Today, we are going to follow the story of the northeast corner of Public Square from 1900 to today. As with all the other articles in this series, the focus is on telling stories and creating touchstones to remember the area’s history; not doing a full rundown of every business that made its home in the location. If you missed last month’s article on the same area from the early 1800s to 1900, catch up here. We ended the last article with most of the northeast corner being architecturally renovated and becoming almost state-of-the-art for the period. We will follow the stories of those new buildings all the way to the businesses and blocks that make up the northeast corner of Public Square right now.
We are going to kick off the 1900s in the Cunningham Block, where Our Town Roast is today. It was a vibrant business district in the early 1900s. Known to hold the tailor company of Nelson and Herbst in the earliest years of the decade.[1] In 1924, the First National Bank was in the Cunningham Block.[2] These were enduring businesses. Thus, there was little movement in the business block during this era.
Just one block over, in what is today the Town Square Senior Apartments, the Waldo Hotel was opened in 1912.[3] Previously the Maine Saloon had been located at this site.[4] Ever since the oil boom of the 1880s, Lima had been growing significantly and newspapers in the first decade of 1900 had been remarking on the need for more hotel rooms.[5] Henry Mack was the owner of Waldo Hotel and planned the five-story building that was made out of fireproof materials, a luxury in that era.[6] Its construction cost $30,000, which would be over $1 million today,[7] and had 92 hotel rooms.[8] Unlike today, not every hotel room had its own bathroom, but it was reported that the Waldo Hotel had more rooms with bathrooms than was common at the time.[9] It had many other amenities that were the height of opulence then: an elevator, telephone service, business rooms, and even a writing room.[10] It also had a luxurious design with everything from frescoes on the ceiling to velvet carpets.[11] Because of its state-of-the-art amenities and design the Waldo Hotel was a very popular destination and enjoyed by many visitors to the area.[12] In 1926, some of the workers at the hotel pushed the limits of its fireproof construction.[13] I. F. Reid and John Moxley were fumigating one of the hotel rooms with a less than wise combination: gasoline and a strong cleaning solution.[14] This mixture caused an explosion, which unfortunately killed Reid.[15] Fireman were able to put out the fire an hour later, and it had not caused very much structural damage even though it had taken a life.[16] That is the story of the Waldo Hotel for the beginning of the century, we will come back to talk about it during the rest of the century in later paragraphs.
We are moving on now to the Lima House Hotel, which was located where the Lima City Government building is today. As we mentioned in the last article, the Lima House Hotel had just undergone major renovations in the 1890s. Becoming one of the marquee architectural structures of the area, with its minarets and onion-like domes.[17] The owner was still Michael Nixon and his family; however, the men who ran the day to day were J. P. King and R. S. Gray, businessmen of the area.[18] It was still known as a beautifully designed and managed hotel in the 1900s.[19] However, by 1910, it could not keep up with its business needs once again.[20] The Interurban rail lines had increased visitors to the area.[21] More hotel rooms were needed.[22] Thus, there were plans to expand it once again. The budget for this expansion was around $25,000, or around $875,000 today.[23] They added a whole new building just north of the complex, which was said to be filled with all the comforts of the era.[24] The hotel could now hold 50 more travelers, bringing themselves up to housing a total of 150 visitors.[25] As we can see from this and the Waldo Hotel, Lima was growing exponentially and the northeast corner helped with the visitors that came with this influx.
Moving on to the middle of the 1900s, the northern section of the northeast corner saw very little activity, as many businesses were enduring. The Mitchell Block, the site of Joey’s Subs, had Union Savings & Loans.[26] It was also during that era that the top two stories were taken off the building, leaving only the turret.[27] Moving one block east, the Cunningham Block had other clothing businesses: Kamber Clothes and Neal’s Clothing Store.[28] Then onto the Waldo Hotel, which after the chemical explosion in 1926 had a whole series of bad luck.[29] Thus, the original owner sold it in 1929.[30] It was bought by Ortha Barr and reopened in 1930.[31] Over the next couple of decades it continued to change hands often and declined steadily in service and popularity.[32] Thus, for the most part this section of the corner had a relatively stable time during the middle of the 20th century.
Similar to the Waldo Hotel, the Lima House Hotel progressively worsened during this period as well. At this time the hotel had 58 rooms and around 13 permanent residents living at the hotel.[33] The fire department was officially warned about the hotel’s fire safety in 1946.[34] Management of the hotel insisted they were complying with the appeal, but it gave the already suffering hotel terrible publicity.[35] Thus, it was not surprising when the hotel operator, J. E. Aska, gave up the lease after running it for 16 years, in 1954.[36] At that time, it was very unclear if the hotel would be renovated or sold.[37] It was still owned by Micheal Nixon’s daughters, Sally G. Nirdlinger and Etta Goldsmith, and it had been in their family since the late 1800s.[38] They sold it in 1955, to A. B. Fink, owner of a construction business, and M. E. Gerhart, owner of Yellow Cab Co., for a reported $100,000.[39] That would be over $1.2 million dollars today.[40] Fink and Gerhart’s plan at that point was to continue operating the hotel.[41] Likewise, they intended to let the businesses and residents that worked out of the hotel’s block continue their leases or residencies.[42] They had their own little explosion in 1958. The hotel’s night clerk, Ray Lentz, tried to light the hotel’s oil furnace on October 3, 1958, around 1:25 a.m.[43] When he lit it, the furnace did what is known as a puffback, blowing oil and soot at Lentz who received minor burns.[44] It was believed that the oil furnace had been flooded; Lentz was very lucky that a fire had not started.[45] Thus, the Lima House Hotel started down its own series of unfortunate events while becoming more and more dilapidated.
