After posting the "Then & Now" pix of the Lorain Overlook Apartments last week, it bugged me that I didn't know when the apartments first opened. I had mentioned in the post that the apartment house had first appeared in the 1926 City Directory, so naturally I assumed they opened in 1925. So I hit the 1925 microfilm, looking for a grand opening ad or article and hoping I would get lucky.
 |
| Late March 1928 Classified Listing |
I jumped ahead to 1927 – and found no listings for the Overlook. Skipping ahead to a 1928 roll, I finally found an Overlook listing. From there, it was fairly easy to backtrack and find the Grand Opening article.
The result of my search is above, from the Lorain Journal of Tuesday, March 6, 1928. (Give it a click so you can read it.)
The article reveals some of the features of the Overlook. The locked main entrance doors could be electronically unlocked from each unit, Seinfeld-style. Each suite had an in-a-door bed in the living room. (My apartment still had the door but no bed.) A private bathing beach was provided for the tenants as well.
When I lived there in the mid-1980's, being able to sit behind the apartment house and enjoy the lake up close was the best part of living there. I still miss it.
