Clarion in Clarion County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Welcome to Clarion, Est. 1841
Unlocking The History of Clarion
If Buildings Could Talk...
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., August 15, 2022
1. Welcome to Clarion, Est. 1841 Marker (Panel 1)
Inscription.
Welcome to Clarion, Est. 1841. Unlocking The History of Clarion. , Panel 1 , Clarion County Courthouse , The current courthouse, designed by E.M. Butz of Allegheny, was erected between 1883 and 1885, at a cost to the county of $97,124.27. The courthouse is 78 feet across and 134 feet long. The tower clock is 9 feet in diameter and was illuminated in 1889 (far left picture). The Lady of Justice continues to stand tall upon the spire. It is unknown how she was placed atop the courthouse. The courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places., The second Clarion County Courthouse was completed in 1863 (middle [photo]). It was a 2 story red brick building with a wooden roof and belfry. It cost $17,220.00. Like the first courthouse (below), it burned to the ground. Flames were spotted on the roof but there was insufficient water pressure to extinguish the flames., Construction started on the first courthouse (below right [illustration]) in the spring of 1842 but was not entirely finished until the spring of 1843. The structure was brick, two-storied and had no clock. On the morning of March 10, 1859, it caught fire due to a faulty flue. With no means of getting water to the second floor, the building was in ruins within two hours. ,
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , In the photo at the left, Squire John M. Sweeney is sitting on his porch in 1900. His office was located on the corner of Jefferson and Main, facing the courthouse. He was wounded in the Civil War, became Justice of the Peace in 1884 and served the public until 1925. The Squire was one known for his personality and exactness., The Park Diner (left) was located on Jefferson Street, facing the courthouse. The site is now a parking lot., In the mid 1900s, residents and veterans gathered in front of the courthouse to view the names of veterans on the Clarion County Honor Roll The list consisted of World War Il veterans from Clarion County. ,
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , Clarion County Veterans Memorial Park , The Soldiers Monument was built in 1896. This was the first such memorial to be erected in Pennsylvania under a law permitting the use of public funds for this purpose. It raised a storm of protest from County taxpayers. The memorial was for county residents who served in the Civil War from 1861 to 1865. Adjutant General of Pennsylvania, W.W. Greenland of Clarion gave his hometown a two pound cannon ball used in the Civil War to be placed in the park.
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , Clarion County Old Jail , Oll wells were commonplace in Clarion County, even in the heart of Clarion Borough, the County Seat. In 1872 there were over 300 producing oil wells in the county. This is an early 1900s picture of the Clarion County Jail built in 1875. It was used as a medium and maximum security prison until 1995, when the new jail was completed in Paint Township. The first jail constructed in 1841, stood a short distance west of the present one. It was a plain structure of square cut sandstone with a small yard surrounded by a stone wall in the rear In 1847, the building was remodeled, adding a new front. In 1883, the old jail was torn down and its stones were used in the foundation of the current courthouse., The outside walls of the 2nd prison are dressed sandstone, two feet thick. It contains twenty cells, each 8 1/2 x 14 feet. The only execution in the history of Clarion County was punishment for a murder committed in October of 1909. The jail was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. ,
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , Originally built as Thomas Sutton's Law Office located on the corner of Fifth Ave and Grant Street (above), this building later became the home of the first Post Office in Clarion and then the J.H. Martin Feed Store., In the early 1840s, the church shown at the right was erected by the Methodist Congregation, who later sold it to Grace Lutheran Church when they relocated. The church exterior was redesigned in 1949, adding the red brick The church still stands today., This Caldwell Atlas map shows Main Street in 1877 from 4th Avenue to 7th Avenue. The town of Clarion was named by Commissioners Pritner, Potter and Hamilton in 1839. On this map, you will find the Baptist Church, Loomis House, Jail, and Courthouse ,
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , Panel 2 , The earliest bank in the county was the First National Bank founded by Samuel Wilson in 1865. It was located on Main Street, where the American Legion building now stands., The Citizens Trust Company, founded in 1906, was built across the alley from the Masonic Hall. In 1940, H.M. Hufnagel was President and Trust Officer. Between this building and the New Jones House was the Bowman Building., The Les Kroh Gas Station, circa 1930, was located on North 5th Avenue, facing the courthouse. It remains standing today., A view of Main Street during a winter storm in January 1910. ,