Modernization at the end of the 1900s ushered in a sad era for Public Square, with many empty buildings. The Mitchell Block went through many businesses during this period, including some military recruiting offices and Frederick’s Beauty School.[46] Moving to the last few decades, the building was home to Joey’s Italian Deli & Subs until October of 2025, which had been an institution in Lima since 1978.[47] Currently the sub shop has reopened and is serving the public once more.[48] Moving one building over to the Cunningham Block, the same type of story follows. It had different businesses at the end of the last century, both the Hat Palace and the Diamond Emporium.[49] Today the building hosts Our Town Roast, a local coffee cafe.[50] Likewise, they also host a venue space on an upper floor of the building called Copper and Cloud.[51] The Cunningham Block is the oldest building still standing on the Public Square, built around 1856, so it is definitely worth a visit.[52] Moving next door to what was the Waldo Hotel Block. It ran as a hotel for a few more decades, but owners Robert and Franklin Mack closed it for some time before giving it over to the City of Lima in 1973.[53] The city then turned it into its current iteration, housing for senior citizens, called the Town Square Senior Apartments.[54]
The Lima House Hotel’s transition during the latter half of the 20th century was fraught with drama. Over the decades since we last spoke of it, the hotel was becoming quite rundown with musty rooms and faded wallpaper of a bygone era.[55] Although, the major problem was that one of the walls of the building had been condemned in 1965.[56] It was also considered, ostensibly by the city council, a firetrap.[57] It is interesting to note that the council’s plan was to build a new hall of justice, police station, municipal court, and city jail in the area.[58] This caused a lot of general unhappiness because many citizens of the area did not want the hotel torn down or these new city buildings built in that area.[59] However, the city council moved forward with the purchase of the land, for $115,000, or over $1.2 million today, after a lot of litigation over the price of the land.[60] They became the official owners on December 31, 1964.[61] Because the building was failing structurally, Mayor Homer Cooper wanted the building to be demolished as quickly as possible, not to mention he wanted it done during his mayoral term.[62] The problem was there were still business and residential tenants with leases scheduled to end on December 28, 1965.[63] There was litigation surrounding this as well, which the tenants won, making the building unable to be torn down until the beginning of 1966.[64] Then, there was even more litigation at the beginning of 1966 because of other business interests in the area, so clearing the site continued to be pushed back.[65] Everyone was getting antsy for a decision, from the city council to the citizens of Lima.[66] The court cases finally got ironed out in the late spring of 1966, bids were finally called, and the building was demolished on July 22, 1966.[67] On the footprint of Lima House Hotel, the Lima City Government building was built which today also holds the Lima Mayor’s offices and the City of Lima Tax Office. Just to the east of it is where the Lima Municipal Court and Lima Police Department’s buildings were erected. Both buildings have functioned the same up until today.
Like much of Public Square, the northeast corner melted away in the middle of the 1900s with the rise of malls. However, today the northeast corner is quite bustling with apartments, a coffee shop, and one of the city’s buildings. Transitioning from several downtown hotels to an area to drink coffee and enjoy the fountain.
End notes:
[1] Greg Hoersten, “Reminisce: Lima’s Downtown in Pioneer Days,” Lima News, June 18, 2024, accessed April 13, 2026, https://www.limaohio.com/top-stories/2024/06/18/reminisce-limas-downtown-in-pioneer-days/.
[2] Edgar B. Cunningham, “As I remember the Public Square in Lima, Ohio. From 1860-1870 in Civil War Times,” 1924, in Lima, OH – Bus. Blocks – Cunningham Block at the Allen County Archive.
[3] Kim Kincaid, “Where’s the Waldo?” Lima News, November 17, 2004, in Reminisce files at the Allen County Museum.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] CPI Inflation Calculator, accessed June 4, 2026, https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1912?amount=30000.
[8] Kim Kincaid, “Where’s the Waldo?” Lima News, November 17, 2004, in Reminisce files at the Allen County Museum.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid.
[14] Ibid.
[15] Ibid.
[16] Ibid.
[17] Charles C. Miller, History of Allen County and Representative Citizens, Chicago, IL: Richmond & Arnold, 1906, 205.
[18] Hope Strong, “Lima House… Tavern On Green,” The Lima News, April 3, 1966, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives and Miller 205.
[19] Charles C. Miller, History of Allen County and Representative Citizens, Chicago, IL: Richmond & Arnold, 1906, 205-6.
[20] “New Plans,” Republican Gazette, November 1, 1910, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives.
[21] Ibid.
[22] Ibid.
