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On Sunday, May 2, 1982, the Erie County Services Center at 2902 South Columbus Avenue was dedicated, in the former Erie County Home.
The cover of the booklet states that the Erie County Services Center was dedicated to the Boards of Erie County Commissioners who first built this sturdy structure in 1886 and who remodeled it into a valuable office building for use from 1982 forward; and to the memory of those persons who made it their home during the period from 1886 until 1976; and to the residents of Erie County for their continued use as a public building housing public offices from this day forward.
A brief history of the building was included in the dedication program.
The names of Erie County Commissioners, architects, engineers, and contractors associated with the remodeling of the Erie County Services Center appeared on the back of the dedication program.
The Erie County Services Center has been a part of Erie County history for over one hundred thirty years, and has served a wide variety of purposes in its long years of existence. To learn more about the history of Sandusky and Erie County, visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center.
3 comments:
Thank you to the Sandusky Library for this posting.
My father, J. Philip Gasteier, was one of the three Erie County Commissioners serving during the renovation of the old "County Home". He was very proud to be part of the restoration of a historic building filled with county history and built with 'good bones'.
The cost to renovate was much less than to build a "new" facility, yet I remember to derisive comments made about the the work being done at 2900 Columbus Avenue, making references to the creation of a "Taj Mahal".
My father was to speak at the 2 p.m. re-dedication of the building that day as the new Erie County Services Center, but he did not attend.
That morning as we were working ground at the family farm in Oxford Township, a message was left on the answering machine of his home, informing us of the death of my brother, his son, Jeffrey A. Gasteier, in Portland, Oregon. The suicide of his son, following the death of his wife, Mary Ellen Frey Gasteier, almost two years to the day, was devastating. I briefly spoke in my father's place at the afternoon's ceremony at his request.
Every time I walk into the Erie County Services Center, I remember the countless meetings with vendors, the endless discussions in commission meetings and the battles to preserve a piece of county history.
The County Services Center still looks good 38 years into its present reincarnation. Thank you to the citizens of Erie County and to county employees for helping maintain a local landmark. May it last for another 130 years -- it was built to last that long -- and more.
CJG
Thank you Sandusky Library and Chris Casteier for your interesting stories about a lovely piece of history we can all be proud of. Thank you especially goes to your father and the others who worked, even against some strong negative opinions about whether this "old" building, vacant and in need of repairs should be saved or scraped. We would not have this or any old buildings if it wasn't for the people who, accused by others of only living in the past are really the true visionaries. They see that what we preserve, even at great cost is more worthy of the substance and pride of our city and it's people than all the tearing down shortsitedness brings. When I visit cities that have preserved so much of their historical architecture, I feel their civic pride and applaude them. Those people are saving our history for us and our children to see and experience. That is priceless.
Re the latest coment, above, I'm reminded of the motto of a small town in southwestern Virgina, (whose name escapes me for the moment), re its architectureal heritage---"Our future is in our Past." It is a very well preserved little town, and history-related tourism is a major pasrt of its local economy.
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