Historic Main Street

Historic Main Street. . , As the country emerged from the final days of the Civil War in 1865, Bowling Green was already actively engaged in draining the Great Black Swamp. Early Wood County settlers dreaded making the journey across the swamp to conduct legal and commercial business in Perrysburg, so by 1870, Bowling Green had become the Wood County seat. Soon after, the first brick buildings appeared on Main Street with the Lincoln Block (1874) and the Union Block (1877). These structures featured Italianate architecture, while later buildings in this contiguous two block group (Court Street to Clough Street) included Queen Anne, Classical Revival, and Romanesque Revival. The Main Street Historic District was placed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1980., Main Street Circa 1880 (Facing North) , The little town of Bowling Green, Ohio was thriving by the year 1880. The building that served as the first courthouse in the new county seat had been built in 1868, and a few brick buildings and many wooden frame storefronts were appearing on Main Street. All this was sparked by the appearance of the rail industry and Bowling Green's growing importance as a seat of government. By 1867, the town proudly claimed three lumber yards, multiple dry goods merchants, several grocery stores, two shoe stores, a drug store, two carriage shops, two blacksmiths, three millinery shops, and a barrel and tub factory. In this photo, the tall brick building on the left with a flag is the Union Block (1877) and further north is the Exchange Bank (circa 1871). Both of these buildings are still standing today. Mid-block, on the right, is the former Lease House (now the site of the Millikin Hotel) with its two chimneys. The next building, to the north and across E. Wooster St., is the Lincoln Block (1874), which also still stands., Main Street Circa 1910 , By 1910, Bowling Green could boast a thriving downtown business district with many brick buildings and enterprising businesses. Both cars and carriages are seen in this city parade on Main Street. The town was one of only a few cities in Ohio that was "dry" by local agreement. This "moral atmosphere was helpful in making Bowling Green a popular choice for a state university., The Great Black Swamp Circa 1883 , The Great Black Swamp deterred all but the most determined settlers from locating in northwest Ohio. The estimated 1,500-square mile swamp ran parallel with the Maumee River's east bank and extended southwest from Lake Erie to New Haven, Indiana. Wood County was established in the heart of the swamp., Downtown Bowling Green Postcard Circa 1928 (Facing North) , Many of these buildings are still recognizable today, especially the Neoclassical style structure based on Greek Temple design with pillars on the left. This notable 3-story building was built originally for the Commercial Bank and the exterior remains unaltered since its construction for $150,000.