Shawnee Main Street Historic District
Shawnee, Perry County – on list since 2007
Each time that pictures of Shawnee are posted on websites that feature views of historic Ohio, the comments keep coming. The unanimous conclusions reached are two-fold — first, that this is an absolutely astounding collection of period buildings that convey an overwhelming sense of place, and second, that it is painful to watch this piece of Ohio history crumble away, slowly but surely. Shawnee is a movie set come to life; a true “ghost town” that has simply and emphatically refused to give up.
Last year we noted, “The Shawnee Main Street Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The overhanging second-story porches of the period buildings reflect the architecture of the 1870s to the early part of the 20th century. The buildings’ original uses included two opera houses, a hotel, drug store, bank, several fraternal lodges, two company store buildings, a photographer, an ice plant, and several bars and ice cream confectionaries.
Some of Shawnee’s downtown buildings are owned by a non-profit organization and are currently mothballed; others are owned by a local furniture store and used as storage. All of these buildings are minimally maintained, but have not gone through any restoration process. Some are owned by private citizens and are in immediate danger of loss – with several nearing the point where salvage will be impossible.
Key buildings in downtown Shawnee are seeing groups form to try and stop the decay. The Tecumseh Theatre Building, for instance, has received a Save America’s Treasures grant and awaits restoration. The theater is actually the tallest building in Perry County.”
The work in the Tecumseh Theatre building is highlighted in two photos below.
Now in its third year on the list, the Shawnee Main Street Historic District remains as pure and honest a Most Endangered Listing as could possibly be imagined. It clearly deserves a better fate. Preservation Ohio encourages you to take a trip to Shawnee and the other cities of the Little Cities of Black Diamonds, and to learn about a fascinating facet of Ohio history.
Videos: Please note that these videos are presented here for public interest only, and the opinions expressed therein are not necessarily the viewpoints of Preservation Ohio.
Links for Additional Information:
- Little Cities of Black Diamonds
- Shawnee, Ohio page on Forgotten Ohio – includes photographs
- Photo Essay on the Tecumseh Theatre
- Complete List – 2009 Ohio’s Most Endangered Historic Sites
Additional Photos: click thumbnail for larger image
