had already been talking with the PRR for over a decade about building a viaduct over the company’s tracks between Liberty and Webb Streets.  Several years of negotiation finally led to an agreement in 1894 which would close the two western streets for the railroad’s west side yards and in return the railroad would construct the steel superstructure and supports for viaducts over the tracks near the station, and another one at Lincoln. The city was required to secure all property needed and construct the approaches at both sites.  Within two years the downtown viaduct was built, and traffic flowed more freely around and through the station and downtown. However, due to the outcry of west side residents and businesses, Lincoln Ave was never vacated, and the viaduct there never constructed, much to the chagrin of the Pennsylvania Railroad.  A few years later, the station and viaduct were the site of a scene, repeated across America, as the local company of Army volunteers set off for the Spanish-American War. In April 1898, much of the community came to the station to bid goodbye to its sons, members of the National Guard’s 8th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company K. They had mustered at on the hill above downtown at the new Methodist Church and marched down Freedom Avenue to Main Street and onto the Pennsylvania Railroad Union Depot to the cheers of thousands, much like those that cheered Lincoln on his way to his inauguration.  Three years later, a similarly-size crowd would wish a farewell to William McKinley as the martyred President’s funeral train passed slowly through town on the way to his resting place in nearby Canton.On September 4, 1906 a daytime nightmare occured when a switching engine lost control of a box car which left the track running into the north abutment of the Viaduct, cause the northern end of the bridge structure to collapse on the track. The accident killed Cleveland and Pittsburgh flagman Clarence Kreshner, and shut down the tracks for over a day. Though the Pennsylvania Railroad promised a rebuilt span in 7 months, due to construction delays, authority for what work needed to be done and who would pay, it was not until mid-May 1909 when the new Viaduct was opened.By the time of the Great Depression, the economic peril, the aging depot and decline of passenger traffic led to the area around the viaduct becoming an increasingly rundown place. As the north end of the structure led to a neighborhood facing serious challenges and decline, an increase in crime followed, and the viaduct, and the railroad station became an entirely different place than it had been for Alliances first one hundred years—the gateway to the bigger world.By the 1970s, the structural integrity of the Viaduct was again called into question, and in 1975 and 1976, a new concrete bridge, designed for contemporary auto and railroad traffic was built. A revitalization project for the Viaduct, and a rechristening was spearheaded by the Martin Luther King Steering Committee, a local community action group which led to the creation the commemorative display and naming for the new Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Viaduct. Repair to the structure and road bed with enhanced lighting, fencing and safety features were all a part of this $1.6 million project.

What was once known only as "The Viaduct," and often in a derogatory tone, is now the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Viaduct, and a commemoration of his work to bring people together with the words "I Have a Dream" emblazoned over the center of Main Street. And while the viaduct now calls out for that dream, the structure itself has a heritage that includes a dream fulfilled, a nightmare event, and a murky haze of decline that hung over it for several decades in the mid-20th century. With it's replacement 40+ years ago, and its reimagining as one of the largest historical markers anywhere, it fills a new role as a sign of hope for our future.

