Painesville is an odd little city; more than half of the town has been leveled for sprawly one and two story megablocks. Sense of place is a thing of history here. Painesville has one of my favorite courthouses, however.

 

One side of Main Street...

 

...and the other...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This...

 

...aside this...

 

What's this?

 

Wow! The Lake County Courthouse, circa 1909

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The original courthouse, built in 1840

Awe, the old home town!  Nice shots.

Strange indeed.

Does anyone know when that hideous new development took place?  It's been awhile since I've been to Painesville and I don't remember it.

For six months in 1979, I lived a block away from Painesville City Hall, and I did not know until now that it was a former courthouse.

 

Great photos.  Too bad about the less than mediocre development across from the nice Italianates.  The courthouse is indeed unusual, and wonderful.  Looks like it should be the tomb of some long forgotten Teutonic despot...the two hulking figures at the entrance, the severe dome topped by an eagle--it's got it all! The original 1840's courthouse is so well maintained, and very charming.  Love the gold dome.  My brother used to go there quite a bit and liked it lots. 

strange, indeed. This is my hometown, and sadly Painesville was already past it's glory days in the 60's when I was growing up there. Suburban sprawl from Cleveland had inched its way to nearby Mentor, where a large regional mall was built, effectively destroying business in Painesville's downtown shopping area (which once had two good-sized department stores, several "dime stores"--as they were called back then--and dozens of smaller ones). Adding insult to injury, an overly ambitious city manager at the time had the brilliant idea of redoing Main St. in the name of "urban renewal," a popular (and in retrospect, misguided) concept forty years ago. Since Painesville--a small town--was experiencing "big city"-type problems this seemed like sensible idea. None of this of course did anything to revive the town, and basically explains why half the downtown area now looks like a parking lot, as a couple of central blocks of historic 19th century buildings were torn down.

     As for demographics, compared to the other suburban-style areas surrounding it, Painesville--an older, established town and the county seat--has been for decades poorer (although there are still middle class neighborhoods, and even some affluent pockets in town), with an aging population--and the only town in Lake County with a substantial African-American population--probably around a couple of thousand (keep in mind the total population is only about 16,000). (Painesville had a brush with Hollywood in the early 60's when a movie called "One Potato, Two Potato"--about interracial relationships--was shot there. It stars Barbara Barrie and Richard Mulligan. Although fairly critically acclaimed, it seems sort dated now, to say the least) And although I haven't been there for ages, there's been much controversy in the past few years over a large influx of Mexicans moving to Painesville--initially seasonal workers who took jobs in the thriving nursery industry in the surrounding area, but now becoming permanent year round residents.  It seems that half the old-timers in town view their arrival positively, as a hard working group revitalizing deteriorating neighborhoods (like the one I grew up in--the North End); or a scourge of undocumented illegals making the town a mess. I guess I'll have to travel back there one day and find out for myself!

     PS. If you're ever there again be sure to take some pix of the beautiful old Lake Erie College campus (about a mile west of downtown along Mentor Ave--which is Route 20 and becomes Cleveland's main drag, Euclid Avenue, as you keep heading in that direction) and some of the large, historic homes in that neighborhood.

I would be interested to see photos of what was torn down for those megablocks.

I would be interested to see photos of what was torn down for those megablocks.

 

the blocks that were torn down were similar to the one that still exists, with mid-19th (probably pre-Civil War) buildings. The crowning "success" of the urban renewal fiasco was the red brick building next to the Dollar Bank (originally called the New Market Mall and full of shops and restaurants that probably no longer exist. The building where Arabica is now was the site of Carlisle's department store--considered the most upscale store in town). On that block, facing the park, was a one time grand hotel (well, as "grand" a hotel Painesville ever had) called the Parmly, which dated back over a hundred years http://www.thefamilyparmelee.com/a-hotel.html. It had already lost its luster probably by the 1940's. I remember on the ground floor, on the corner near the park, there was a restaurant called the "Victorian Room." Have you ever visited a museum with period drawing rooms containing heavy, oppressive looking furniture with red and gold decor that was fashionable among the rich in the late 1800's? That's what this place looked like. There were rarely any customers inside. It was like peering into a "Twilight Zone" set. By the way, the high-rise in frame #5 (if that's indeed the building at the foot of Main St. down the hill near the Grand River) was originally a fancy-ish hotel called the American House (meant to take the place of the newly demolished Parmly), and then later became a Holiday Inn. I think it's now a senior citizen residence. Hard to believe a 100-room hotel in a tourist destination like downtown Painesville would have trouble making a profit!! (although I believe there is now a plan afoot by the town powers-that-be to re-brand Painesville as a "historical district" attraction. Good luck)

Before-and-after of the failed mall and Painesville in general: http://media.news-herald.com/2014/06/13/photos-a-look-back-at-painesville/

So New Market Mall came in the mid-1970's and Victoria Place was the rebranding/refacing in the late 1980's? And where was the Holiday Inn at on Main Street? At Mill?

So New Market Mall came in the mid-1970's and Victoria Place was the rebranding/refacing in the late 1980's? And where was the Holiday Inn at on Main Street? At Mill?

yes, the Holiday Inn was at Main and Mill. It was built to essentially replace the 100 year-old Parmly Hotel (which, in reality, had been an SRO flophouse for decades at that point) that was demolished to build the New Market Mall (which, yes, is now called Victoria Place). But the HI was originally the American House--don't remember if that was part of any chain. Much was made of it, but with downtown falling apart at the same time there weren't exactly a lot of people flocking there, much less staying overnight. It was demolished last fall (I think. Or was it in the fall of 2014? Whatever) and like everything else they tear down in Painesville that plot of land is being touted as great place for development! lol I try not to be too cynical. Maybe it's improving. This is hot off the presses:

 

Downtown Painesville Organization recognized as a National Main Street America Community

http://www.news-herald.com/general-news/20160208/downtown-painesville-organization-recognized-as-a-national-main-street-america-community

 

I still love Downtown Painesville!