Center City Toledo Walking Tour

Entries on This Tour

1. James M. Ashley & Thomas W. L. Ashley U.S. Courthouse

The James M. Ashley & Thomas W. L. Ashley U.S. Courthouse is one of Toledo's finest landmarks. Formerly known as the United States Courthouse, Toledo, Ohio, the building is a fine example of Neoclassical architecture, incorporating elements of other architectural styles as well such Georgian and Greek Revival. Designed by James A. Whetmore, it was built in 1932 after two years of construction, replacing a much smaller building constructed in 1888 that became overcrowded. Today, the building houses the U.S. District Court, Bankruptcy Court, and the Marshals Service.

2. Toledo Fire Department Memorial; Anthony Wayne Trail Fire (1961)

This memorial was dedicated in 1963 and commemorates the firefighters and Toledo residents who perished in one of the city's worst disasters. On June 10, 1961 where Vinton Street meets the Anthony Wayne Trail, a tanker truck that was coming towards River Road uncontrollably flipped over and burst into flames. The truck burned for about fifteen minutes before exploding. Four Toledo firefighters perished while they battled the blaze while another six were injured along with 81 civilians who were also injured.

3. City of Toledo Marker

This marker commemorates the city of Toledo, which was officially incorporated in 1837. Like many area communities, this land was first inhabited by Native American tribes. Following a series of wars with Native tribes who had grown increasingly dependent on manufactured trade goods and weapons, settlers of European and American descent increasingly gained control over control of the region. The population of the city grew significantly with the construction of the Miami-Erie Canal which spurred the growth of industry. Today, Toledo is a leading regional city and the home to the University of Toledo, a state university that was operated and funded by the city of Toledo for many decades. The city is also home to a regional history museum and an internationally-renowned art museum.

4. The Spitzer Building (1896-2013)

The Spitzer Building was constructed in 1896, commissioned by Celina Spitzer and his cousin Adelbert Spitzer. The Spitzer Building was constructed for two purposes, its bottom floors acted as a mall, while the upper floors were home to many different offices. The mall had 25 different shops and was home to a variety of stores. Law firms mainly occupied the offices in the Spitzer; however, there were also insurance agencies, accountants, stockbrokers, custom jewelers, tailors, employment agencies, and mortgage offices. The Spitzer Building was purchased from the Spitzer family in 2008 by a private equity group located in San Francisco. The building was officially closed in 2013 due to financial concerns stemming from dropping occupancy rates as well as the expenses of additional staff needed for fire safety checks after the building failed a fire alarm test. The Spitzer Building remains abandoned, no further efforts to renovate the building have been made.

5. The Valentine Theatre and Toledo History Museum

The Valentine Theatre opened in 1895 as an opera house. In 1917, it was purchased by the Loews vaudeville theater chain who later converted it into a movie theater. After closing in the 1970s, the Valentine sat vacant until local preservationists fought to restore it. The extensive project was completed in 1999, and the Valentine Theatre has hosted community and national acts ever since. In 2018, the Toledo History Museum moved into this building. The museum was established in 2005 and offers a variety of local history exhibits and events.

6. Trinity Episcopal Church (Toledo)

Trinity Episcopal Church was chartered in 1842 and moved into its first building in 1845. Its present home, which was finished in 1866, is one of the oldest buildings in Toledo that has been in continuous use. Today, the congregation still meets in this Gothic-style structure, which was designed by architect C. C. Miller.

7. Imagination Station

Imagination Station, an interactive science center, opened in 2009. Imagination Station was conceptualized after its predecessor, COSI Toledo (located in the same building) closed in 2007. The science center features both temporary exhibits, like “Guitar: The Instrument That Rocked the World,” and permanent exhibits, like the new “Simulator Theater Experience – Over the Edge.” It also partners with local universities and organizations to introduce children and young adults to STEM fields. Imagination Station welcomes over 200,000 visitors each year.

8. Toledo Traction Company Power Station/Promedica Headquarters

The Toledo Traction Company Power Station, TTCPS for short was designed by D.H Burnham and Company in a Romanesque Revival Style. The station was constructed in 1895 due to a merger by various Toledo electric utilities companies. The TTCPS was notable for two main reasons, it was the first and only Toledo plant to utilize Edison’s new “three-wire system”. It was also one of the largest power plants in the Midwest, the station powered almost every buildings, residence and streetcar lines. The building was manned by the Chicago based firm of Sargent and Lundy, the station was equipped with boiler rooms that produced electricity for the city. Due to an increase in demand for electricity, the station was given an additional boiler room between 1900 and 1905. In 1907 the station was once again upgraded, adding a new turbine generator unit to the building. A second turbine was installed in 1908 and the company was supplying energy for all of Toledo’s gas, electric and steam utilities. The station was taken over by the Cities Service Company, led by Henry L. Doherty, in 1913. A third turbine was installed was also installed during this time period providing an extra 12,500 kilowatts of power to the station. With the creation of new industrial complexes such as Champion Spark Plug, Willys-Overland Libbey Glass and Toledo Scale the need for electricity in Toledo rose quickly. To meet this demand two more turbines were installed in 1915 and 1916.

