The Lorain Arena Part 2

Here's an ad (above) that ran in the Lorain Journal on April 2, 1955 promoting the well-known local company that served as the general contractor for the Lorain Arena, Clem Rice. The ad has a nice construction rendering of the Arena itself (the large building) and the small attached building in front (formerly the Baetz Dairy Bar building).

Clem Rice Inc. eventually evolved into R.E. Rice Inc. You can visit their website by clicking here.

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Also from the same newspaper is this ad listing the Skating Schedule for the brand new Lorain Arena.

The owners of the Arena really went all out to make sure their new endeavor was a success. To attract new skaters, they offered classes, as the following article from the Lorain Journal that day explains.

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Instructions for Skaters Available

A complete program of roller skating instructions will be available at the new Lorain Arena beginning Tuesday, April 5.

Adult classes featuring 12 weeks of basic instructions will start Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Basic Course
Tony Mayo, arena manager said the course will cover basic and foundation skating in addition to the four basic dances – glide waltz, chase waltz, society blues and collegiate.

Instructions in basic dance will be conducted every Friday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. The lessons will be a continuation of the foundation class and will include the Cross Tango, "B" Waltz, Siesta Tango, Tea Step, Fourteen Step and other dances.

Children's Classes
Children's roller skating classes will be conducted from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. every Saturday, starting April 9.

Mayo said all members of classes must pay admission fees for the rink on class nights.

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Roller skating is a world that I'm not familiar with at all. I had no idea that there were actual dances to be performed on roller skates. I thought you just went around and around and around....

After reading this article, I now know why I had so much trouble the first (and last) time that I tried to roller skate (which I described here). It helps to take a class first – maybe even 12 weeks worth!

Pure Service Station at Oberlin & Meister

Here's a photo that ran as part of a 1955 newspaper ad for Clem Rice, "Builder of Beautiful Homes." The full page newspaper ad for the company had a nice assortment of photos of both residential and industrial construction projects that the company had recently completed.

Here's one of them. The caption for the photo read, "Located on the corner of Oberlin Avenue and Meister Road, this is one of the eight Service Stations Clem Rice has completed in the past three years."

The 1955-56 Lorain City Directory identified the station as Jack's Pure Oil at 3217 Oberlin Avenue. It was the first gas station at that intersection, predating both Super's Sohio Station and Bill's Sunoco Service Station by a year in the City Directory.

It also predated the Lorain Plaza Shopping Center, which I assume was constructed where all those trees are in the photo. The Sandy's hamburger drive-in at the same corner came a decade later in 1965.

Jack's Pure Oil became a Union 76 station in the early 1970's. (This wiki entry explains why.)

Here's what the same corner looks like today. The Valero gas station has the same 3217 Oberlin Avenue address.

By the way, the PURE brand is still around. Click here to visit the official website. Remember the great "Firebird" logo?

1955 Lorain Arena Aerial Shot

Here's another ad from that Clem Rice newspaper ad from 1955 that I mentioned yesterday. It's a nice aerial view of the Lorain Arena, which opened that year.

The caption of the photo read, "Mr. Rice is proud to be the builder of this million dollar Arena. It is one of the most up to date in this part of the country, located on Routes 2 & 6, just west of the city limits."

(Back here in June, I did a series of blogs on the Lorain Arena, and was given a tour of it by Bill Latrany of Coldwell Banker Hunter Realty. Bill has been a great supporter of this blog, providing me with all sorts of ideas, personal anecdotes and vintage photos. Thanks, Bill!)

Anyway, a comparison between the vintage photo and one from this past May (below) reveals some minor structural modifications of the former Baetz Dairy Bar building (consisting mainly of reducing the two large windows in front and expanding the left end of the building).

The House of Enchantment – September 1964

According to this website, the Servel Corporation dates back to 1923, and is credited with pioneering the perfection of an "All-Year" gas residential air conditioning unit, in which the unit became a heater during the cool months. The company also produced a variety of products, including Servel gas refrigerators, and Servel Gas water heaters.

It's that Servel "All-Year" air conditioner that's in the spotlight in this ad (below) for the House of Enchantment, a model home constructed by local builder Clem Rice at 5109 Leavitt Road. The full-page ad appeared in the Lorain Journal on September 18, 1964.

