In the early 1920s, five opulent theaters--the Allen, the Ohio, the State, the Palace, and the Hanna--opened on a stretch of Euclid Avenue in Cleveland. They offered legitimate theater, vaudeville, name bands and entertainers, and films for the affluent and hardworking citizens of this booming industrial city. Unfortunately, the introduction of television and the flight to the suburbs in the 1950s and 1960s turned the theaters into ghost palaces destined for the wrecking ball. In 1970, a bold group of planners led by Raymond K. Shepardson formed the Playhouse Square Association, a nonprofit...

Quarrying was a major industry from roughly 1850 to 1950 in
Berea, attracting large numbers of immigrants in search of work.
Baldwin Institute and University (1846) and German Wallace College (1863) created an academic atmosphere, and Berea's citizens became an eclectic and resilient mix of academics, business people, and immigrants. Eventually, quarrying ended, and the downtown business district, the Triangle, was nearly destroyed by fire three times. Each time the determined residents of Berea rebuilt. Today, Berea is a unique Cleveland suburb. Baldwin University and German Wallace...

Chosen as the Bartholomew County seat in 1821, Columbus's location at the confluence of the Driftwood and Flat Rock Rivers served the area's economy well. As industry prospered, the town grew, and a unique and inspiring architectural history began. During the late 1800s, construction began on many of the city's finest architectural gems, including the Bartholomew County Courthouse, City Hall, and McKinley and Garfield Schools. Residents have protected these treasures and maintained the city's architectural integrity. Today, Columbus is recognized world-wide for its dynamic architecture and is...