Thursday, May 22, 2014

Early Twentieth Century Views of Stone’s Block


According to the Ohio Historic Inventory for Erie County, Stone’s Block was built around 1870 in the High Victorian style. The building features ornate cornices and ornamentation on the centered gable, and the windows have cut stone lintels. The building is located on the southeast corner of Columbus Avenue and Market Street. From the 1880s until 1908, the M. and A. Lebensburger men’s clothing store was in business at the street level of Stone’s block. From about 1910 to 1919, the Lake Shore Electric Railway had offices at the Stone Block. The postcard below refers to the Interurban Station in the building.


Here is a view of Stone’s Block and Market Street on a cold day about 1905.


From 1921 to 1964, the S.S. Kresge store was in business in the Stone’s Block, and the Jupiter store was there from about 1965 to 1985. Later businesses at Stone’s Block were Bourbon Street and Cabana Jack’s. A new business venture, the Small City Taphouse, is about to open in the building at 202 Columbus Avenue. The Stone’s Block has been a vital part of downtown Sandusky for over a century.
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3 comments:

  1. Ed DanielThursday, May 22, 2014 at 9:53:00 AM EDT

    The first photo of Stone's Block shows a trolley car on Market Street, in addition to an interurban car on Columbus Ave. I never knew there had been trolley service on Market Street. Where that line originate, and what streets did it travel on its way into downtown, and where did it terminate?
    From the 1940's, I remember the machine in the Kresge store, inside the front door next to the lunch counter, that made fresh donuts. The machine dropped the dough into boiling fat (or lard?) and after traveling in a circle about 30 seconds, the machine lifted the freshly-made donut out of the lard and flipped it down a chute into a drying basket.

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  2. Sandusky Library Archives Research CenterThursday, May 22, 2014 at 11:58:00 AM EDT

    According to a roughly-drawn map in the book, The New Lake Shore Electric, by Harry Christiansen, there was a route that appeared to go down Milan Road-Hancock St., right on Madison, left on Franklin, then left on E. Market St. and down Wayne St. to Water St. and the Cedar Point pier. There also seems to be a connection from Market Street to Columbus Ave., but it is not clear exactly how the route traveled. The map is not dated, however.

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  3. fluffyThursday, May 22, 2014 at 8:57:00 PM EDT

    this building also housed Denzers office supply after Lebenberger's moved out.

    The trolley did run out to Soldier and Sailors Home.

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