MLK, Jr. Viaduct

In 1851, a substantial Ohio &amp; Pennsylvania Rail Road - Alliance Station was constructed along with a water tower, wood storage, and a maintenance shop. The C&amp;P had a smaller maintenance and resupply turnout about a half mile north of The Crossing, and for a time used the Shaefer Store at the square of the Village of Freedom as its first station.  The O&amp;P union depot was a new kind of station for a new era of railroading on the north side of The Crossing. Because travel could last an entire day and longer, stations now provided food at “eating houses” in addition to inside waiting areas, ticketing, baggage and freight services. Because this was an important waypoint, the officers of the O&amp;P sought to create a distinctive structure and felt they needed a special proprietor for its eating house. They brought Colonel Daniel Sourbeck and his wife Eliza to Alliance from New Brighton, Pennsylvania who had operated the Sourbeck House hotel and restaurant in that town for several years and had gained a favorable reputation in western Pennsylvania.Alliance grew in the 1850s around the railroad depot. It was a rough and muddy town with modest frame buildings. By 1860, it had “about twenty stores, a weekly newspaper, one manufacturing establishment, etc. Population about 1,500,” according to Hawes State Gazette and Business Directory, which also noted its location at the junction of the C&amp;P and the newly re-christened Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne &amp; Chicago Rail Road (PFW&amp;C), which had reorganized the O&amp;P along with two western sister lines into one company which had completed its “main line” railroad into Chicago the previous year.Perhaps the most memorable community event of the early years in Alliance occurred at the Union Depot on February 15, 1861 when Abraham Lincoln’s Inaugural Train pulled into the station shortly before 2:00 pm on a rainy afternoon which a Salem, Ohio reporter described as turning the town into a veritable “City of Mud.” Much of the trip had been arranged by PFW&amp;C’s President George W. Cass to carry Lincoln between Illinois and Pittsburgh primarily on his railroad. The stop had been arranged by local professional photographer and Lincoln Committee chair Emmor Crew. A crowd of over a thousand people and the Haines Cornet Band assembled in the soaking rain to greet the President-elect. Lincoln and his party were served a sumptuous turkey dinner by Col. Sourbeck which one of the out of state reporters described “the best meal upon the trip.”  Alliance had a growing industry serving the agricultural business needs of the region, was serviced by two rail lines, and was being recognized as a crossroads of the Midwest. Local businessmen began planning for new ventures in the community to attract additional industries and people. The first step was bringing the division headquarters for the PFW&amp;C to the depot grounds. It had been promised as a part of the consolidation in 1856, but did not become a reality until 1863 when the company, buoyed by the income driven by war production and transport, began building a roundhouse, additional repair shops and offices on land donated by Teeters, Levi Lamborn, and the Salem-based investors Simeon Jennings and Joseph J. Brooks  A tragic fire on September 23, 1863 however, destroyed the Union Depot. Plans were made to build a new depot.  Teeters and Lamborn also plated 990 lots in 1865 to more than double the number of home in Alliance, and opened Alliance College as a community centerpiece on the hill above the downtown in 1868.  At the end of the Civil War Alliance was ready to grow as were the railroads. On September 10th, 1866 the new depot was opened, and in honor of its proprietor, was affectionately and widely known simply as the Sourbeck House. Daniel and Eliza retired in 1882 and returned to Brighton, PA. Alliance’s Pennsylvania Railroad Union Depot continued to serve the community until 1953.HIGHLIGHTSA busy railroad station was the source of humorous, touching, and sad stories throughout the decades. Here are a few:• Amos Ailes, a sturdy, stout railroad man, who would serve in the yards and lines around Alliance for almost forty years, was at the station as the famously tall Abrham Lincoln was returning to his railcar after lunch. Ailes approached the President-to-be and said, “Mr. Lincoln, I believe that I am as tall as you.' Mr. Lincoln, squaring his shoulders and looking at Mr. Alles replied. 'I could eat salt off the top of your hat'.• A brighter spot reflecting community cohesion and determination was centered on the Union Depot during the First World War—the establishment of the Red Cross Canteen for traveling soldiers. During the nineteen months of the US involvement in the War almost 600 canteens had opened across the country. Planning did not begin until the summer of 1918, but the Pennsylvania Railroad donated the use of the old depot dining room to the Red Cross and the women’s groups of the Alliance community to provide food and a relaxing space for traveling soldiers passing through the station. Dozens of local groups planned a schedule for “woman-ing” the Canteen and it opened in the fall.  Individual and small groups of soldiers traveling on regularly scheduled trains, as well as local service men visiting home, could simple stop anytime throughout the day. Even more importantly, when troop trains of hundreds were on the way, the women were alerted and prepared to serve sandwiches, fruit, candy, donuts and coffee either in their station room or deliver directly to the soldiers on the trains. In the first month, The Review reported that 10,610 men were served on the trains and 222 in the station, and 732 dozen sandwiches, 619 dozen donuts, 50 bushels of fruit and 529 ½ gallons of coffee were served.• A January 1905 Canton Morning News article noted that Alliance passenger station employees were planning to stop the new custom of “making the depot a place for meeting and public flirtation. Many young men and young women frequent the place in the early hours of the evening and their conduct is often obnoxious in nature and one of the railway police remarked Sunday evening that very slight further provocation would warrant him in making arrests.”• Alliance has its own, homegrown “Lincoln Memorial” at The Crossing. Dedicated in October 1934, it is a small bronze plaque with “Honest Abe’s” profile mounted on stones, one of which came from the Lincoln farm in Kentucky. It stands under four feet tall and recognizes that long ago visit to a fresh, bustling Midwest crossroads. It was buried beneath shrubs for years, but in 2012 was made anew with fresh plantings tended by local gardeners over the past decade. Perhaps today, we can consider this place as another kind of gateway—a gateway to Alliance’s history.

