Lima Cleaning and Pressing Company Building
Encyclopedia
The Lima Cleaning and Pressing Company Building is a historic structure located along South Main Street in Lima
, Ohio
, United States
. Built in 1890, it is an example of an early style of commercial architecture.
brick building, the Lima Cleaning and Pressing Company Building has a facade
three bays
wide; possible storefronts, changed little from the original construction, are included on each side. Between the entrances to the two portions of the building is an entrance to stairs to the upper floor, and stairs to the basement level can be found on each side; all of these stairways are accompanied by iron railings. A unique wrought iron
railing lines the edge of a second-story balcony, which can be accessed from the second floor by an elaborate double door. Each of these aspects of the building, as well as details such as transoms
and a heavily detailed cornice
, distinguishes it from all other buildings in the city — no other Lima building features such cunningly-made ironwork.
in the vicinity of Lima in 1885, the city's population grew greatly, and the construction of commercial buildings along South Main Street proceeded at a rapid pace. Accompanying these new buildings in the southern Kibby Corners neighborhood were large numbers of frame
houses erected as homes for the workers in the city's burgeoning industrial enterprises. For many years, the Lima Cleaning and Pressing Company Building served as offices for dry cleaners
and for plumbers
.
In 1982, the Armory-Latisona Building and the Lima Cleaning and Pressing Company Building were two of seventeen buildings in Lima that were added to the National Register of Historic Places
as part of the "Lima Multiple Resource Area." Key to its inclusion in this group of properties was the integrity of the building's unique architecture.
Lima, Ohio
Lima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Built in 1890, it is an example of an early style of commercial architecture.
Architecture
A small two-storyStorey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
brick building, the Lima Cleaning and Pressing Company Building has a facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
three bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
wide; possible storefronts, changed little from the original construction, are included on each side. Between the entrances to the two portions of the building is an entrance to stairs to the upper floor, and stairs to the basement level can be found on each side; all of these stairways are accompanied by iron railings. A unique wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
railing lines the edge of a second-story balcony, which can be accessed from the second floor by an elaborate double door. Each of these aspects of the building, as well as details such as transoms
Transom (architectural)
In architecture, a transom is the term given to a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or to the crosspiece separating a door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Transom is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece...
and a heavily detailed cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
, distinguishes it from all other buildings in the city — no other Lima building features such cunningly-made ironwork.
Construction
After the discovery of petroleumPetroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
in the vicinity of Lima in 1885, the city's population grew greatly, and the construction of commercial buildings along South Main Street proceeded at a rapid pace. Accompanying these new buildings in the southern Kibby Corners neighborhood were large numbers of frame
Framing (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
houses erected as homes for the workers in the city's burgeoning industrial enterprises. For many years, the Lima Cleaning and Pressing Company Building served as offices for dry cleaners
Dry cleaning
Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using a chemical solvent other than water. The solvent used is typically tetrachloroethylene , abbreviated "perc" in the industry and "dry-cleaning fluid" by the public...
and for plumbers
Plumbing
Plumbing is the system of pipes and drains installed in a building for the distribution of potable drinking water and the removal of waterborne wastes, and the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures in such systems. A plumber is someone who installs or repairs piping...
.
Preservation
Today, much of South Main Street and Kibby Corners languish in a state of decay. Many abandoned buildings have been demolished by the city government, and community areas such as parks and streetsides are becoming less attractive as a result of a lack of proper maintenance. Two exceptions to this process of decay are the Lima Cleaning and Pressing Company Building and the adjacent Armory-Latisona Building; these two historic buildings have been identified as key to the area's historic nature.In 1982, the Armory-Latisona Building and the Lima Cleaning and Pressing Company Building were two of seventeen buildings in Lima that were added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as part of the "Lima Multiple Resource Area." Key to its inclusion in this group of properties was the integrity of the building's unique architecture.