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , Poulain's Music House was located at 608 Main Street. Thomas Edison was friends with the owner, Louis Poulain, and visited Clarion. This was the only music store north of Pittsburgh to carry the Edison line of products., Right: interior picture of the Music House. It sold Victrolas, Instruments and sheet music., From 1938 to 1968, this same building housed the Modern Store, the first self service grocery store in northwestern Pennsylvania. It was owned and operated by the Sam Cherico Family. It later became Paul A. Weaver Jewelers. ,
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , In the mid 1920s the Cherico Brothers store gave away a new 1924 car in Clarion. The store was located at the present site of the American Legion parking lot. ,
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , This late 1880s building at the corner of 5th and Main is the Hahne Building, formerly known as the Kribbs Building. In this photo, the Second National Bank of Clarion occupied the lower level. In the 1920s, it became an insurance office. Still standing after over 125 years, it continues to be the home for distinct Clarion businesses., Above: Second National Bank banking room., Below is the Masonic Hall, erected in 1888, housing a shaving parlor in the basement, where you were able to get a hot or cold bath at all hours. A tailor shop occupied the second level. In the early 1930s the first floor contained a Nationwide Meat and Grocery Store; the Clarion Post Office was there before that. In 1940, a completely remodeled bowling alley occupied the basement., Corbett Dry Goods offered clothing, fabric, linens, and many toys from 5 cents to 5 dollars. J.C. Penney's would later occupy the building on the 600 block of Main Street. ,
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , Around 1915, in front of the Ditz and Mooney Hardware store, a Huber steam powered tractor sits. These were sold to local farmers., Chief Joe Volpe behind the wheel of Clarion's first police car, a 1946 Oldsmobile Model 66., The Clarion Fire Department is shown below in the early 1900s., In the early 1900s, a horse and buggy sit in front of Corbett Dry Goods on Main Street., About 1918, Cash Doverspike drives an ambulance along Main Street. ,
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , Panel 3 , The Clarion County Historical Society began in 1955 and purchased the Sutton-Ditz House for $80,000 in 1976 to be used as a museum. The purchase was made possible entirely through donations. The Society named the house in honor of the first owner, Thomas Sutton and the Ditz Family, who renovated the house in 1908, the Golden Age of Clarion. Thomas Sutton, an attorney, built the house in 1850. Unfortunately, he contracted typhoid fever in 1853 and died at age 37. The house was used as a prep school for boys, Kellar's Academy, in the 1890s, and in 1908 the Ditz Family bought the house and completely renovated the interior and exterior, adding the Greek Revival porches and a new facing of brick. The Society is preserving the porches at the Sutton-Ditz House Museum through private donations and a 2015 PA Keystone Preservation Grant Award. The Sutton-Ditz House Museum is on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors can view exhibits and artifacts from the rich and unique history of Clarion County, PA and research genealogy and history at the Society's library and archives. ,
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , Judge Wilson's House , The home shown above was built after the Civil War for Judge Theophilus Wilson at Jefferson and Main. At the turn of the 20th Century, it was renovated (top photo). At one time there was a gymnasium behind this property on the northwest corner of Fourth and Wood. In 1951, the house was purchased for $37,500 to become the home of the American Legion. It was razed in the 1970s to make space for S&T Bank. The small building on the right remains today., Judge Theophilus Wilson was born in Strattanville in 1837. In 1857 he registered as a law student and was admitted to the bar in 1861. He was elected judge of Clarion County in 1885 and presided with "lucid diction and dignified bearing" until his death in 1891., [Photos include] The Den, Dining Room, Library [and] Library ,
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , The Anderson Hotel located at the corner of Main Street and 4th Avenue was originally built in 1841 and owned by the Alexander family. It was then called the Union House. In 1886, it was destroyed by fire., When rebuilt, it was renamed the Hotel Delmar. Later on it became the Anderson Hotel. On the right is an early 1940's picture showing the Anderson Hotel. It was one of the most modern hotels in Clarion County., People at the time gathering around the Hotel Delmar lining up their wagons. D.W. Cook was a Clarion barber and advertised 15-cent haircults., In 1898, J. W. Selker established the Selker's Cigar Factory at the corner of 3rd Avenue and Main Street. The factory had the capacity to produce 15,000 to 20,000 cigars daily. Mr. Selker employed between 40 and 60 men and women. ,
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . , The Hotel Meisinger at 3rd and Main was called the "Last Chance" because it was the last place you could buy a drink before leaving town. The building still stands., This shows the Route 322 Bridge from the Clarion side in the 1930s. After two state-issued weight restrictions, construction began on the current bridge in 1985., The Cruise Inn was a destination for many travelers in the 1950s and '60s. With cabin rentals and a fine restaurant, it was located on the Shippenville side of the Route 322 bridge. It was demolished in 1963, when a tractor-trailer lost its brakes on the hill and plunged into it. It was unoccupied at the time.