On February 15, 1861, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States stopped briefly on his way to Washington for his inauguration to eat at the original Sourbeck House and briefly speak to the townspeople. This marker was built from stones from the Lincoln family farm in Kentucky and placed near the spot where Lincoln spoke.This railroad crossing was one of the first to be constructed in northeast Ohio, and it created the first railroad connection between Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Cincinnati. From the early 1850s through the First World War, Alliance’s railroad stations were both a gateway to the world and the world’s first glimpse of this bustling Ohio community. There are currently two stations still standing here: the mid-century brick structure nearest to the crossing served for passengers and freight service from 1953 until 2011, and further east is a modest, unstaffed, contemporary Amtrak stop which serves as the only passenger train stop between Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

Lincoln Marker & The Crossing

Bavarian John Pluchel was part of the mass exodus of Germans to America in the 1850s, settling first in New Brighton, PA in 1851 where he married a young fellow German immigrant—a widow named Amelia Hopf, with a son—and moved to the new railroad town of Alliance up the line on the Ohio &amp; Pennsylvania Rail Road. Here John established a bakery that prospered at a location near Alliance Street and Fifth (now Main and Seneca) and by the early 1870s he purchased property on the west side of The Crossing to expand his business with a combined bakery and lunch room. By the time of the United States Bicentennial in 1876, he built a three-story hotel with separate dining room and lunch room with his bakery in the basement to service the busiest railroad center in Stark County. It was a tremendous success—and was the focus of the family’s energies and wealth well into the 20th century.The block between the Union Station and Liberty Ave included numerous businesses of note including barber shops, two hotels on either side of Liberty, a number of pool halls, restaurants and saloons, cigar shops, groceries and confectionery stores. It was also home to George Judd's Tailors Shop and beginning near the turn of the 20th century, the offices and station of the Stark Electric Railroad, which operated interurban trolley service between Salem and Canton through Alliance.Items of Note• Karl Fiegenschuh, Sr., who in 1919 founded a Main Street jewelry store that was a fixture for over 60 years, recalls the nature of the railroad and hospitality business at The Crossing:The railroads centered here. We had a roundhouse here and quite a railroad center. The old railroad station was a hotel at one time. Sourbeck ran that. That was years ago. They served very good meals there. The elite of the city went down there for Sunday meals after church years ago .. And across the track there on the same side of the street was the Chase House, a very old hotel, the Pleutchels ran that , but this also was a hotel. The old station was a hotel. And all the main line trains, the blue ribbon trains all stopped here when .they had the steam engines to take water. And all those trains stopped here and this was the destination from Chicago - Chicago, Fort Wayne , Crestline to Alliance.• Frank Tanner, an athlete and young newspaper boy in the early 20th century and later general superintendent of the Alliance Machine Company, remembered patronizing the Pluchel Lunch Room when he and his twin brother picked up there copies of the Cleveland Press to deliver from the wooden platform that served the dual purpose of eastern sidewalk of the Chase House and platform for the southbound Cleveland &amp; Pittsburgh trains:They had this lunch counter there. . . I can remember the boys that carried the Press routes, pretty near everyone of them kids would go get a penny bun and put mustard on it. And you could buy I think for 2 cents extra something like a wiener to put on it. But most of the kids just bought the buns and didn't get the wieners for them.• Sidney Hartenstein, who had a long career with Reeves Boiler Co, Taylorcraft and B&amp;W Research, and then helped create Alliance Civil Defense agency after retirement recollected during a 1976 interview that the Chase House had a very good reputation, but also had occasionally unusual events occur in their front windows:See we had no hospital here and Dr. Tressell was the railroad doctor. And this was funny. People would, maybe a man would get hurt on the railroad, get his leg crushed. Old Doc Tressell would come down to the Chase House, he'd push a table up in front of the window, put the man up on there and amputate his leg right there in the window; do the job, fix him up and send him home. Because there was no hospital. Right in the window there. People would stand out on the street there that could take it. Some of them couldn't take it. But who could, would stand there and watch him. Right there in the window.

The Chase House with Pluchel's Lunch Rooms was located at the corner of East Main Street and Webb Avenue. If the Union Depot and The Crossing were Alliance’s Gateway to the World, then the Chase House and the surrounding businesses were the world’s gateway to Alliance. The Chase House maintained one of the longest tenures in the block between The Crossing/Webb Avenue and Liberty Avenue—thru seven decades—largely run by a German immigrant family who became well-regarded members of the Alliance community. Businesses on the block were focused on hospitality, recreational interests, and the immediate needs of the newly mobile local and American public.