9. Fort Industry Square

Fort Industry Square is a row of commercial buildings downtown, some of which date to the late Nineteenth/early Twentieth Centuries. It is named after the Fort Industry that existed in Toledo before Ohio was a state. While historians are unsure about the details of Fort Industry, it remains an important piece of Toledo history from before the city was founded. Recently, ProMedica Health Systems moved its headquarters into the neighborhood, though it sold many of the buildings to the Karp Associates developers in 2017. Karp Associates plan to renovate the spaces for residential and commercial use.

10. 20 North Gallery & Venue

20 North Gallery, opened in 1993, is Toledo’s oldest independent art gallery. In 2008, the gallery celebrated its one-hundredth exhibit. 20 North showcases Black History Month and Derby Days exhibits annually in addition to other, temporary collections. The gallery closed in 2013 but reopened in 2016 with an exhibition of the work of Adam Grant, a Holocaust survivor and painter.

11. Fifth Third Field, Home to the Toledo Mud Hens

Completed in 2002, the $39.2 million Fifth Third Field seats over eight thousand fans and is home to the Toledo Mud Hens minor league baseball team. Fifth Third Field replaced Ned Skeldon Stadium which was originally constructed as a racetrack in 1965. Seating around the racetrack was converted to bleacher seating for the baseball field created within the former infield of the racing track. While Skeldon Stadium (known as Lucas County Stadium until 1988) was suitable for a time, its layout prevented expansion and made it difficult to modernize the stadium which led to the construction of this new field.

12. Moses Fleetwood Walker Historical Marker

Dedicated in 2003, this historical marker pays tribute and offers a brief history of the first African American to play in the Major Leagues. Long before Jackie Robinson was born, Moses Fleetwood Walker played professional baseball for the Toledo Blue Stockings. Although the team was short-lived, it was part of the American Association and Waker's statues as a member of the team in 1884 makes him the first-known African American in the Major Leagues. Walker played catcher and faced intense racism. This poor treatment led to his decision to leave the team and stop playing baseball with white men. Walker was so poorly-treated that he would eventually call on African Americans to leave the United States and form their own nations in Africa where they might live in peace.

13. The Hotel Secor

The Secor Hotel was built in a busy part of Toledo in the early 1900s. The large luxury hotel was renovated in the 1930s and 1940s before closing in the late 1960s. For a time in the 1980s, the hotel provided space for a number of businesses, but now, the Secor Hotel is mostly empty.

14. Commodore Perry Hotel (Commodore Perry Motor Inn)

The Commodore Perry Hotel was the last large hotel built in downtown Toledo until the late 1970s. The hotel was popular with celebrities and politicians until its closure in 1980. In the late 1990s, work began to turn the Commodore Perry Hotel into an apartment building, which it remains today.

15. Burt's Theater

Burt’s Theater, built in 1898, is one of only two 19th century theaters still standing in Toledo. Burt’s originated as a vaudeville theater but later converted to a movie theater in 1913. After shutting down in 1916, the theater was used as a car dealership and several bars. The now-dormant building was nearly demolished in 2013, but it was saved by the Lucas County Land Bank.

16. Pythian Castle (Toledo)

The Pythian Castle was built by the Knights of Pythias fraternal organization in 1890. The space was also occupied by various businesses over the years. Its most recent resident was an arts center in the 1970s. Since then, the Pythian Castle has sat dormant. Renovations on the historic structure began in 2017 and were resumed in 2018.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Center City Toledo Walking Tour

Created by Emily Brammer on October 26th 2018, 6:04:00 pm.

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Description

This tour begins at the Pythian Castle and ends at Imagination Station. The Pythian Castle was constructed by a secret fraternal organization in 1890 and used by local businesses. Imagination Station is a hands-on science center. Other stops include Burt's Theater, The Hotel Secor, and Trinity Episcopal Church (one of the oldest buildings in continuous use in Toledo) and the Valentine Theatre which is also home to the Toledo History Museum.

Entries on This Tour

Center City Toledo Walking Tour

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