Grand Pacific Junction facts for kids

The Grand Pacific Junction is a special historic area in Olmsted Falls, Ohio. This district has many old buildings from the mid-1800s. One of the most famous is the Grand Pacific Hotel. During the 1990s, the hotel and other buildings were fixed up. Today, these buildings are home to many different shops and businesses.

Discovering Grand Pacific Junction's Past

The Grand Pacific Junction area has about 30 buildings and storefronts today. Some of the oldest buildings are the Jail house, built in 1860, and the Granary building, built in 1875. Both of these old buildings were updated in the late 1900s. Now, they are used for different things. The Granary building used to be a place to store and sell grain and animal feed.

The Historic Grand Pacific Hotel Building

The Grand Pacific Hotel was built way back in 1840. It was a real hotel until 1888. That's when Philip Simmerer bought it and changed it into a hardware store. The third floor also had offices for a dentist and a doctor. To make it easier for people to visit these offices, a staircase was added outside. The building stayed a store until the 1970s.

Later, Bill Kucklick owned the Grand Pacific Hotel. He renamed it Kucklick's Village Square Annex. On October 10, 1975, this building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was recognized for its beautiful Greek Revival-style architecture.

Bringing the Hotel Back to Life

In 1989, a realtor named Clint Williams bought the building. He started working to restore it, along with the rest of the Grand Pacific Junction. Williams removed the outside staircase. He also added six new dormers (windows that stick out from the roof). Two dormers were on the south side, and four were on the north side.

Inside the hotel, Williams added a new room. He also changed how the windows and doors were set up. A wooden bar was put in the back of the building. All these updates were finished in August 1992. Today, the Grand Pacific Hotel building is used as a banquet room for events.

Restoring the Entire District

Clint Williams also worked on fixing up the other buildings in the district. He added new electrical systems, heating, air conditioning, and sewers. He also replaced windows, dormers, and siding on many buildings. Williams even built a lovely gazebo that looks out over the nearby creek.

He also brought a 1922 Vulcan locomotive (a train engine) and a caboose into the district. The train was then painted. These additions help show the area's history.

Celebrating Heritage Days

Each year, the town of Olmsted Falls holds a special four-day fair and parade. This event, called Heritage Days, happens in early August. It's a fun way to celebrate the town's history and community.

Grand Pacific Junction Buildings Today

Many of the old buildings in Grand Pacific Junction have new uses now. The old jail house is now a shop called Emerald Winds Honey Shoppe. The depositors building has become an Italian restaurant named Matteo's. The old P. Simmerer's Flour and Feed shop is now Creekside Vintage antiques store. And the former Hardware store is now Clementine's Tea Room.