Historic Newark Downtown Walking Tour

The Avalon apartment building was built by Alva Wilcox around the year 1900. It is one of the larger apartment structures in Newark’s downtown and often functioned as a mixed commercial and residential space with apartments above and offi... Read more

The building at 88 West Church Street was the third location of Newark Public Library, now known as Licking County Library. The library opened at this location on August 9, 1950, and was used until the current library opened on February ... Read more

This downtown landmark was originally built in 1903.  It received the label "Union" through a public contest to provide the structure with a name.  The 22,000 square foot building opened with the Powers-Miller department store and severa... Read more

Long before shopping malls existed, the Arcade revolutionized the way people shopped for goods. Built in 1909, the Arcade once housed over 30 shops as well as apartments on the upper level. Newark’s Arcade was one of eight glass-ceilinged... Read more

The Hull Building was for years known as King’s Department Store. It was built between 1908-1910 by Eli Hull, whose mansion still stands on West Main Street near Neal Avenue. At least three fires have occurred in the building, leading to ... Read more

In 1914, Emmett Melvin Baugher of the Home Building Association Company commissioned famous architect Louis Sullivan to design and build this building. Known as the "Old Home Bank," it was completed in 1915. It is considered one of eight �... Read more

The Lansing Block was built in 1859 by Charles Daugherty in the Victorian Italianate style. The building now houses several businesses. It originally featured Corinthian pillars cast at Mary Ann furnace out of iron ore dug in Licking Count... Read more

Cornell Clothing has been in business on North Park Place since 1910. The building dates to before 1860 and was renovated in 2011 to reflect its original appearance. Having once been a three-story structure, the building now only contains ... Read more

The building at 32 North Park Place, where the law office of Schaller, Campbell, and Untied is located today, was the original site of Park National Bank. It opened in 1908 and was at this location until its 50th anniversary. In 1958 the ba... Read more

The original Midland Theatre opened on December 20, 1928 as a 1000-seat theater. The theater featured movies, Vaudeville acts and live music for 50 years.  It once housed an organ that could raised and lowered for performances.  This stap... Read more

The Auditorium was located where the Licking County Foundation is today. The building was built in 1894 and was originally called the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Building. The theater hosted many famous acts, such as Harry Houdini, ... Read more

The corner of East Main and 2nd Street, where Wendy’s stands today, has been host to many hotels.  The first was in 1802 when a log cabin on the property acted as an inn. The Buckingham House was built here in the 1850s and operated as ... Read more

This is Licking County’s fourth courthouse. It was designed by architect  H. E. Myer of Cleveland and built between 1876 and1878 after the third courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1875. A mile-long parade celebrated the laying of its co... Read more

The Temperance Movement was a powerful force in the early twentieth century. As a result, a vote was made in 1909 to make Licking County “dry,” but many saloons in Newark boldly stayed open. After the sheriff and the mayor failed to res... Read more

This building is believed to have been the fourth jail in Newark. It was built in 1889 after the previous jail was condemned in 1887. The construction utilized Millersburg sandstone which has a natural pinkish hue. The Romanesque-style desi... Read more

First National Bank of Newark was founded in 1865 and was one of the first banks in Ohio to operate under the 1913 Federal Reserve Act. This building was erected in 1870 and features a corner entrance and striking stonework, including an un... Read more

The main library location of the Licking County Library has been the site of a variety of establishments over the years.  One building that once stood on the corner was Joe Bader Pool & Billiard Parlor. In addition to the pool hall, t... Read more