Institution

The Baltimore Downtown Restoration group is a non-profit that seeks to restore historically significant areas in Baltimore, Ohio. Before the restoration of this structure, the building was used for storage. Once the BDRC acquired this space, they set about restoring the building to its original appearance and one of its original uses. The group painted the building, installed new lighting and HVAC, as well as providing accessibility by adding a ramp.The restoration is still ongoing and certain activities, like replacing all the windows is expected to take a considerable amount of time. This renovation was carried out with the intention of using this space as a beautiful historical relic that can increase tourism as well as be utilized by the town's citizens. The building is available for weddings and numerous other activities which can be booked through the BDRC.

The building was originally constructed in 1905

Ticket to a production of "The Lion and the Lamb" at the Victorian Opera House. 

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Constructed in 1905 and designed in the Italianate style of architecture, Victoria Opera House was originally named the Baltimore City Hall and Opera House. the building served as a council house, fire station, and calaboose. In 1919, the building was renamed the Victoria Theater and was the site of silent films, vaudeville shows, lectures, and religious events. Closing in 1931, the building reopened as the Ohio Theater in 1936, showing films until the late 1950s when it closed once again. Starting in 2011, the Baltimore Downtown Restoration Committee worked with the Village of Baltimore to restore the building. The Victoria Opera House re-opened in 2016 and now frequently hosts local events. 


The Victoria Opera House

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Take a tour through Baltimore’s most important local historical sites! Some of these are historic homes, like the Griley House, while others have been renovated, like the Victoria Opera House, while others have become home to new local businesses, like the Thomas House. This tour demonstrates the commitment to local history embedded within and maintained by the Baltimore community.

Both the building that used to house
the Twin City Bakery and Lunch Room, as well as the Thomas family’s old house remain
standing in Baltimore, Ohio. For more information about the Thomas family home,
please see the link below. 

Charles A. Thomas was
born on April 10th, 1867 and died at the age of 94 in Cincinnati,
Ohio on August 27th, 1961. In 1893, he married Mattie Kirk, who was
born March 1st, 1867 and died April 11th, 1945 at the age
of 78. Together, they had five children: Helen, Thirza, Kirk, Aveline, and Mary
Eva. 

There are records that
show that, in addition to living in Baltimore, Ohio, Charles lived in both
Columbus and Cincinnati. While in Baltimore, Charles owned The Twin City Bakery
and Lunch Room and was known as the “Twin City Baker.” There are bakery ads in
the local paper, The Twin City News
dating from 1897 through at least 1916, which suggest that Charles and Mattie
moved to Baltimore shortly after getting married to set up the bakery. They
then moved to Columbus anytime between 1916 and 1925, which is when the first
record of their residence in Columbus is recorded. 

Approximately
three years after the bakery began advertising in the local paper, the local
mill, where Charles kept his flour, burned down and he lost $600. At some point during his almost twenty years in
Baltimore, the bakery expanded and moved to a new location. Although the
location of the first bakery is currently unknown, the second bakery was
located at what is now 104 N. Main
Street.

In the small town of Baltimore, Ohio, the building that used to house The Twin City Bakery and Lunch Room can still be seen today as a testament to the rich local history embedded within the town. The bakery was owned by local businessman Charles A. Thomas, whose family resided in Baltimore from approximately 1897 through at least 1916. The current building was just sold by The Hometown Team, e-Merge Real Estate. 

