Bucyrus Commercial Historic District

Downtown Bucyrus, Ohio, is represented by a district of seventy-five buildings centered on Washington Square and extending along Sandusky Avenue, Mansfield Street and a block of North Walnut Street. Built between the mid-1800s and the 1930s, the buildings include Victorian Gothic, Italianate, Beaux Arts Classicism and Art Deco examples, along with vernacular designs. Fifty-eight structures and one open space contribute to its character, while seventeen buildings do not. The district reflects the town's role as the commercial and civic center of Crawford County. Growth followed the Columbus and Sandusky Turnpike, the arrival of the railroad in 1853, and later interurban lines. Manufacturers of clay machinery, cranes, plows and railway shop work added to local prosperity. Notable buildings include the three-story Quinby Block of 1858-1859, described as one of the largest business blocks in northern Ohio, and the Bucyrus City Bank of 1881. Many ground-floor storefronts have been altered, though upper stories often keep original detail.