Here's another ad for the House of Enchantment that ran in the Journal the same day as part of a special promotional section (below).

And what about the House of Enchantment today? Is it still enchanting 50 years later?

Today it sits on a beautiful wooded, private lot on the east side of Leavitt Road (below), across the road and just north of the Superior Medical Care building.

It's still a nice looking house in a cozy, country setting. Here's my shot from Saturday afternoon (below).

It'd be interesting to know if they still have the original Servel appliances!

Enchanting No More

 

Do you remember the House of Enchantment?

I wrote about it back here. It was a 1964 model home located on Leavitt Road that, according to the Ohio Fuel Gas Company which sponsored it, was “the pattern for modern, gracious living.” 

The less-than-enchanting Lorain County Auditor photo

According to a newspaper ad published at the time of its unveiling, “The spacious rooms, year ‘round air conditioning, labor-saving gas kitchen and laundry, unique decorations, and new ideas make this a house to remember.”

Well, at least one of my readers remembered it from my 2014 blog post. 

About a week ago, I received an email from a reader named Scott, who wrote, "I thought I would let you know that the "House of Enchantment,” also known as 5109 Leavitt Road in Lorain, has been bulldozed.

"I remember you did a little article on it a few years back. It was built by the local developer Clem Rice in the early '60s with newer advanced features of the day. I guess the "Shops on 58" plaza on that side of the road bought the land to either make more shops to go to and spend money, or to make a parking lot/driveway.

"The house was run down and empty anyway, but I always remembered the "House of Enchantment" from your blog every time I drove by it. I bet it was really something when it was brand new. Now it's nothing but memories.”

Here’s how the house looked back in 2014. It sure was a cozy setting with all those trees.

And here’s the disenchanting “now” shot from Friday. Just call it Stumpville.

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When Scott told me that the house had been demolished, I headed over there late that day to grab my customary 'steaming rubble' shot. Although the house had already been taken down and plowed under, the cool retro barbecue pit was still standing in the rear of the property.

There was also the mailbox – complete with unopened 5109 Leavitt Road mail in it (I peeked) – ripe for the taking.

But the barbecue and mail box were both down on my last visit a few days later. So nobody will be grilling a thick, juicy steak at 5109 Leavitt Road any time in the near future. 

I guess anyone who wants beef for dinner is going to have to go next door to Charley’s Philly Steaks.

Thanks to Scott for the heads-up about the demolition.

Bill Long & His Airports – Part 2

Older Lorainites (like me) remember Long’s Airport on the Northeast corner of Meister and Leavitt Roads. 

How long was it there? The article below from the July 30, 1945 Lorain Journal notes, “Lorain has a new private airport today, designated as “Lorain Airport.”

“The new flying field is at the northwest corner of the intersection of Meister-rd and Leavitt-rd, across Leavitt-rd from Port Mills, operated by Ray McClenaghan.

“The new field is owned by William Long. W. A. Spademan is assistant manager.”

Meanwhile, Ray and Ruth McClenaghan bought Port Mills in the mid-1940s, and changed the name to Lorain Skyport. 

1948 Lorain Phone book ad

It’s a little confusing when one consults phone books and city directories from the late 1940s to research Lorain’s airports. The main thing to remember is that both airports housed flying schools. The flight instruction school at Long’s Airport was called Buckeye Airways, Inc.

1947 Lorain Phone book listing

1947 Lorain Phone book ad

By the late 1950s, operations were winding down at the Lorain Skyport. In early January 1956, Lorain contractor Clem Rice purchased a strip of the Skyport property to build 20 homes along Meister Road, with an option to purchase the entire airport property. The entire development would eventually consist of 200 to 300 homes.

By 1960, Long’s Airport was the only airport in Lorain. But there was still plenty of activity there. In May 1960, preparations were being made for a Fly-in Air Show.

This article from the May 20, 1960 Lorain Journal shows the newly painted hangar.

And here’s a photo from the actual event, which ran in the Journal on June 6, 1960. That’s Meister Road in the background of the photo, which is looking south.

And here’s a 1964 view of Long’s Airport, courtesy of the Lorain Historical Society.

In the photo, you can see the hangar with LORAIN on its roof; the new homes near Mark Drive; and the former Black River Fire Station at Meister & Leavitt (at the bottom center). 

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