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.
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| 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.
My father, Harry Limes, was a lather and he told me that the Overlook apartments were among the structures he worked on in Lorain. He was very proud of his lathing work. He also did the bead work he said around the chandelier in the Palace Theatre.
ReplyDeleteHi Dan!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely LOVED your article! For a long time, I have wanted to hear the real history of the building I have resided in for the last 20 years. That is right, I am a current resident of the Lorain Overlook. I love it here and you are right, sitting in the "backyard" is the best! It is still a beautiful building. Thank you so much for sharing this information!
I can see the lake, parking lot, and street from my apartment. I am the one directly in the middle, on the parking lot side.
Sincerely,
Barb
Apt. 412
Lorain Overlook
Hi Barb!
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked the article! The Overlook is a great place to live, one of Lorain's best-kept secrets. And incidentally, I'm pretty sure that I lived in that very same apartment--fourth floor facing the parking lot, right in the middle!
Dan