Opportunity to Own a Piece of History
Local Realtor, Sulek and Experts, have listed for sale the signature corner building located at 102 West Main Street, Barnesville.
The location was home for the former Corner Pharmacy until last year when it closed prior to the passing of owner/operator Charles “Chip” Terrett.
During Terrett’s ownership, at each Christmas holiday season the second story corner window sported a lighted “leg lamp,” a fixture made famous in the 1983 holiday classic movie, A Christmas Story.
The three-story building was constructed by the Williams brothers as home for their men’s closing store about 1890.
In 1905 the newly formed Dollar Savings Bank took over. That bank was later named Citizens Savings Bank and merged with the First National Bank of Somerton in May 1929, just months prior to Black Friday and the stock market crash in October of that year.
When President Roosevelt’s Bank Holiday of 1933 ended, auditors determined the bank was not sufficiently covered by reserves. It was closed. Depositors were eventually paid about 65 cents on the dollar over the next several years. Two walk-in safes were added on the first floor and basement during this time.
Next, local oil and gas operator, Fred Peters, purchased the building using it as the office for the Ohio Fuel Company, local supplier of natural gas.
Shortly after Prohibition and until Barnesville voted to go “dry”, the basement also housed the Ohio Liquor Agency store.
Bob Peters, Fred’s son, next operated the Peters Insurance Agency out of the building. Following his passing, his wife, Mary, ran the business until it merged with the Bethel Insurance Services agency.
The second floor houses an apartment, while the third floor has always remained open. For several decades this served as the meeting room for the Civil War veterans’ group, The Grand Army of the Republic, or G.A.R.
This building joins several others in the downtown on the market including 102 E. Main, 146 E. Main, 152 E. Main.
Bringing these buildings back to life with active uses is one of the goals of the newly formed Main Street Barnesville organization. It is affiliated with Heritage Ohio and the national Main Street America program. Check out this group on Facebook.
As part of the National Register of Historic Places and Barnesville Historic District, renovations to the property could be eligible for state and federal historic preservation tax credits.
See the listing for 102 West Main Street here.
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