The National Register of Historic Places is one of the most prestigious lists of historic sites in the United States. Twenty-six of these entries are located in Lima.
From iconic structures such as the Allen County Courthouse to private homes on Market Street Boulevard, the rich history of Lima is well-represented with the National Register and worth celebrating.
A few of the most recognized historic sites are civic buildings. This includes the Allen County Courthouse, Memorial Hall, the U.S. Post Office and the Lima Pennsylvania Railroad Passenger Depot.
In fact, Allen County’s courthouse was the first site to be listed for Lima, making the list in 1974. Its significance for the people of Lima, as well as its notable architecture, made it an obvious choice for preservation on the National Register.
Memorial Hall, the post office and the railroad depot are all also integral to Lima’s history and are therefore preserved on the National Register.
Privately owned businesses and buildings make up the largest portion of Lima’s National Register listings. Perhaps the most well-known by Lima residents are the Ohio Theatre, the First National Bank and Trust Building and the Metropolitan Block.
In addition to these three, the Adgate Block, the Armory-Latisona Building, the Barr Hotel, the Beck and R.C. Cahill Buildings, the Dorsey Building, an Elks Lodge, the Hotel Argonne, the Klaus Block, the Lima Cleaning and Pressing Company, Spartan Stadium, the Linneman Building, the Martin and Kibby Blocks, Neal Clothing, the Renz Block, the J.M. Sealts Company Warehouse Building, and Union Block are all listed on the National Register.
The most recent addition to the National Register amongst these is the J.M. Sealts Company Warehouse Building, which was listed just last year in 2021.
Each of these buildings served or continues to serve an indispensable place in Lima’s history because of its age, architecture or social significance.
The final category of sites are private homes. The MacDonell House, which is owned by the Allen County Historical Society, is on the list. Frank Banta built the home in 1893 for his family, and the home has changed hands and been added upon several times since.
The Neely-Sieber house on Spring Street is on the National Register as well. Lastly, the West Market Street Boulevard Historic District is also on the list of historic places. It ranges from addresses 1410 to 1529 on Market Street.
Because of the abundance of history in the Allen County area, of the more than 90,000 listings on the National Register of Historic Places, Lima alone is home to 26. History is being remembered through the Department of the Interior, and Lima is no exception to that remembrance.
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