Getty Building

Getty Building. History. This three story building, featuring a limestone facade with a cast iron store front, was constructed in 1871 by John Getty to house a dry goods store. After being sold to Getty's nephew, Cuthbertson, and then to the Nahm Brothers, it was the premier place in Blowing Green to shop. In 1902, accounts in the local newspaper boast that "commodious quarters are occupied at 440 Main Street" and that its stock is among the largest to be found.", The first floor displayed dry goods, embroideries, dress goods, shoes and "notions" of every description. The second floor housed an immense stock of carpets, ladies' ready made garments and a wholesale department. The third floor of the building, whcih has changed very little in its history, features a large open space with a recessed hardwood floor laid out in an octagon shape. This beautiful space, illuminated by the tall arched windows, was used as a roller skating rink and dance hall. It was briefly used as classrooms for the Bowling Green Business University and during World War II, it served as a place for soldiers in the United Serviceman's Organization (USO) to relax and socialize., Main Street remained the region's main shopping destination well into the twentieth century. In the 1940's, a Western Auto Associates store, offering a wide variety of household supplies, opened on the right side of the ground floor. The Parakeet Restaurant, a local favorite for many years, occupied the left side. As customers shopped and dined downstairs, medical professionals, dress makers, realtors, and insurance agents leased offices on the second floor. In the 1990's, the ground floor was converted into the popular restaurant and bar known as "440 Main"., Hearsay , It is rumored that on hot summer nights when the third floor of the Getty Building was used for dances, young people would scare their elders in the square below as they sat on the window sills enjoying the cool evening breezes., The second floor of the Getty Building may have a permanent resident - occasionally a female apparition appears in long, flowing gowns and is sometimes quite bothersome at night, but will settle down it told to read, hence, a supply of books is left on the top shelf of a closet., National Register , The Getty Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing building in the Downtown Commercial Historic District.