Lorain Monument Works Then & Now

1939 Lorain City Directory ad

In a world where so many businesses with 'Lorain' as part of their names have closed (Lorain Printing, Lorain Aluminum, Lorain Drive-in, Lorain Diner, etc.), it's good to see one still around in some form. In this case, it's because they offer a product that everyone buys sooner or later – whether they want to or not!

Lorain Monument Works at 1035 Broadway dates back to the late 1930s – but its roots go back even further than that.

The J. A. Ruscher Company first appeared in the Lorain City Directory as a manufacturer of monuments and headstones around 1912. Back then, it was located at 925 Broadway, but the firm soon moved to 1035 Broadway. It continued to appear at that address until around the mid-to-late 1930's, when  the Lorain Monument Works succeeded it at the same address. Irving McCarthy was the proprietor.

Here's an ad for the firm that appeared in the Lorain Journal on July 31, 1939. It's one of those ads masquerading as an article.

And here's a shot of the building today. As you can see, it's stranded on the original alignment of Broadway, above the Frank Nardini underpass.

Whoever owns the company did a terrific job of refreshing the building. It's quite attractive, and I love the fact that they kept the vintage sign.

It looks like Lorain Monument Works is either affiliated with or part of Lewis Monument Company today. Here's a link to the company website.