Chase House

Rather than the old frame construction of the 1860s that had sufficed through the 70s after the Crash of 1873, new three-story business block built with pressed bricks and utilizing the modern, large French plate glass windows were sprouting up in the business district between the station and the square, and the Orr Block had just been finished the previous fall. As with most buildings on the recently rechristened Main Street (earlier, it had been known as Alliance Street), the first floor held commercial business rooms while the second and (sometimes) third floor were residences, often a proprietor and perhaps a tenant or two. In this case, Frank Orr had moved one of his three daughters, Allie Highland, along with her husband Homer and their two-year-old son Vernon into the rooms on the second floor. The third floor was rented by Frank Evans, an employee of the Williams and Morgan hammer works, with his wife Ida and two small children, four- and two-years-old.Hardware stores were an essential and plentiful part of every 19th century community. Gasoline was coming into popular use as an alternative to the more expensive kerosene for lighting and was one of the products along with its tin shop and hardware, offered at the Orr store. According to accounts of the day, young Vernon opened the spigot on the gasoline tank, spilling about a gallon onto the floor of the shop. Frank’s 21-year-old son Elmer, also working there, began to mop up the gasoline but the fumes reached a fire-burning stove and detonated a fearful blast.A team of horses on the opposite side of the street, thrown down by the violent explosion, scrambled to their feet. Eyewitnesses remarked that the building appeared to be lifted up before crashing to the ground. The sound of the explosion, heard several blocks away, caused many to think there had been an earthquake. The neighboring three-story building collapsed and thin glass windows within two blocks of the explosion shattered. Property damage estimates were $50,000 and there was little insurance coverage.Frank and Elmer Orr, along with Allie Orr Highland and her young son Vernon, all perished in the subsequent fire and building collapse. Frank Evans had just put his 4-month old baby into her crib when the explosion occurred. Their third floor apartment collapsed, trapping the family beneath the ceiling beams and bricks as the fire spread. Evans was able to pull himself out from the wreckage but could not reach his wife, Ida, or either of their children and they perished in the disaster.<h3>Items of Note</h3>• Frank and his wife Isabel were stalwarts of the Methodist Church in Alliance, and deeply committed to the Temperance Movement. Frank had volunteered the store for a meeting of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union that evening, but for some minor reason lost to time, it has canceled earlier that day and rescheduled for Sunday• Two performers from the Duprez &amp; Bendict’s Minstrels traveling show, Al Sourbeck and Charles Hayden Wattel, were walking across the street from the Orr Block in front of Smith’s jewelry store when the explosion launched them through the window of that business. Wattel was severely cut on his legs and half an ear was cut off. In 1901, Wattel contacted a friend in Alliance in search of copies of news articles from the time of the accident. He wanted to have proof because he found no one would believe his many scars had been caused by being blown through a window.• In 1963, then-100-year-old Alliance resident Belle Rosenberg recalled that February afternoon:“I did see the top of the Orr Building go up in the air. There was a house where the Presbyterian Church is right now, on the opposite side of the street. . . and I was visiting a friend of mine there at that home, I remember I was standing on the porch just ready to leave when I heard this explosion and looked out this direction and saw that top go.”

The present Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles office was originally built in the International Style as the Industrial Savings and Loan in 1959, and was previously the site of Allot’s Hardware store and its predecessors for over a century. In the center of the eastern half-block sat the site of one of Alliance’s greatest tragedies—The Orr BlockFebruary 1, 1884 was a typical Friday afternoon at Frank Orr’s hardware store with only a few customers shopping, and Frank’s daughter and grandson, who lived upstairs on the second floor, down to visit. Completed in the fall of 1883, the Orr Block was considered a fine addition to the modern buildings being added to the once again prosperous town of Alliance. Noted in the newspaper reports of the day, there were about seven or eight people shopping at the grocery store on the west side of Orr’s and a few people were working in the Miller dry goods store on the east at a minute or two before 4 o’clock. A massive explosion engulfed and collapsed the Orr Block and rocked the entire community.

