The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Longtime residents share memories
This is the second of a three-part series in which longtime residents share memories of their communities. Nov. 23: A reflection on Willoughby’s past Nov. 24: A reflection on Painesville’s past Nov. 25: A reflection on Mentor’s past
Many longtime Painesville residents remember a time that the city’s downtown was a premier destination for retail, restaurants and entertainment.
Painesville City Councilwoman Christine Shoop has lived in Painesville for 44 years.
Even though she was born and raised in Mentor, Shoop said she remembers visiting Painesville stores as a young girl.
“We are the county seat and everyone would come here,” she said.
One of her favorite stores included Toyland.
Toyland was located on the corner of State and Main streets in Painesville, where Grande Flower Shop and Unique Like Me currently is.
“I would go there when I was a little girl”, she said. “You would go up three floors and this was before Toys”R”Us or anything. It was when you had to do something with toys, they weren’t motorized. It required kids to use their imagination. Toyland was fabulous.”
Shoop also reminisces about the Parmly Hotel, which is now Victoria’s Place.
“The big thing that I remember is they had the best fries on the planet,” she said. “You could get fries and gravy from the restaurant. We would go there when I got out of school.”
The Parmly Hotel opened in 1862.
Although the 106-year old hotel was demolished, it left a lasting legacy, a News-Herald article published Sept. 12, 1968, said.
The success of the Parmly continued for years. It featured 56 rooms, a restaurant, coffee, shop and lounge.
Some interesting Lake County history was buried in a lead box in the cornerstone of the building. According to reports, it contained a Bible, some U.S. coins, a copy of several area newspapers, and a list of organizations and leading citizens of the time. Other documents in the box told many stories of the people living in the area. The box containing these historical documents was placed on display following the demolition of the building.
Many residents at that time expressed dissatisfaction that the building was demolished.
“I don’t like to see the destruction of everything old,” a resident stated in the 1968 article. “Look at the other countries in the world. They have their landmarks. We have nothing left of the past.”
The hotel was purchased by Painesville Urban Renewal Department.
The removal of the former hotel made room for a $10 million New Market urban renewal project, a News-Herald article on Nov. 22, 1971 stated.
The project called for a 600-car parking garage, an enlarged Carlisle-Allen Department Store, an expanded Citizens Savings and a covered mall for numerous stores, all of which no longer exists.
“When Painesville applied for the urban renewal dollars that’s when the New Market Mall came in”, Shoop said. “The government wanted you to rebuild and wouldn’t let you rehabilitate. So they had to tear it all down. The Great Lakes Mall really hurt many of the small shops, too.”
Shoop shared fond memories of stores like Carlisle, Sears and Kresge that were located in downtown Painesville.
Although she does not believe retail in Painesville will ever be as strong as it once was, the city is working to bring in more restaurants and opportunities for entertainment.
“We could have a nice mix,” she said. “We need the kids from the college to be able to turn right and get entertainment rather than turning left. The college students don’t have much to do in Painesville right now. When I was younger, I would hang out at a place called The Bar that was later called The Vogue. You could walk there from the college.”
Councilman Jim Fodor, who moved to Painesville in 1974, said Painesville was truly the hub of Lake County at that time.
He recalls several grocery stores and a cinema that was in the neighborhood.
“You knew everybody and that familiarity was a good thing,” he said.
Fodor agrees that Painesville is working to bring back shopping, restaurants and activities.
He believed that community demographics changed because younger adults have more options after college.
“The world is at their fingertips. They can move anywhere they want and many do not stay in cities they grew up in,” he said. “It used to be generations of families living in cities.”
Although many of the old buildings are no longer there, the nostalgia remains.
“It’s not better or worse, it’s just different,” he said.
Despite the differences, residents are passionate about Painesville.
“I really love Painesville,” Shoop said. “It was and still is a great city.