Thursday, February 22, 2018

Krantz Hardware Building Design Unveiled – Feb. 22, 1906

Last fall I spent a lot of time looking at microfilm at the library trying to find an article about the Thistle Building from the time it was first built.

It seems that I found almost every new building on Broadway from that era except the Thistle Building (such as the Duane Building).

Well, here’s another one. Above is the front page illustration with caption announcing the upcoming construction of the new Krantz Hardware Company building. Its location was described as the southwest corner of Broadway and Franklin Street (today’s Fifth Street).

The building would be better known as the longtime home of Lorain Hardware (run by the Krantz family).

The 1924 Lorain Tornado would strip the building of its top floor and roof. You can see the damage in the photo below, courtesy of the Lorain Historical Society.

The building’s facade was later hidden by a Mansard-style roof, giving it a more modern appearance as seen in this photo, also courtesy of the Lorain Historical Society.
Today, the building has been restored to its original, ornate appearance. 

3 comments:

Anonymous said...


Hey Dan,
It would be interesting to see what stores were on Broadway in 1968 vs what's located in the same spot today. I realize it would be a huge undertaking. I try to remember all the stores, restaurants, banks and theaters I visited as a kid but as each year goes by it gets harder to remember what was there even when you see the "now" building. I do enjoy your now and then posts...keep up the good work, thanks. Todd.

Lisa said...

Interesting, because I was thinking along the same lines.

Dan Brady said...

Great suggestion! I’ll see what I can do (but it might take a while.)