Orr Block & Bureau of Motor Vehicles

This 8-story building on Freedom Square in downtown Alliance is the tallest in the city. The 1925-26 Neoclassical commercial style building was designed by the national “Bank Builders” architectural firm of Simons, Brittain &amp; English of Columbus, Ohio; Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its clearly defined Classical styling consists of a base, middle and top distinguished by differing materials or projecting coursework. The first floor and mezzanine of limestone form the base. Windows from the 2nd through 8th floors are arranged to reinforce the vertical lines of the middle section and stone stringcourses and copper cornice delineate the top. The Main Street entrance is marked by monumental fluted Ionic columns in antis. This granite entrance is outlined with carved braids and projecting disks and is surmounted by a decorative cornice composed of an eagle atop a double cornucopia. The original name of the building, City Savings Bank &amp; Trust Co., is centered over the entrance.The City Savings Bank &amp; Trust Company building is associated with the industrial growth of the City of Alliance in the 19th and into the early 20th century. Major steel manufacturers such as Morgan Engineering and the Solid Steel Company fueled the growth of the Main Street commercial center where a variety of businesses flourished. Among the locally owned banks there was a high degree of involvement by industry leaders in the ownership and management. The City Savings and Trust Company was founded in 1892 and was housed in buildings located where the 1925 building stands now. Among its early presidents were Thomas R. Morgan, founder of Morgan Engineering, and W. H. Ramsey, vice president of Morgan Engineering. The building was purchased by Alpha Homes in the 1990s and was converted from commercial offices into 50 apartments. In 2017 the Newson Tower underwent a nearly $ 900,000 renovation which included renovating the apartments and expanding their size, reducing the total number from 50 to 42. Alpha Homes was able to take advantage of Historic Preservation Tax credits for the renovation because the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (both individually and as part of the East Main Street Historic District), the Ohio Historic Inventory and is listed as a Local Landmark with the Alliance Historic Preservation Commission.

The 1925-26 Neoclassical eight-story bank building was designed by Columbus, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia architects Simons, Brittain and English. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an excellent example of bank hall and office tower architecture in the Neoclassical style defined on the exterior by its tripartite design, symmetry and composition of varying materials.

City Savings Bank

The Public Square was originally a open space at the west edge of the business district of Alliance, with the Town Hall erected on the southwest corner in the 1870s. There were hitching posts for horses around the perimeter of the Square, there was a trough for water of the horse, and under the northwestern corner of the square was a 1500 barrel capacity cistern for use by the Fire Department. In the 1880s and 90s a bandstand was located in the southwestern quadrant where The Alliance City Band and others performed through the temperate months.The Civil War Memorial was originally erected May 30, 1915 with an eagle sculpture, then replaced in 1924 by the bronze sculpture of President Lincoln by Sculptor, Steven P. Rebeck, and composed of granite base with flanking bronze sculptures of cavalryman and infantryman. The bronze sculptures were cast by Wheelock Foundries. The granite is from the Pellow Brothers Quarry. It is the tallest memorial in Freedom Plaza. The Memorial to Soldiers in the War with Spain, The Philippine Insurrection and The China Relief Expedition was erected in 1923 composed of granite base with single bronze sculpture of soldier. The World War Memorial 1917-1919 (#75c) was erected in 1920 composed of granite base with single bronze sculpture of soldier. The remaining five memorials were dedicated with redesign of Public Square as Freedom Plaza in 1976 or later and include World War I Memorial, World War II Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, and Memorial to Members of the Police Department.A ‘WONDERFUL TAKE’ ON THE PUBLIC SQUARE FROM AUGUST 1917An uncredited Cleveland newspaperman visited Alliance Public Square in the summer of 1917, and wrote this observation of the warm evening:You pass an ice cream store. Inside at one table pretty girls are making eyes at the boys over soda water straws. Next door is a restaurant with a huge "EATS" sign over the entrance It is jammed with men, who sit on high stools and eat ham sandwiches.The street is a glare of light. Every store is dressed in its best. Automobiles line the curb."Hello there, what are you doing down here? Been to the picture show?"No, you haven’t been, but joyfully you join the ticket line that stretches a whole block along the sidewalk, and wait your turn. Everybody you ever knew or hope to know passes by. The rich Mrs. Tagle, laughing, leaves her limousine and comes to stand in Iine with you. The doctor's wife steps into the procession. Behind her is a big farmer with a long white beard, and his tiny, wrinkled wife, then a row of country urchins, overalled and beaming; then a minister. Behind him stands the town’s capitalist, followed by one of bis employees, and so on and so on.You hasten from the picture show and Mary Pickford or Charley Chaplin and over to the "square." Flaming torches blaze at four corners. In the center near the monument an orator is proclaiming loudly to an audience of farmers and city folks. Beneath another torch, on a soapbox, a suffragist discourse earnestly and distributes literature. At the other corner a farmer sells his produce. And near him a faker displays elegant jewelry and combs to his dazzled audience. The entire square is surrounded with rows upon rows of country autos and buggies and farm wagons.The market house is jammed. Upstairs a band is playing. Downstairs the women from the country are buying groceries and filling the bottom of their rigs.Handshakes, invitations, smiles, friendliness and the happy interchange of country and city spirit, these are the order of the night.The author's byline was not included with the newspaper article.