The Twin City Bakery and Lunch Room 

In September 1972, the Richard Griley family in Lancaster donated their old family home, the Griley House on the corner of Park and Market Streets in Baltimore, to the Baltimore Development Corporation to be converted into the Griley Memorial Branch of the Fairfield County District Library.1&nbsp;In 1976, Howard Weldon approached the library with the idea of creating a museum in its basement that documented the history of the Baltimore area. This museum, the Baltimore Community Museum, opened in 1977.2 By 1981, vast amounts of donations meant that the new museum had run out of space and plans were made to build a new building behind the existing Griley House on library grounds.2&nbsp;Although advised to seek government funding in order to help pay for construction, Weldon insisted the museum be funded locally.1&nbsp;In 1982, Harold Brown, Ed Sands, Chalmers Haynes, and Weldon himself formed a building committee to raise the necessary funds.2&nbsp;Ground was broken for the new building on July 19th, 19831&nbsp;and by August 26th, 1984, a dedication was held for the newly constructed and fully paid for community museum.2The initial museum building was 4000 square feet and had an estimated cost of $40,000 to build.3&nbsp;The Baltimore community, with a population of about 3200, raised enough to cover the $40,000 building cost along with additional funds for perpetual care.3&nbsp;A time capsule containing objects from local businesses, churches, and newspapers was placed in the museum to be opened in fifty years, in 2034.In 1992, continued donations from the surrounding area necessitated an addition be added to the existing museum structure.3&nbsp;This addition would also provide a place for the vast collection of cars, license plates, and other automobilia Weldon and his wife, Elsie, had spent a lifetime accumulating.3&nbsp;Ed Sands, a prominent local citizen and businessman, agreed to donate $100,000 for the 4000 square foot edition with the condition that the Weldon collection be donated to the museum,3&nbsp;where it is currently on display.The new edition, which cost $109,907, was dedicated in 1993.3&nbsp;Today, the museum is run by a dedicated director and museum board. Admittance is free, and the hope of the museum is to create a space in which the preservation and knowledge of a shared local history engages and unites the community.

The Baltimore Community Museum is dedicated to the preservation of local historical artifacts and the exploration of the history and culture of Baltimore for the betterment of the community. 

The museum houses a large collection of local artifacts, documents, and photographs. It contains recreations of a grocery store, living room and parlor, and a doctor's office, as well as displays of antique tools and farming equipment, local school memorabilia, an airplane, a military collection, artifacts from local businesses, and much more.


Baltimore Community Museum

<div>Currently, the Griley House is split into two levels. The upper level contains a private residence and the lower level is rented out by the Baltimore Community Museum for special events.&nbsp;</div><div> </div>

The Griley House was built in the 1920s on the former site of the Village School District of Baltimore. It was the home of T.D. and Emma Griley for many years until Mrs. Griley donated the house to become the Baltimore Library in 1972. During its early years, the Baltimore Community Museum was also located in the basement of the Griley House, but, today, both the library and the museum are housed in separate buildings. 

Griley House

Charles A. Thomas was
born on April 10th, 1867 and died at the age of 94 in Cincinnati, Ohio
on August 27th, 1961. In 1893, he married Mattie Kirk, who was born
March 1st, 1867 and died April 11th, 1945 at the age of
78. Together, they had five children: Helen, Thirza, Kirk, Aveline, and Mary
Eva. 

There are records that
show that, in addition to living in Baltimore, Ohio, Charles lived in both
Columbus and Cincinnati. While in Baltimore, Charles owned The Twin City Bakery
and Lunch Room and was known as the “Twin City Baker.” There are bakery ads in
the local paper, The Twin City News
dating from 1897 through at least 1916, which suggest that Charles and Mattie
moved to Baltimore shortly after getting married to set up the bakery. They
then moved to Columbus anytime between 1916 and 1925, which is when the first
record of their residence in Columbus is recorded. 

The Thomas family lived
in a large house across from what was then the Baltimore school, but is now the
Griley House at 209 E Market Street. The house itself is still standing and is
located at 220 E. Market Street. At some point, the Thomas family put an addition on
the back of the house and expanded the front porch to what it looks like today,
most likely to accommodate their growing family. 

The windows on the Thomas house are 9 feet tall and are some of the
largest known windows in Fairfield County. A local story is that the Thomas’
five children would use the windows as doors to go in and out of the house
while playing outside. 

Charles Thomas may have
left Baltimore almost a century ago, but his family home remains as a testament
to Baltimore’s rich local history. Hopefully it will continue standing for
generations to come.

This house used to be the home of Charles Thomas, his wife, Mattie Kirk, and their five children: Helen, Thirza, Kirk, Aveline, and Mary Eva, all of whom resided in Baltimore from approximately 1897 through at least 1916. Currently, the building houses COAL Computer, a local, family-owned, computer repair service. 

Local History Tour of Baltimore, OH

The Victoria Opera House

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information