The Fountain Hotel is a historic former hotel in downtown St. Marys, Ohio, United States. Built in 1889 in a mixture of the Queen Anne and

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

architectural styles, the hotel building sits in the 100 block of West Spring Street. Also known as the "Fort Barbee Hotel," the Fountain Hotel is a brick building that is built on a foundation of sandstone and covered with an asphalt roof., Ohio Historical Society, 2007. Accessed 2010-08-06. On the first story, the facade is divided into multiple storefronts, but the rest of the hotel has been converted into housing for low-income individuals aged fifty-five or older. Conversion to its present format was carried out by the Muskingum Development Corporation in the 1990s, at a cost of $2 million to $3 million; aid was provided by the Minster State Bank, which offered reduced interest rates to the redevelopers. Surrounding the Fountain Hotel are several other important community locations, such as the municipal building, the Buckeye Trail route along the

Miami and Erie Canal The Miami and Erie Canal was a canal that ran from Cincinnati to Toledo, Ohio, creating a water route between the Ohio River and Lake Erie. Construction on the canal began in 1825 and was completed in 1845 at a cost to the state government of $ ...

, and a community park. Adjacent to the hotel is a small

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...

; once tapped to provide water for Fort St. Marys, which once occupied the location of the city's downtown, the spring was later converted into a fountain that became the hotel's namesake. In 1997, the Fountain Hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Key to this designation was its place in local history and commerce, as it once played the role of a hotel, specialty store, and restaurant. Two other properties in St. Marys are listed on the Register: the Dr. Issac Elmer Williams House and Office, built in 1903, and the former Holy Rosary Catholic Church, which was destroyed one year before it was placed on the Register.Shuffelton, Frank B. "Holy Rosary Catholic Church". Auglaize County Historical Society, ed. ''A History of Auglaize County Ohio''.

Defiance Defiance may refer to: Film, television and theatre * ''Defiance'' (1952 film), a Swedish drama film directed by Gustaf Molander * ''Defiance'' (1980 film), an American crime drama starring Jan-Michael Vincent * ''Defiance'' (2002 film), a ...

: Hubbard, 1980, 211-212.

References

{{NRHP in Auglaize County, Ohio Hotel buildings completed in 1889 Buildings and structures in Auglaize County, Ohio National Register of Historic Places in Auglaize County, Ohio Defunct hotels in Ohio Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio Queen Anne architecture in Ohio Retirement communities in the United States 1889 establishments in Ohio