{"nrhp_refnum":"79001780","name":"Metropolitan Block","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"300 N. Main St","address_restricted":false,"city":"Lima","county":"Allen County","state":"OH","lat":40.74295637500006,"lon":-84.10447017099995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-11-29","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A five-story Victorian Romanesque commercial building of brick and stone at 300 North Main Street in Lima, Allen County, Ohio, built circa 1890.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is probably the most outstanding example of Victorian Romanesque commercial architecture in the area. It is the only one of several elegant Victorian buildings north of Lima's Public Square that remains with its original integrity. Its location across from the Allen County Courthouse also makes it important to downtown revitalization.","narrative":"Rising five stories at the corner of North Main and North Streets in Lima, this brick and stone commercial building dates to about 1890 and is described as the city's most outstanding commercial structure. Built in the Victorian Romanesque style, it has a rubble limestone foundation, a slate hip roof, round-arched windows with stone trim, gabled dormers and a curved-glass corner bay. Only the conical tower on the southwest corner is missing. It originally housed the Metropolitan Bank along with a dry goods store, grocery, legal offices and a music store. Inside, iron posts, a pressed metal ceiling, skylights and original floors and woodwork survive. Hardware has been sold on the first floor and basement since 1936. Lima boomed after oil was discovered in 1885, and its population tripled by 1900, which fueled ornate Victorian construction. Of the elegant buildings once lining the street north of the Public Square, this is the one that keeps its original integrity, and it faces the county courthouse.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Victorian Romanesque","criteria":[],"status_note":"Condition rated fair; near-original except for a missing conical corner tower, with some water damage from roof leaks. The first floor and basement have been used as a hardware store since 1936.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:12.528894-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/79001780.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79001780/e3efc322aa-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79001780/e3efc322aa-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"User:Mike224jb","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Metropolitan_Block_in_Lima_low_resolution.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">User:Mike224jb</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Metropolitan_Block_in_Lima_low_resolution.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71986596","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Block_(Lima,_Ohio)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6825005"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/allen-county/metropolitan-block-79001780/"}