Alliance Public Square was historically located at the intersection of East Main Street and Freedom Avenue. The Public Square was redesigned as Freedom Plaza in 1976 by architects Bergemann and Associates.42 The memorial park is landscaped with flowering trees, grass lawn, simple plantings, and hardscape made up of brick pathways, low concrete walls, park benches and lighted flagpole. The Plaza includes memorials to lost soldiers and members of the police department.

Public Square/Freedom Plaza

The building inscribed as "City Hall" at 470 E. Market Street is now the Alliance Municipal Courthouse. It is a Neoclassical style building designed by Canton architect Lewis W. Thomas and constructed by the George B. McMillan Company of Cleveland. Originally, the front of the building faced Public Square, now known as Freedom Plaza. Entry to the building is now through the walkway connected to the 2003 Freedom Center. The design contains raised brick courses, a central segmental arch with keystone, and fluted stone columns.When Alliance’s City Hall was built in 1914, no formal cornerstone ceremony took place. Instead of putting a date on the cornerstone that holds a time capsule, two bronze plaques outlining the names and dates of Alliance’s early history and those in office during the building of the new City Hall were placed on the north side entrance. This side that faced Public Square originally was the main entrance but is now the back of the building. It is no longer City Hall, but now houses the City Courthouse.Inside the building are two murals. The first is inside the courtroom, which is also used for City Council meetings. The 10' by 30' mural depicts Lexington Township and was painted by the Schubert Fresco Company when the building was first opened. The second mural is in the central stairway and depicts the entire Alliance Municipal Court district. Created in 2003 during the renovation of the Alliance Municipal Court, and funded by the Alliance Auto Club to celebrate the AAA’s 100th anniversary, it was painted by North Benton artist Jack T. Hamilton using images created by art students in Alliance, Minerva, and Marlington districts.

The building inscribed as "City Hall" at 470 E. Market Street is now the Alliance Municipal Courthouse. It is a Neoclassical style building designed by Canton architect Lewis W. Thomas and constructed by the George B. McMillan Company of Cleveland. Originally, the front of the building faced Public Square, now known as Freedom Plaza. Entry to the building is now through the walkway connected to the 2003 Freedom Center. The design contains raised brick courses, a central segmental arch with keystone, and fluted stone columns. Bronze tablets flank the doorway to Freedom Plaza and give a concise history of the early founders of the region.

City Hall & Courthouse

The Alliance Fire Department was founded in 1893, by combining the volunteer companies of Babcock Hook and Ladder Company and Keystone Fire Company. In 1897, the combined, all-volunteer group became a paid professional fire company and the campaign began to build a centralized fire station.The Romanesque Revival 1905 Fire House Station #1 is constructed of red brick with sandstone details. The arched doorways with keystones were the doors for the horses and wagons to come and go. Later, the horses were replaced by motorized firetrucks. A carved stone plaque engraved "Fire Department" is mounted on the projecting square tower on the southwest corner of the building.The central fire station relocated to a new modern facility on East Broadway Street in 1975. The city converted the station into the Firehouse Theater in 1979, by adding a lobby between the firehouse and the City Hall building. A stage and auditorium with a lighting and sound booth converted the interior of the firehouse into a theater for use by the City and Carnation City Players, Alliance's community theater group. The lobby is decorated with photographs and artifacts of early firefighting and a complete set of photos of the city's fire chiefs line the walls in Held Lobby. The basement of the theater is used for dressing rooms and costume storage. Firehouse Theater at 450 E. Market Street is a prime example of a reuse of a historic structure.

Firehouse Theater at 450 E. Market Street is a prime example of a reuse of a historic structure. The Romanesque Revival 1905 Fire House Station #1 is constructed of red brick with sandstone details. The arched doorways with keystones were the doors for the horses and wagons to come and go. Later, the horses were replaced by motorized firetrucks. A carved stone plaque engraved "Fire Department" is mounted on the projecting square tower on the southwest corner of the building. The central fire station relocated to East Broadway Street in 1975. The building was converted to the Firehouse Theater in 1979 and became the home of Carnation City Players, Alliance's community theater group. It was named an Alliance Local Landmark in 2014.