Panel 1 Clarion County Courthouse
The current courthouse, designed by E.M. Butz of Allegheny, was erected between 1883 and 1885, at a cost to the county of $97,124.27. The courthouse is 78 feet across and 134 feet long. The tower clock is 9 feet in diameter and was illuminated in 1889 (far left picture). The Lady of Justice continues to stand tall upon the spire. It is unknown how she was placed atop the courthouse. The courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The second Clarion County Courthouse was completed in 1863 (middle [photo]). It was a 2 story red brick building with a wooden roof and belfry. It cost $17,220.00. Like the first courthouse (below), it burned to the ground. Flames were spotted on the roof but there was insufficient water pressure to extinguish the flames.
Construction started on the first courthouse (below right [illustration]) in the spring of 1842 but was not entirely finished until the spring of 1843. The structure was brick, two-storied and had no clock. On the morning of March 10, 1859, it caught fire due to a faulty flue. With no means of getting water to the second floor, the building was in ruins within two hours.
In the photo at the left, Squire John M. Sweeney
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is sitting on his porch in 1900. His office was located on the corner of Jefferson and Main, facing the courthouse. He was wounded in the Civil War, became Justice of the Peace in 1884 and served the public until 1925. The Squire was one known for his personality and exactness.
The Park Diner (left) was located on Jefferson Street, facing the courthouse. The site is now a parking lot.
In the mid 1900s, residents and veterans gathered in front of the courthouse to view the names of veterans on the Clarion County Honor Roll The list consisted of World War Il veterans from Clarion County.
Clarion County Veterans Memorial Park
The Soldiers Monument was built in 1896. This was the first such
memorial to be erected in Pennsylvania under a law permitting the
use of public funds for this purpose. It raised a storm of protest
from County taxpayers. The memorial was for county residents who
served in the Civil War from 1861 to 1865. Adjutant General of
Pennsylvania, W.W. Greenland of Clarion gave his hometown a two
pound cannon ball used in the Civil War to be placed in the park.
Clarion County Old Jail
Oll wells were commonplace in Clarion County, even in the heart of Clarion Borough, the County Seat. In 1872 there
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., August 15, 2022
2. Welcome to Clarion, Est. 1841 Marker (Panel 2)
were over 300 producing oil wells in the county. This is an early 1900s picture of the Clarion County Jail built in 1875. It was used as a medium and maximum security prison until 1995, when the new jail was completed in Paint Township.
The first jail constructed in 1841, stood a short distance west of the present one. It was a plain structure of square cut sandstone with a small yard surrounded by a stone wall in the rear In 1847, the building was remodeled, adding a new front. In 1883, the old jail was torn down and its stones were used in the foundation of the current courthouse.
The outside walls of the 2nd prison are dressed sandstone, two feet thick. It contains twenty cells, each 8 1/2 x 14 feet. The only execution in the history of Clarion County was punishment for a murder committed in October of 1909. The jail was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Originally built as Thomas Sutton's Law Office located on the corner of Fifth Ave and Grant Street (above), this building later became the home of the first Post Office in Clarion and then the J.H. Martin Feed Store.
In the early 1840s, the church shown at the right was erected by the Methodist Congregation, who later sold it to Grace Lutheran Church when they relocated. The church exterior was redesigned in 1949,
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., August 15, 2022
3. Welcome to Clarion, Est. 1841 Marker (Panel 3)
adding the red brick The church still stands today.
This Caldwell Atlas map shows Main Street in 1877 from 4th Avenue to 7th Avenue. The town of Clarion was named by Commissioners Pritner, Potter and Hamilton in 1839. On this map, you will find the Baptist Church, Loomis House, Jail, and Courthouse
Panel 2
The earliest bank in the county was the First National Bank founded by Samuel Wilson in 1865. It was located on Main Street, where the American Legion building now stands.
The Citizens Trust Company, founded in 1906, was built across the alley from the Masonic Hall. In 1940, H.M. Hufnagel was President and Trust Officer. Between this building and the New Jones House was the Bowman Building.
The Les Kroh Gas Station, circa 1930, was located on North 5th Avenue, facing the courthouse. It remains standing today.
A view of Main Street during a winter storm in January 1910.
Poulain's Music House was located at 608 Main Street. Thomas Edison was friends with the owner, Louis Poulain, and visited Clarion. This was the only music store north of Pittsburgh to carry the Edison line of products.
Right: interior picture of the Music House. It sold Victrolas,
Instruments and sheet music.
From
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., August 15, 2022
4. Welcome to Clarion, Est. 1841 Marker Kiosk
County Courthouse in background
1938 to 1968, this same building housed the Modern Store, the first self service grocery store in northwestern Pennsylvania. It was owned and operated by the Sam Cherico Family. It later became Paul A. Weaver Jewelers.
In the mid 1920s the Cherico Brothers store gave away a new 1924
car in Clarion. The store was located at the present site of the
American Legion parking lot.
