Saving Huron Town Hall – April 1969

Huron Town Hall (Courtesy Pinterest)

Urban renewal changed the face of Huron forever, much like it did to Lorain – only much worse.

Most of Downtown Huron succumbed to the wrecking ball. As a result, today the city is unrecognizable from its former small town look seen on vintage postcards.

That’s why I found the article below, which appeared in the Lorain Journal on April 1, 1969, interesting. It tells the story of a Huron woman determined to save the city's 93-year old town hall (seen at right) from demolition.

Lorain could use someone like her today.

****

Woman Fighting to Save
Lone Landmark in Huron
By MARK ALBRIGHT
Staff Writer

HURON – Town hall has a friend and she plans to find some more friends and possibly save the 93-year-old structure from demolition for urban renewal.

Mrs. Robert F. Taylor, 413 Center St., is circulating a petition among townspeople through which she hopes the former Opera House can be restored and transformed into a more historical landmark – possibly even a museum.

The petition reads in part:

“We are in favor of returning the town hall as part of the historical and cultural foundation of the nation that should be preserved as a living part of our community and development.”

She also notes that the secretary of Housing and Development is permitted to make grants for historic landmarks for up to $90,000 according to the basic laws and authorities of housing and development as set by the 90th congress in 1968.

“I plan on calling on many of the clergy of Huron as well as getting cooperation from local business,” Mrs. Taylor says.

She plans on taking copies of the petition, when signed, to city council, state legislators, congressmen and the Erie County Historical Society.

“Let me make it clear that I am not against urban renewal per se, but I am against the destruction of an historic landmark. If this building goes, what will Huron be known for in the way of a landmark – a Sunoco sign on Route 2?” she states.

Mrs. Taylor says the building presently is in excellent shape and cannot be duplicated. “I am not arguing facilities for municipal government. I just don’t want to see this charming old building destroyed.

“If the rest of Huron knew what will be lost and never rebuilt, that the remains of our historic past will be leveled for a parking lot, maybe they, too, would be as appalled as I,” she says.

Mrs. Taylor took a tour of town hall last week to see what the inside of the building was like.

“There are no leaks in the ceiling and all the messes are cleanable – the building is as strong as it was in 1876 (when it was built),” Mrs. Taylor asserts.

****

Unfortunately, the efforts of Mrs. Taylor to save the town hall were unsuccessful.

According to the Huron Historical Society’s photo collection on the OhioMemory.org website, Huron's town hall and fire department (both built in 1876) were razed in 1974 as part of urban renewal.

Courtesy OhioMemory.org

And here’s a shot (also courtesy of the Huron Historical Society and OhioMemory.org) showing the demolition of the building. The photo caption notes, "After intense controversy, Huron Council voted to demolish the building May, 1974.”