Firehouse Theater

The Presbyterian Church in Alliance was organized in 1854, and had its first building on E. Prospect Street in 1858 with a second in 1893. The First Presbyterian Church Building at 405 E. Market Street, was built in 1904. The church is a Late Gothic Revival style brick building, designed by the Cleveland architects Searles &amp; Hirsh, who also designed Glamorgan Castle and the Transue House. It features a cross-gabled plan with large Gothic style stained glass windows. Three of the large central windows were incorporated into the Church's new building when the congregation relocated to Beech Street. The spaces where these windows had been are now plain glass.The church building committee included prominent citizens of the day: J. H. Sharer, Col. W. H. Morgan, A. B. Love, J. W. Hull, John Bracher, and Reverend R. A. Carnahan. The first pledge was given by the Ladies' Aid Society's president Mary Sourbeck in the amount of $1,000. The building was dedicated on December 11, 1904.A Parish House was added in 1950 to the south and a modern two-story education wing was added to the east in 1965. The wing is connected to the 1904 building with an arched breezeway.

The Presbyterian Church in Alliance was organized in 1854, and had its first building on E. Prospect Street in 1858 and a second in 1893. The First Presbyterian Church Building at 405 E. Market Street, is a complex made up of the 1904 church building, a 1950 addition, and the 1965 education wing. The church is a Late Gothic Revival style brick building, designed by the Cleveland architects Searles &amp; Hirsh, who also designed Glamorgan Castle and the Transue House. It features a cross-gabled plan with large Gothic style stained glass windows. Three of the large central windows were incorporated into the Church's new building when the congregation relocated to Beech Street. The spaces where these windows had been are now plain glass.

First Presbyterian Church

Post Office: The cornerstone laying ceremony for the new Alliance Post Office building on the northeast corner of Arch Avenue and East Market Street, took place on November 12, 1916. The ceremony was led by Conrad Lodge 271 of the Free and Accepted Masons who laid the cornerstone and music was provided by the Alliance City Band. The Neoclassical style building, made of sandstone with limestone details, was designed by James A. Wetmore, Acting Architectural Supervisor for the U.S. Treasury Department. It opened for business December 1, 1918, and has been in continuous use as Alliance's central post office ever since. The historic building underwent a "facelift" from 2013-2015, including removal of the exterior sandstone at the top of the building and then replacement of the damaged sandstone with new stone to maintain the building's historic integrity. A sample block from the removed damaged portion lies on the ground by the exterior mailbox.Minit-Park: The parking lot behind the post office on E. Market Street was the site of the former Minit-Park, an automated parking garage designed and built by Alliance Machine. The garage was an experiment by Alliance Machine's CEO Merrick Lewis with Elvin Madison as the engineer who designed the structure and Milo Shutt as the designer of the transporting dolly. Cars would enter and be driven onto an elevator by a garage attendant, then be transported to a floor in the garage. The attendant would then park the car in an assigned parking bay. Only four of the garages were built: the one in Alliance on Market Street, one in New York City at the Fulton Fish Market, one in New York City at Washington and Rector, and one in Tokyo Japan.

The cornerstone laying ceremony for the new Alliance Post Office building on the northeast corner of Arch Avenue and East Market Street, took place on November 12, 1916. The ceremony was led by Conrad Lodge 271 of the Free and Accepted Masons who laid the cornerstone and music was provided by the Alliance City Band. The Neoclassical style building, made of sandstone with limestone details, was designed by James A. Wetmore, Acting Architectural Supervisor for the U.S. Treasury Department. It opened for business December 1, 1918, and has been in continuous use as Alliance's central post office ever since. The historic building underwent a "facelift" from 2013-2015, including removal of the exterior sandstone at the top of the building and then replacement of the damaged sandstone with new stone to maintain the building's historic integrity. A sample block from the removed damaged portion lies on the ground by the exterior mailbox.The parking lot behind the post office on E. Market Street was the site of the former Minit-Park, an automated parking garage designed and built by Alliance Machine.

Post Office & Minit-Park

Historically known as the Craven House, the YWCA was built in the 1880s as a residence. The home served as a private residence until the 1920s, when it was transformed into the YWCA. Remarkably, the building has retained much of its original character, except for the tower, which has an altered roof, and the gathering hall addition built in the 1940s.This building is a quintessential example of Second Empire style. Originating from the French Empire, the Second Empire style is characterized by its elaborate ornamentation, towers, decorative stonework, large windows, and mansard roofs. Today, the YWCA building stands as one of the last historic mansions on Market Street, a street that was once lined with many such homes belonging to families who contributed significantly to the growth of our downtown center.