This late 1880s building at the corner of 5th and Main is the Hahne Building, formerly known as the Kribbs Building. In this photo, the Second National Bank of Clarion occupied the lower level. In the 1920s, it became an insurance office. Still standing after over 125 years, it continues to be the home for distinct Clarion businesses.
Above: Second National Bank banking room.
Below is the Masonic Hall, erected in 1888, housing a shaving parlor in the basement, where you were able to get a hot or cold bath at all hours. A tailor shop occupied the second level. In the early 1930s the first floor contained a Nationwide Meat and Grocery Store; the Clarion Post Office was there before that. In 1940, a completely remodeled bowling alley occupied the basement.
Corbett Dry Goods offered clothing, fabric, linens, and many toys from 5 cents to 5 dollars. J.C. Penney's
would later occupy the building on the 600 block of Main Street.
Around 1915, in front of the Ditz & Mooney Hardware store, a Huber steam powered tractor sits. These were sold to local farmers.
Chief Joe Volpe behind the wheel of Clarion's first police car, a 1946 Oldsmobile Model 66.
The Clarion Fire Department is shown below in the early 1900s.
In the early 1900s, a horse and buggy sit in front of Corbett Dry
Goods on Main Street.
About 1918, Cash Doverspike drives an ambulance along
Main Street.
Panel 3
The Clarion County Historical Society began in 1955 and purchased the Sutton-Ditz House for $80,000 in 1976 to be used as a museum. The purchase was made possible entirely through donations. The Society named the house in honor of the first owner, Thomas Sutton and the Ditz Family, who renovated the house in 1908, the Golden Age of Clarion. Thomas Sutton, an attorney, built the house in 1850. Unfortunately, he contracted typhoid fever in 1853 and died at age 37. The house was used as a prep school for boys, Kellar's Academy, in the 1890s, and in 1908 the Ditz Family bought the house and completely renovated the interior and exterior, adding the Greek Revival porches and a new facing of brick. The Society is preserving the porches at the Sutton-Ditz House Museum through private donations and a 2015 PA Keystone Preservation Grant Award. The Sutton-Ditz House Museum is on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors can view exhibits and artifacts from the rich and unique history of Clarion County, PA and research genealogy and history at the Society's library and archives.
Judge Wilson's House
The home shown above was built after the Civil War for Judge Theophilus Wilson at Jefferson and Main. At the turn of the 20th Century, it was renovated (top photo). At one time there was a gymnasium behind this property on the northwest corner of Fourth and Wood. In 1951, the house was purchased for $37,500 to become the home of the American Legion. It was razed in the 1970s to make space for S&T Bank. The small building on the right remains today.
Judge Theophilus Wilson was born in Strattanville in 1837. In 1857 he registered as a law student and was admitted to the bar in 1861. He was elected judge of Clarion County in 1885 and presided with "lucid diction and dignified bearing" until his death in 1891.
[Photos include] The Den, Dining Room, Library [and] Library
The Anderson Hotel located at the corner of Main Street and 4th Avenue was originally built in 1841 and owned by the Alexander family. It was then called the Union House. In 1886, it was destroyed by fire.
When rebuilt, it was renamed the Hotel Delmar. Later on it became the Anderson Hotel. On the right is an early 1940's picture showing the Anderson Hotel. It was one of the most modern hotels in Clarion County.
People at the time gathering around the Hotel Delmar lining up their wagons. D.W. Cook was a Clarion barber and advertised 15-cent haircults.
In 1898, J. W. Selker established the Selker's Cigar Factory at the corner of 3rd Avenue and Main Street. The factory had the capacity to produce 15,000 to 20,000 cigars daily. Mr. Selker employed between 40 and 60 men and women.
The Hotel Meisinger at 3rd and Main was called the "Last Chance" because it was the last place you could buy a drink before leaving town. The building still stands.
This shows the Route 322 Bridge from the Clarion side in the 1930s. After two state-issued weight restrictions, construction began on the current bridge in 1985.
The Cruise Inn was a destination for many travelers in the 1950s and '60s. With cabin rentals and a fine restaurant, it was located on the Shippenville side of the Route 322 bridge. It was demolished in 1963, when a tractor-trailer lost its brakes on the hill and plunged into it. It was unoccupied at the time.
Erected 2016 by Clarion County Historical Society and Luca Francesco Cherico (Eagle Scout Project).
Location. 41° 12.894′ N, 79° 23.141′ W. Marker is in Clarion, Pennsylvania, in Clarion County. Marker is at the intersection of Main Street (U.S. 322) and 5th Avenue (Pennsylvania Route 68), on the right when traveling west on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 451 Main Street, Clarion PA 16214, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 17, 2022, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 621 times since then and 174 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 17, 2022, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
