Hamer's General Store facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Hamer's General Store
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Exterior of the former store; note the prominent false front at top
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | 88 S. Main St., Mechanicsburg, Ohio |
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| Area | Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Architectural style | Commercial |
| MPS | Mechanicsburg MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 85001882 |
| Added to NRHP | August 29, 1985 |
Hamer's General Store was once a small shop located in the village of Mechanicsburg, Ohio, in the United States. It was considered a special historic site in the 1980s because of its unique design. Today, the building is no longer there.
Contents
A Look Back at Mechanicsburg's History
When the village of Mechanicsburg was first planned in 1814, it was laid out like a checkerboard. It had two main streets: Sandusky and Main Street. Many of the building plots along Main Street were quite small. This meant that the shops built there were often narrow and very close to the street.
The Story of Hamer's General Store
Hamer's General Store was built on one of these small plots sometime in the late 1800s. We don't know the exact year it was built. The store got its name from a man named Mr. Hamer. He owned and ran the store from 1960 until he sold it in 1983.
General stores like Hamer's used to be very common in the countryside of Ohio. They sold all sorts of things, from food to tools. But over time, most of these stores closed down. Hamer's General Store lasted much longer than most, making it a very rare example of an old-fashioned country store.
The Unique Design of the Store
Hamer's General Store was made of wooden boards on the outside. It had a strong brick base and parts made of stone and metal. The roof was flat and rose to a point at the top.
Special Features of the Building
One of the most interesting parts of the store was its tall, flat front, called a "false front." This made the building look bigger and grander than it actually was. This false front had fancy decorations and a decorative border at the top. A small porch with a slanted roof covered the entrance, making it look even more like a traditional country store.
The large display windows and double doors at the front of the store were never changed throughout its history. While Mechanicsburg has many other shops, most of them are built from brick and have a different style called Italianate. Hamer's General Store stood out because of its unique wooden design.
Becoming a Historic Landmark
In 1985, Hamer's General Store was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a special list of buildings, sites, and objects that are important in American history. The store was recognized because it was a rare example of a commercial building from the late 1800s that was still standing.
It was one of about twenty buildings in Mechanicsburg that were added to this list at the same time. These buildings were spread out across the village, so they weren't close enough to be called a "historic district." Even though it was a protected historic site, Hamer's General Store is no longer there today. A Valero gas station now stands where the old store used to be.
