Klaus Block

Klaus Block
Front and side of the Klaus Block
Location 401-405 N. Main St., Lima, Ohio
Coordinates 40°44′39″N 84°6′19″W / 40.74417°N 84.10528°WCoordinates: 40°44′39″N 84°6′19″W / 40.74417°N 84.10528°W
Area less than one acre
Built 1870
Architectural style Gothic Revival
Governing body Private
MPS Lima MRA
NRHP Reference # 82001864[1]
Added to NRHP October 7, 1982

The Klaus Block is a historic building in downtown Lima, Ohio, United States. Built along Main Street in 1870,[1] it is a rectangular three-story structure built in a Victorian variant of the Gothic Revival style of architecture. The exterior features a simple rectangular shape of three bays on each side, topped with a hip roof of asphalt. Decorations such as brick corbelling and stone trim highlight the interior.[2]

Many types of businesses have occupied space in the Klaus Block through its history. In its earliest years, the block's builder operated a butcher shop in the building, and a speakeasy operated in a ballroom on the topmost floor during Prohibition. A pharmacy has always been run in its southeastern (frontmost) corner.[2]

During the 1870s, the increasing importance of the railroad industry to Lima's northern side resulted in the northward expansion of the city's downtown. The Klaus Block was one of several large buildings erected in the city at this time; among these structures was the Allen County Courthouse, which is also located to the north of the original downtown.[3]

In 1982, the Klaus Block was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its architectural significance. It was one of seventeen Lima buildings that were listed on the National Register together as part of the Lima Multiple Resource Area.[3]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Owen, Lorrie K., ed. Dictionary of Ohio Historic Places. Vol. 1. St. Clair Shores: Somerset, 1999, 11.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hopkins, Phyllis G. National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Lima Multiple Resource Area. National Park Service, 1980-05-15, 5. Accessed 2010-04-24.