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This location was originally home to a structure built in 1894 that housed Morgan and Edick and the Old Lorain Hotel. The hotel was destroyed in 1936 when a massive fire broke out. Some notable people were rumored to have been staying in the hotel that night, including Captain Francois Russell who was “the strong man of the freak show,” and it is said he was able to carry out thousands of pounds of valuables, saving these belongings from the fire. Another person was A.B. Blankenship, who was a baseball pitcher for a Chicago baseball team. The fire destroyed not only the hotel but also a barber and beauty parlor, a shoe repair store, and a candy store. Since the construction of the present-day building, with its industrial style and terra cotta facade, businesses such as J.C. Penney, Bobel’s Business Products, and Ted’s Floor have resided there. Today, the Broadwaves Recording Studio and Briar Artist are located upstairs.