Duane Building Rendering Unveiled – Jan. 23, 1906

While attempting to research the Thistle Building last fall, I kept finding articles about other buildings that were under construction about the same time.

The Lorain Daily News had a nice article (below) about the Duane Building in its January 23, 1906 edition. It was nice to find out about a beautiful building in Downtown Lorain that predated the tornado by eighteen years and is still around today.

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THE DUANE BUILDING A CREDIT
Handsome Block Nearing 
Completion and Soon to be Occupied
AN UP-TO-DATE BLOCK
Interior Arrangements Will Be of Costly and Improved Design

The Duane building, herewith depicted, will be completed and ready for occupancy about March 1. It will be one of the handsomest structures in the business section of the city and one of the most up to date buildings in Lorain county. The building is being erected by A. J. and J. R. Leighton from designs by H. E. Ford. The property is owned by the Duane building company and will cost about $50,000.

The Duane building is 60 by 165 feet, three stories high and is of brick and stone construction.

The main floor will be occupied by the stores of the Metzger and Robinson Company and G. P. Bretz, and the basement will contain a barber shop. The second and third stories will contain apartments. There will be five suites of rooms on each floor. These will be of four, five and six rooms and each will contain a bath room, refrigerator and gas range.

In the center of the building is an open court 24 by 32 feet. This will make it possible for the inside rooms to be as light and airy as those on the outside. This court and the vestibules and bath rooms will be floored with mosaic tile and will be furnished with vermont marble wainscoting. There are both front and rear stair cases so that furniture and provisions can be taken in and out of the building from the rear and not from the front.

Of course the Duane building was erected primarily to provide suitable quarters for the Metzger and Robinson’s big clothing store. This will be made one of the finest clothing establishments in the state of Ohio. The equipment will be inferior to none in the country. Over $10,000 will be spent in furnishings alone. Everything that is modern in the fitting up of a clothing store will be installed. A shoe department will be added and the force of employees will be augmented.

Here's a vintage view, courtesy of the Lorain Historical Society.

And here's a more recent view.