Medina’s historic theater is now history. It was demolished earlier in 2016, along with the Masonic Temple, and the narrow strip of frontage at 139 Liberty Street that formed the memorable lengthy internal ramp to the actual theater inside the Masonic Temple is now a patch of grass. Liberty Street minus the theater and the once handsome Baptist Church demolished a few decades ago now offers excellent off street parking! To my dismay, Medina, which earned praise beginning in the late 1960’s when restoration of buildings on Public Square began, today has little or no interst in historic preservation. Any historic building lacking a useful purpose for more than 5 minutes is enthusiastically demolished. And that was exactly the viewpoint of Medina’s otherwise admirable Mayor Dennis Hannwell.
“(it’s) great to see all the forward momentum.” Medina Mayor Dennis Hanwell agreed.“This demo will permit the redevelopment of the parcel, as will the demo of the old (Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce) location,” he said. “We are hopeful that these two projects then will spur further development opportunities in our historic downtown area.”
History is demolished to enhance the historic district. I’m tempted to say, only in Ohio, which continues to be disinterested and often hostile to historic preservation.
Architect Charles A. Platt first came to Cleveland on commission from William G Mather to design Mather’s lakefront home, Gwinn, in Bratenahl, 1912 and the Leader Building, 1913.
As the story goes, Hanna hired Platt because Cleveland architect J Milton Dyer didn’t show up for a meeting.
Cleveland’s leading men had modest architectural ambitions compared to similar cities like Pittsburgh or Buffalo. Pittsburgh built grand institutions and monumental buildings and Buffalo hired the likes of Richardson, Sullivan and Wright. It’s telling, perhaps, that when Cleveland chose to bring in an important architect with a national practice it would be arch conservative Platt who would be valued for his admirable, business like practice and his ability to show up on time for meetings.
A curious, atypical and not particularly successful design by Irving Gill. Its date makes it a work of his mature style and suggests it may have been on the boards at the same time as Gill renowned Walter Luther Dodge House. What to make of the Laughlin Theater?
In 1907 Gill Had designed a wonderful house for Homer Laughlin, Jr. built in Los Angeles. Repeat clients and referrals from previous clients suggest an architect communicates well with those he builds for, and Gill had many of these.
I’ve just discovered that photos of the building are among the Jewish Heritage Exhibit Photographs at the library of the Western Reserve Historical Society.The online catalog listing is here: http://ead.ohiolink.edu/xtf-ead/view?docId=ead/OCLWHi2871.xml;chunk.id=c01_1D;brand=default
And it may be included in: “Merging Traditions: Jewish Life in Cleveland”, by Sidney Vincent and Judah Rubinstein.
Irving Gill worked for Adler & Sullivan, Chicago (c1892) on Louis Sullivan’s famous Transportation Building for the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. The most memorable feature of that building was the great gold arch at the entrance. The façade of the Pickwick is an imitation of that great arch. Sullivan was the primary influence on Gill’s work and thought on architecture. Occasionally he resorted to direct quotation from Sullivan but later these influences evolved into Gill’s own, original language and philosophy of architecture.
Medina’s historic theater is now history. It was demolished earlier in 2016, along with the Masonic Temple, and the narrow strip of frontage at 139 Liberty Street that formed the memorable lengthy internal ramp to the actual theater inside the Masonic Temple is now a patch of grass. Liberty Street minus the theater and the once handsome Baptist Church demolished a few decades ago now offers excellent off street parking! To my dismay, Medina, which earned praise beginning in the late 1960’s when restoration of buildings on Public Square began, today has little or no interst in historic preservation. Any historic building lacking a useful purpose for more than 5 minutes is enthusiastically demolished. And that was exactly the viewpoint of Medina’s otherwise admirable Mayor Dennis Hannwell.
“(it’s) great to see all the forward momentum.” Medina Mayor Dennis Hanwell agreed.“This demo will permit the redevelopment of the parcel, as will the demo of the old (Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce) location,” he said. “We are hopeful that these two projects then will spur further development opportunities in our historic downtown area.”
History is demolished to enhance the historic district. I’m tempted to say, only in Ohio, which continues to be disinterested and often hostile to historic preservation.
http://www.medina-gazette.com/News/2016/08/29/Razing-of-old-Medina-Theater-Masonic-Temple-draws-visitors.html
Architect Charles A. Platt first came to Cleveland on commission from William G Mather to design Mather’s lakefront home, Gwinn, in Bratenahl, 1912 and the Leader Building, 1913. As the story goes, Hanna hired Platt because Cleveland architect J Milton Dyer didn’t show up for a meeting.
Cleveland’s leading men had modest architectural ambitions compared to similar cities like Pittsburgh or Buffalo. Pittsburgh built grand institutions and monumental buildings and Buffalo hired the likes of Richardson, Sullivan and Wright. It’s telling, perhaps, that when Cleveland chose to bring in an important architect with a national practice it would be arch conservative Platt who would be valued for his admirable, business like practice and his ability to show up on time for meetings.
A curious, atypical and not particularly successful design by Irving Gill. Its date makes it a work of his mature style and suggests it may have been on the boards at the same time as Gill renowned Walter Luther Dodge House. What to make of the Laughlin Theater?
In 1907 Gill Had designed a wonderful house for Homer Laughlin, Jr. built in Los Angeles. Repeat clients and referrals from previous clients suggest an architect communicates well with those he builds for, and Gill had many of these.
I’ve just discovered that photos of the building are among the Jewish Heritage Exhibit Photographs at the library of the Western Reserve Historical Society.The online catalog listing is here: http://ead.ohiolink.edu/xtf-ead/view?docId=ead/OCLWHi2871.xml;chunk.id=c01_1D;brand=default
And it may be included in: “Merging Traditions: Jewish Life in Cleveland”, by Sidney Vincent and Judah Rubinstein.
Joe Vogel or others…If you have found a photo of the Haltnorth Building and Theater I would be interested in seeing it.
I don’t think it was “twined” in 1972. I went there as a high school student through 1981 or so and it was still in it’s original full configuration.
Irving Gill worked for Adler & Sullivan, Chicago (c1892) on Louis Sullivan’s famous Transportation Building for the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. The most memorable feature of that building was the great gold arch at the entrance. The façade of the Pickwick is an imitation of that great arch. Sullivan was the primary influence on Gill’s work and thought on architecture. Occasionally he resorted to direct quotation from Sullivan but later these influences evolved into Gill’s own, original language and philosophy of architecture.
The economy in Medina is very good for the region but public square is no longer considered a good location for any business that requires parking.
Per the postcard image offered here by me and other remarks the Princess was in operation as early as 1916 or perhaps 1910.