Buckeye Hotel in South Amherst – Part 2

So what was the eventual fate of the Buckeye Hotel? As we shall see, there is a surprising twist to this tale.

Blog contributor and researcher Rick Kurish found many online references to the hotel as the scene of many social affairs through the years, including dinners, dances and meetings.

That is, until he found an article with the headline, “SOUTH AMHERST HOTEL IS GUTTED.” "The headline in the Chronicle-Telegram of November 18, 1961 describes the massive fire which leveled the hotel,” noted Rick.

"At the time of the fire, the hotel served as a boarding house for quarry employees. More than 30 people, including eight children, escaped with no injuries.”

Rick noticed that the C-T article about the fire has an incorrect timeline.

"The hotel, which the paper describes as a local landmark, is described as being built during World War I and describes it as a U shaped building. Perhaps the article dates the building from its reopening in 1919, and maybe the building was also expanded at that time or at a later date. Certainly the Buckeye Hotel existed pre-World War I.”

Here’s the Lorain Journal’s version of the fire as it appeared on the front page on November 18, 1961. (Click on it for a readable version.)

The fire received a lot of newspaper coverage throughout Ohio. The Daily Reporter of November 18, 1961 noted, "Fire swept through the Buckeye Hotel in nearby South Amherst early today, heavily damaging the old, U-shaped, two - story structure. No one was injured. Chief Bruce Mothorpe of South Amherst Volunteer Fire Department said about 30 persons, including some children, were awakened and left the building before firemen arrived soon after midnight. For a time it was thought one person might be in the hotel, which has about 22 rooms and several apartments, but the missing person later was located. 

"Firemen from nearby villages of Amherst and Oberlin helped fight the flames for more than two hours before they were brought under control. About 50 men worked with eight pieces of equipment, and ice formed on ladders and the freezing temperature stiffened water hoses. The fire apparently started in a utility and storage room on the second floor and spread into the attic, Mothorpe said. Most of the roof was burned away.”

Despite the newspaper accounts of the hotel being destroyed by fire, thanks to the comments left by Eric Long on Part 1 of this series, we now know that the building wasn’t a total loss as I originally believed. As Eric noted, the house currently on the corner of Buckeye and N. Lake Streets is actually the original hotel building minus the second floor. Of course, some remodeling has taken place that camouflage the former hotel.

Here are a few views of the house/former hotel, courtesy of the Lorain County Auditor website, with the vintage postcard included for reference.  

Eric’s revelation solved a problem for me that came up while I was preparing this post. I could not understand while the aerial view of the hotel in 1952 was so similar to the 1969 view of the house. (See below). 

1952

1969

Now it all makes sense.

Anyway, special thanks to Rick Kurish as always for his great topic suggestions and research. And thanks also to Eric Long for helping make this post more accurate.

(You can learn more about the history of the Buckeye Quarry here on the Amherst Historical Society website.)