The Neal Clothing Building is the oldest existing building on the central square of

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Built before the end of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, it has been recognized as historically significant as a representative of the city's earliest period.Hopkins, Phyllis G. '.

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

, 1980-05-15. Accessed 2010-05-13.

Architecture

This two-

story Story or stories may refer to: Common uses * Story, a narrative (an account of imaginary or real people and events) ** Short story, a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting * Story (American English), or storey (British ...

brick building lies on the northeastern corner of Public Square at the heart of the city. Among its distinctive architectural features are three rounded arch windows with sash panes, metal

brackets A bracket is either of two tall fore- or back-facing punctuation marks commonly used to isolate a segment of text or data from its surroundings. Typically deployed in symmetric pairs, an individual bracket may be identified as a 'left' or 'r ...

, and multiple

finial A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature. In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...

s. Although some of the facade has been modified, an original metal

awning An awning or overhang is a secondary covering attached to the exterior wall of a building. It is typically composed of canvas woven of acrylic, cotton or polyester yarn, or vinyl laminated to polyester fabric that is stretched tightly over a lig ...

covers the recessed entrance.Owen, Lorrie K., ed. ''Dictionary of Ohio Historic Places''. Vol. 1.

St. Clair Shores St. Clair Shores is a suburban city bordering Lake St. Clair in Macomb County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It forms a part of the Metro Detroit area, and is located about northeast of downtown Detroit. Its population was 59,715 at the 2010 ce ...

: Somerset, 1999, 15-16.

Historic context

The Neal Clothing Building is the sole surviving building from downtown Lima's earliest period, and it appears in even the oldest pictures of the northeastern corner of the square. At this time, the city's economy was dependent primarily on the agriculture of the surrounding countryside. During the 1870s, the city's commerce grew as

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

s expanded into the area, and several large commercial buildings, including the still-standing

Union Block Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

, were built on Public Square during this time. Further growth occurred after

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...

was found in the city's vicinity in 1885; as Lima's population grew 300% from 1880 to 1900, the need for larger buildings was apparent, and many ornate commercial structures were erected in the city during this period. As the boom continued into the twentieth century, other significant buildings were erected on Public Square, including the First National Bank and Trust Building.

Historic landmark

In 1982, the Neal Clothing Building was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

because of its historic architecture. Sixteen other downtown buildings, all newer, were added to the Register at the same time as part of the "Lima Multiple Resource Area," a collection of architecturally-significant buildings.

References

{{NRHP in Allen County, Ohio Commercial buildings completed in 1865 Buildings and structures in Lima, Ohio National Register of Historic Places in Allen County, Ohio Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio Romanesque Revival architecture in Ohio