Neal Clothing Building

The Union Block is a historic business building on Public Square in downtown Lima, Ohio, United States. Built in 1878, it is a three-story brick building with a modified rectangular floor plan and a sloping roofline. From Lima's earliest years, the Union Block's site on the southeastern corner of today's Public Square was a leading commercial site. Preceding it was Lima's first hotel, built by the second white man to settle in Lima. The Union Block was constructed during a booming period in Lima's history. As the influence of railroading in Lima expanded during the 1870s, the city itself grew significantly; the Union Block was one of several major commercial buildings erected on Public Square during this period.: 5  The block's architecture is an example of a commercial variant of the Victorian style. Among its most prominent exterior details are ornate lintels and stone trim, while the interior features iron posts on the first floor and a staircase of cast iron. Each bay features a cluster of windows, most of which are composed of two or three windows. In 1982, the Union Block was listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its well-preserved architecture. Sixteen other Lima buildings were listed on the National Register at the same time; all were part of the Lima Multiple Resource Area, a collection of architecturally-significant buildings in and around the city's downtown.: 3  Two other buildings on Public Square were included in this collection: the Neal Clothing Building, completed before the Civil War, and the early 20th-century First National Bank and Trust Building.: 5 

The First National Bank and Trust Building is a historic building on Public Square in downtown Lima, Ohio, United States. The rectangular building, completed in 1926, was designed by Weary & Alford Company, an architectural firm from Chicago. It was the location of the offices of the First National Bank and Trust Company from 1926 until 1974, when the company became a part of Huntington Bank. The structure's twelve stories are faced with Indiana Limestone. Each column of windows is topped with an arch window on the highest floor, and the spandrels between the arch windows are connected to each other. Founded as the "Lima Trust Company" in 1903, the First National Bank and Trust used a Masonic building in its earliest years. Starting in 1906, it operated in a smaller building (now destroyed), which served as its offices until it moved into its newly erected structure in 1926. During the early twentieth century, the influence of railroads and the oil industry caused Lima to be a very prosperous city. Many large buildings, including two skyscrapers, were built in the city's downtown; the majority of these new structures employed the Chicago Style of architecture. With the decline of the city's economy later in the century, the construction of large buildings in central Lima ceased — virtually all new construction took place in the city's outskirts or suburbs — thus making the First National Bank and Trust one of the newest major buildings in downtown Lima.: 2  In recognition of its historic significance, the First National Bank and Trust was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It was one of seventeen Lima buildings that was added to the National Register as part of the "Lima Multiple Resource Area," a Multiple Property Submission that concentrated on architecturally significant buildings in or near downtown Lima.: 3  Aside from its importance as a historic site, the First National Bank and Trust Building plays a leading part in local ornithology: the building is a nesting site for peregrine falcons and is part of the Midwest Peregrine Falcon Restoration Project.

The Beck and R.C. Cahill Buildings [sic] was a historic commercial building on the southern side of downtown Lima, Ohio, United States. Built in 1890 in a late version of the Victorian style, the building was located along Main Street south of the city's central square. It appears that the buildings no longer exist.

The Martin and Kibby Blocks are a pair of historic buildings in downtown Lima, Ohio, United States. Erected in 1884, they are brick structures built in the Victorian Gothic style of architecture. Both buildings are rectangular structures, three-stories tall, and topped with sloped roofs of asphalt. Among the decorative elements present on these buildings are brick pilasters next to the main entrances, stone lintels around the windows, and decorative corbelling between the structural brackets. Contemporary to the construction of the two blocks was the discovery of petroleum in the vicinity of Lima and the consequent rapid growth of the city. A large number of significant commercial buildings were erected in the city at this time, including the Martin and Kibby Blocks and several other major commercial buildings along South Main Street near the city's central square.: 5  In 1982, the Martin and Kibby Blocks were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of their historically significant architecture. Many other Lima buildings, including six others on South Main,: 8  were added to the Register at the same time as part of the "Lima Multiple Resource Area," a collection of downtown buildings important because of their architecture.: 3 

The Metropolitan Block is a historic commercial building along North Main Street in downtown Lima, Ohio, United States. Built in 1890 at the middle of Lima's petroleum boom, it is historically significant as a well-preserved example of Romanesque Revival architecture.

The Hotel Argonne is a historic hotel in downtown Lima, Ohio, United States. Built in 1919, the hotel was dedicated to veterans of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive during the recently concluded World War. Designed by Andrew DeCurtins, the heavily ornamented ten-story hotel is built of limestone and brick. Among the exterior features are spandrels and pilasters with triple entablatures on the lowest two floors, plus a cornice with plentiful dentils and parapets. Inside, the lobby includes marble, various types of wood, and large amounts of decorative molding. In 1982, the Hotel Argonne was listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its architecture. It was part of the "Lima Multiple Resource Area," a group of seventeen architecturally significant Lima buildings that were added to the Register together. Like several other buildings in this collection, the hotel was among the last major structures erected in Lima's most prosperous years, during which oil wealth and the success of the Lima Locomotive Works were the most important parts of a thriving economy.