[23] “New Plans,” Republican Gazette, November 1, 1910, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives and CPI Inflation Calculator, accessed June 4, 2026, https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1910?amount=25000.
[24] “New Plans,” Republican Gazette, November 1, 1910, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives.
[25] Ibid.
[26] Jay Smith, “A Walking Tour of Downtown Lima,” The Allen County Reporter, Vol. LVII, 2001, No. 2, 74.
[27] Ibid.
[28] Greg Hoersten, “Reminisce: Lima’s Downtown in Pioneer Days,” Lima News, June 18, 2024, accessed April 13, 2026, https://www.limaohio.com/top-stories/2024/06/18/reminisce-limas-downtown-in-pioneer-days/.
[29] Kim Kincaid, “Where’s the Waldo?” Lima News, November 17, 2004, in Reminisce files at the Allen County Museum.
[30] Ibid.
[31] Ibid.
[32] Ibid.
[33] “Lima House Being Closed Temporarily For Renovation,” Sun, November 7, 1954, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives.
[34] “Hotel Reports on Fire Appeal,” Unknown Lima Newspaper, August 16, 1946, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives.
[35] Ibid.
[36] “Lima House Being Closed Temporarily For Renovation,” Sun, November 7, 1954, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives.
[37] Ibid.
[38] Ronald Lederman Jr., “Lima House,” Lima News, May 10, 2000, in Reminisce Files at the Allen County Archives.
[39] Ronald Lederman Jr., “Lima House,” Lima News, May 10, 2000, in Reminisce Files at the Allen County Archives and “Lima House Sold to Fink, Gerhart,” Unknown Lima Newspaper, November 1, 1955, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives.
[40] CPI Inflation Calculator, accessed June 5, 2026, https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1955?amount=100000.
[41] “Lima House Sold to Fink, Gerhart,” Unknown Lima Newspaper, November 1, 1955, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives.
[42] Ibid.
[43] “Explosion Rocks Lima House Hotel,” Lima News, October 3, 1958, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives.
[44] Ibid.
[45] Ibid.
[46] Jay Smith, “A Walking Tour of Downtown Lima,” The Allen County Reporter, Vol. LVII, 2001, No. 2, 74.
[47] David Trinko, “Eateries Try to Get Creative in Tight Job Market,” Lima News, November 1, 2025, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.limaohio.com/top-stories/2025/11/01/eateries-try-to-get-creative-in-tight-job-market/, and Joey’s Subs home page, accessed June 8, 2026, https://joeyssubs.com/.
[48] Joey’s Subs home page, accessed June 8, 2026, https://joeyssubs.com/.
[49] Greg Hoersten, “Reminisce: Lima’s Downtown in Pioneer Days,” Lima News, June 18, 2024, accessed April 13, 2026, https://www.limaohio.com/top-stories/2024/06/18/reminisce-limas-downtown-in-pioneer-days/.
[50] David Trinko, “Eateries Try to Get Creative in Tight Job Market,” Lima News, November 1, 2025, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.limaohio.com/top-stories/2025/11/01/eateries-try-to-get-creative-in-tight-job-market/.
[51] Copper and Cloud Venuse, accessed June 8, 2026, https://ourtownroast.com/copper-and-cloud-venue.
[52] Greg Hoersten, “Reminisce: Lima’s Downtown in Pioneer Days,” Lima News, June 18, 2024, accessed April 13, 2026, https://www.limaohio.com/top-stories/2024/06/18/reminisce-limas-downtown-in-pioneer-days/.
[53] Kim Kincaid, “Where’s the Waldo?” Lima News, November 17, 2004, in Reminisce files at the Allen County Museum.
[54] Ibid.
[55] Ronald Lederman Jr., “Lima House,” Lima News, May 10, 2000, in Reminisce Files at the Allen County Archives
[56] “Mayor Seeking Bids for Hotel Demolition,” The Lima News, September 9, 1965, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives.
[57] Hope Strong, “Lima House… Tavern On Green,” The Lima News, April 3, 1966, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives.
[58] “Justice Hall Cash Gains Lima House,” The Lima News, September 16, 1964, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives.
[59] Hope Strong, “Lima House… Tavern On Green,” The Lima News, April 3, 1966, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives.
[60] “Justice Hall Cash Gains Lima House,” The Lima News, September 16, 1964, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives, “Lima Files 3 Suits for Justice Hall Site,” Lima News February 3, 1965, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives, and CPI Inflation Calculator, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1964?amount=115000.
[61] “Justice Hall Cash Gains Lima House,” The Lima News, September 16, 1964, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives.
[62] “Mayor Seeking Bids for Hotel Demolition,” The Lima News, September 9, 1965, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives.
[63] “Lone Tenant Blocks Demolition Plans,” Lima News, September 27, 1965, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives.
[64] Ibid.
[65] “Council May Move to Clear Hall Site,” Lima News, March 22, 1966, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives.
[66] Ibid.
[67] “‘New Day in Lima’ Heralds Hotel Building Demise,” Lima News, July 22, 1966, in Hotels – (Lima) Lima House Hotel file in the Allen County Archives.
All images are from the Allen County Archives.
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