YWCA

The southeast corner of this intersection was home to a RAILROAD FREIGHT WAREHOUSE. The three-story freight house/office building was located on the corner. Behind this, and running along the tracks towards Columbia, was a long one-story freight warehouse. In 1898, the building was being used as a flour and feed store/warehouse. The railroad enlarged the warehouse when they started using it, sometime between 1898 and 1904.The northeast corner of E. Market and Mechanic was the location of the one-story passenger depot and freight office for the Lake Erie Alliance &amp; Wheeling Railroad, in service from 1911 to the 1960s.By 1947, the building was used for storage and sales, and it housed the Alliance Cycle Shop in the 1960s. Now home to a restored caboose, the lot is used for community events and concerts. The caboose is a reminder of days gone by when the Lake Erie, Alliance, and Wheeling Railroad passed through downtown Alliance. The track line is now part of the Stark Parks connector trail linking the Iron Horse Trail with the Mahoning Valley Trail.

This was the location of the one-story passenger depot and freight office for the Lake Erie, Alliance &amp; Wheeling Railroad, in service from 1911 to the 1960s. By 1947 the building was used for storage and sales, and it housed the Alliance Cycle Shop in the 1960s. This location is now home to a restored caboose, which is used for community events and concerts.

Main Street Caboose

County tax records indicate this building was built in 1892. It was originally occupied by the Alliance Building Company, then in 1893 it became the home of the Alliance Pant Company. When the pants company burned out in 1899, the building was rebuilt and Hillgreen, Lane &amp; Company moved there in 1900.Hillgreen, Lane &amp; Co. was a pipe organ company, founded in 1898 by Alfred Hillgreen and Charles Alva Lane. Their first organ was sold and installed in the nearby First Methodist Church (now Christ United Methodist) located at E. Broadway Street and Linden Avenue. The church was dedicated in 1899.According to Eric Johannessen, the building is one of the better examples of late nineteenth century factory architecture. Hillgreen, Lane operated until 1972. After that, the building was occupied by several businesses up until the mid-1990s, including Electronic Circuit &amp; Design. It is now owned by the Alliance Land Reutilization Corp.

This building on the north side of Market Street between Park Avenue and Mechanic Avenue was home to Hillgreen, Lane &amp; Company from 1900 to 1972. It was built about 1893 for an agricultural implement company, and was later occupied by the Alliance Pants Company. After a fire at the pants company, the building was repaired and Hillgreen, Lane &amp; Company moved in. The company was founded by founded in 1898 by Alfred Hillgreen and Charles Alva Lane. They continued to build pipe organs until it closed in 1972. The building then served as the home of Electronic Circuits &amp; Design until 1986.

Hillgreen, Lane & Company

The Raymond Block is located at the easternmost edge of the last cluster of four commercial buildings at the intersection of Union and Park Avenue. This building was constructed in the early 1910s as an apartment complex with four commercial storefronts on the ground level. The downtown area on Main Street, where several buildings also feature apartments, is easily recognized. These apartment buildings are primarily situated on the western side of Main Street and often have porches or balconies. Presently, you can still see the shadow outlines on the Raymond Block's facade where the porches were once attached. The building also features a window well on its east side.In the early 20th century, in response to nationwide concerns over poor urban living conditions, there was a movement advocating for better air circulation in apartment buildings to improve health and quality of life for downtown residents. This led to the incorporation of balconies and porches in many residential buildings.Adjacent to the Raymond Block is another early 20th-century commercial building. However, this structure is unique because it is essentially a facade built around one of the few remaining mansions on East Main Street. This mansion, owned by the Sourbeck sisters, is an Italianate-style house that originally served as their family residence before becoming a boarding house in the late 1890s. The commercial facade that now obscures the mansion was added in the 1920s. This transformation reflects the evolving architectural and urban development trends of the period.

The Raymond Block, located at the easternmost edge of four commercial buildings at the city block of of Main Street, Union and Park Avenue, was built in the early 1910s as an apartment complex with four commercial storefronts on the ground floor. These types of apartment buildings, common on Main Street, often feature porches or balconies, and the Raymond Block still shows shadow outlines where these structures were once attached. In the early 20th century, a movement to improve urban living conditions led to a greater focus on air circulation in apartments, prompting the inclusion of features like porches and balconies. Adjacent to the Raymond Block is a commercial building that hides an Italianate-style mansion, originally a family residence, which later became a boarding house; its facade, added in the 1920s, illustrates the evolving trends and needs in urban architecture.

East Main Street Historic District Walking Tour

State Theater & Valis Building

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context