The Allen County Courthouse is an historic courthouse building located at the corner of North Main Street & East North Street in Lima, Ohio, United States. In 1974, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Ohio Theatre is a historic movie theater in downtown Lima, Ohio, United States. Built in 1927, the theater is a brick and concrete structure featuring multiple architectural styles. Outside, large amounts of terracotta details produce a Churrigueresque appearance, while Corinthian columns, marble and mosaic floors, and a massive chandelier produce an Italianate interior. A movie palace constructed for the Schine Corporation, the theater was built at a time when improvements in transportation increased Lima's significance in the lives of those living in surrounding communities. As cars became more widely available and various means of public transportation became more viable, Lima became a center of daily life for many residents of rural northwestern Ohio, and many theaters such as the Ohio were built to serve them.: 2  In addition to its original purpose, the Ohio Theatre has served to host stage performances by a wide range of entertainers. Individuals as well known as Bob Hope have graced the theater's ornate interior. In 1982, the Ohio Theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of a collection of buildings designated the "Lima Multiple Resource Area." Designated as historic sites because of their architecture, these buildings were deemed worthy of historic preservation primarily because of the city's architectural history: although Lima had once been home to a large number of architecturally valuable buildings, an unusually large percentage of them had been destroyed or abandoned to ruin.: 3 

The Renz Block was a historic commercial building in downtown Lima, Ohio, United States. Located along North Main Street across from the Allen County Courthouse, the block was built in 1900 in a late variant of the Victorian style. A three-story building, the Renz Block was constructed primarily of brick with stone details; the roof was flat and made of asphalt. Among its leading aspects were an elaborate parapet and a heavily decorated facade, including windows with doubly sashed transom lights. The Renz Block was named for baker Jacob Renz, its second owner, who founded a bakery on North Main in 1887. By 1903, his business had expanded to the point that he needed to purchase larger premises; accordingly, he bought a nearby three-year-old building and established his business there. For many years, the company was a leading part of the local economy; at the time of its sale to another company in 1958, it was the largest bakery in Allen County. When the Renz Block was constructed, Lima was in the middle of an economic boom prompted by the recent discovery of petroleum in the nearby vicinity; the city's population had grown by 300% in the previous fifteen years, and many large buildings were being erected in the city's downtown. Its architecture was comparable to or superior to that of many other period buildings; a 1980 survey ranked it as one of the most prominent examples of late nineteenth-century architecture remaining in the city. In recognition of its significant architecture, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, along with seventeen other downtown buildings. Another of these buildings was the nearby Metropolitan Block, which remained an even better example of late nineteenth-century architecture than the Renz Block. Since that time, the Renz Block has been demolished; although it is still listed on the National Register, a parking lot sits at its location.

The Dorsey Building was a historic commercial building in Lima, Ohio, United States. Located along South Main Street in the city's downtown, it was built in a transitional style of architecture in 1899. Among its most distinguishing features was elaborate stonework, which was deemed equal to that of the adjacent Linneman Building and superior to that of all other Lima buildings. Like the Linneman Building and several other buildings on South Main, the Dorsey Building was constructed during a period of great prosperity in Lima: the railroad industry was expanding, and the discovery of petroleum in the vicinity had led to an economic boom in the city's economy.: 5  In 1982, the Dorsey Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance. It was one of seventeen buildings in and around downtown Lima to be added to the Register at the same time as part of the "Lima Multiple Resource Area." Six of the other sixteen were located along South Main, including the buildings adjacent to the Dorsey on both north and south.: 5, 8  Today, the Dorsey Building remains listed on the Register, but the building has been demolished; in its place sits a parking lot.

The former Elks Lodge (B.P.O. E. #54) is a historic building in Lima, Ohio, United States. The lodge was the fifty-fourth of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks to be chartered; it is the largest lodge in Ohio. It is located within the Ohio West Central District No. 7120. The original lodge building, built in 1909, has been sold and is, as of 2019, used by Tabernacle Baptist Church. The lodge building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 7, 1982. It was one of seventeen Lima buildings listed on the Register as a group, the "Lima Multiple Resource Area." Of these buildings, it was one of the newest. Around the time of its construction in the early twentieth century, oil and railroading had taken Lima's economy to an extremely prosperous point.

The Linneman Building was a historic commercial building in Lima, Ohio, United States. Located along South Main Street in the city's downtown, it was built in a transitional style of architecture in 1899. A two-story structure, it was constructed of brick arranged in an artistic style. Among its leading architectural features was a pair of large semicircular windows in the center of the building's facade; each window was decorated with a sash of aluminum, and the building was crowned with detailed stone carvings done in the style of the works of Louis Sullivan. In 1982, the building's stonework was rated as being equal to that of the adjacent Dorsey Building and superior to that of all other buildings in the city. At the time when the Linneman Building was built, Lima was experiencing an economic boom as a result of the discovery of petroleum in the surrounding countryside. According to the 1900 census, the city's population was three times that reported by the 1880 census; consequently, a large number of ornate buildings were erected in the city's downtown. Leading among these structures is the Metropolitan Block on the downtown's northern side, but many buildings at the city's center and on the southern edge of downtown, including the Linneman Building, were also architecturally significant. In 1982, the Linneman Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its architectural significance. Another sixteen buildings in and around downtown Lima were added to the Register at the same time as part of the "Lima Multiple Resource Area," including the adjacent Dorsey Building. Today, the Linneman Building remains listed on the National Register, but it has been demolished. A parking lot now occupies the site of the ornate nineteenth-century structure.