O'Neils - Sheffield Center

Photo courtesy of the Lorain County Historical Society

On Friday I spent a little time poking around the research library of the Lorain County Historical Society in Elyria and came up with this great vintage photo (above) of the O'Neil - Sheffield Center. It was part of the collection of photos donated by the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram.

The O'Neil - Sheffield Center opened with great fanfare on Saturday, May 1, 1954. It was the first modern shopping center in Lorain County. According to an article in the Lorain Journal at the time, it was "heralded as one of the largest retail centers ever built in Ohio." The shopping center had 49 single-story units, covered by a canopy and surrounding a grassy courtyard.

At that time, O'Neil's of Akron was one of the leading department stores in one of American's fastest growing markets. By expanding into Lorain County at a location midway between Lorain and Elyria, O'Neil's hoped to tap into a potential trading area with a population of 200,000.

At the time of the ribbon-cutting, the shopping center included such local and national merchants such as Red Robin, New-Mode Hosiery, Thom McAn, Van's Apparel, Cotton Shop, Rosen Bakery, Modern Hardware, Probst Dairy, Crawford's Barber Shop and City Loan and Savings. Other stores opening shortly thereafter included Kresge's, Gray Drug, Chisolm's Boot Shop, Nobil Shoes, Mary Ann, Sally Don and Fisher Brothers Dry Goods.

The shopping center was a big hit as local shoppers embraced the convenience of one-stop shopping. Special holiday events such as appearances by Santa Claus as well as the Talking Christmas Tree became a part of many families' holiday rituals.

Of course, as the O'Neil - Sheffield Center prospered, Downtown Lorain's shopping district suffered. By the 1960s, the heyday of shopping in Downtown Lorain was winding down.

Vintage postcard

The O'Neil - Sheffield Center experienced a threat of its own when Midway Mall in Elyria opened in 1966. Suddenly it was possible to shop for hours without ever having to go outside. And like Downtown Lorain, the O'Neil - Sheffield Center suddenly seemed very old-fashioned.

Despite much talk, the plan to enclose the shopping center never materialized.

The shopping center struggled on through the 1970s. One of the few bright spots during this time period was the Lorain International Festival, which was held annually in the rear parking lot.

By the 1980s, all of the large stores were gone except for May Company (which had replaced O'Neil's in April 1967.) Both supermarkets had moved out and only 22 units were occupied.

In May of 1984 – exactly 30 years after its opening – the shopping center was sold. At the time of its sale, tenants included Olan Mills Studio, WZLE Radio, the Golden Ox restaurant, Januzzi's Select-a-Shoe and J.D. Andrews Men's Clothing.

The new owners hoped to revitalize the shopping center by making it smaller and thus more accessible and convenient for shoppers. A portion of the west wing of stores was demolished and the courtyard was removed. The entire complex was renamed the Centre of Sheffield.

New stores were added, including Finast (1987), Marc's (1990) and Goodyear Tire (1994). Unfortunately the shopping center lost its anchor store when May Company closed.

Today, it is almost impossible to look at the Centre of Sheffield and recognize its 1950s layout and appreciate its role as the first modern shopping center in the area. Nevertheless, many Lorainites will continue to have fond memories of the shopping center as the longtime home of the International Festival, as well as the Talking Christmas Tree.

The Centre of Sheffield today