The Changing Faces of North Main Street

The Changing Faces of North Main Street. . , Fire! August 4, 1887 and October 31, 1888 , During the prosperity of the oil and gas boom years, Bowling Green suffered its "Greatest Fire" on August 4, 1887. A quarter of downtown on the east side of N. Main St. from just north of E. Wooster St. to Oak St. was decimated. Most of the structures destroyed were wooden. A building boom followed with the fortunate arrival of S.P. Stewart, Contractor, earlier in the spring. A second, less-severe fire followed in 1888, damaging or destroying several N. Main St. buildings that escaped the 1887 fire, as well as a number of buildings on the east side of S. Main St., After the 1887 fire (facing northeast) from N. Main St. The First Baptist Church of Bowling Green, 115 E. Oak St., survived both fires and can be seen at the back left corner., After the 1887 fire (facing southeast) from N. Main St. The Methodist Church, then located on the northwest corner of N. Prospect and E. Wooster Streets can be seen in the upper left portion of the picture. It survived both fires., The Brown Block, Built 1889 , 160 N. Main St. housed the New Ross Hotel, which opened in March, 1890, under the management of C.C. Ross. The hotel was sold in 1892 and the name changed to The Hotel Brown in December, in honor of the owners of the Brown Block, P.J. and G.M. Brown. After several owners over the next decade, the hotel was closed in 1904, and the third floor was leased to the Bowling Green Lodge of Elks., Reed and Merry Block, Built 1888 , Built in 1888 in the Queen Anne style, this block housed seven prosperous businesses, including elegant dry goods, a one-price clothier, groceries and china, clothing and gents furnishing, boots and shoes, the post office, and a restaurant and confectionary. This block of buildings was damaged in the 1888 fire, but all saved, due to the brick and stone construction. In the early 1900s, some of these buildings were converted to theaters such as the Lyric, the Peoples, and the Everybody's. Currently, the buildings are occupied by a restaurant, coffee shop, tattoo parlor, and a record music shop, among other enterprises., Eagle Block, Built 1889 , Eagle Block (on the extreme right) replaced the wooden Smith Opera House, also known as Blank's Hall, after it was destroyed in the 1888 fire. Froney and Boughton sold housewares, and later in the 1950s the Lion Store occupied the site. In the 1980s, the second floor was modified for outdoor dining and entertaining in the heart of downtown., The Thurstin Building, Built 1867 , The Thurstin Building (immediately to the left of the Eagle Block), built by Alfred Thurstin, housed the office of S.P Stewart, Architect and Contractor, on the 2nd floor. This building survived both the 1887 and 1888 fires, although it was extensively rebuilt after the 1888 fire. It may be the oldest building in the downtown. In the early 1950s, the building was "modernized" with a red brick façade., The Lincoln Block, Built 1874 , The Lincoln Block, 102 N. Main St., was also built by Alfred Thurstin to serve as his general store, with a residence in the back. It was later remodeled in 1889 as the location of Palace Drug Store, owned by Dr. J.C. Lincoln. It was well stocked with drugs as well as books, dolls, perfumes, and wallpaper. The room was lit with electricity and featured solid black walnut fixtures, and plate glass mirrors to exhibit his fine wares. This building survived the two fires, but was nearly destroyed by a runaway truck in 1944. After the accidents, modern brick facade were placed on the Thurstin, Eagle and Lincoln Blocks. The lovely Italianate features that graced the front of the building, can still be seen on the E. Wooster facade., All buildings described by this sign - on the east side of N. Main St., between E. Wooster St. and E. Court St. - are part of the Main Street Historic District, as placed in the National Register of Historic Places on November 28, 1980. The majority of the buildings in this block are examples of Queen Anne style architecture (Reed and Merry Block, Brown Hotel). However, the Lincoln Block is Italianate in style.