Description: This photographic montage shows East Main, St. Raphael Church and St. Raphael Church elementary School (formerly the old Post Office). The view of East Main is taken looking east, from the corner of North Limestone. The Bushnell Building, at the top, just right of center, was designed by Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge in the Renaissance Revival style for Asa S. Bushnell. Located at 14 East Main Street, it was built, in two phases; first in 1893 and again in 1903 and has three 3-story tall arches on the front of the brick building. The first floor was used by the First National Bank, founded by Bushnell, which later when on to become National City Bank. The fifth floor was used as a Masonic Temple and the rest of the building was used as office space. It was used as a department store for many years and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 with several other surrounding Main Street buildings (address' 6-14). Restoration work has begun to return the building to its original state. It is now being used as the Bushnell Banquet Center. The building at the top center is located at 4 West Main Street, on the corner of North Fountain Avenue. It was originally the Fairbanks Hotel and eventually became the National City Bank Building. The Fairbanks was erected on the site of the former Black's Opera House in 1906. Inside the hotel was the Fairbanks Theater, which could seat up to 16,000. Saint Raphael Church is located at 225 East High Street, at the corner of Spring Street, in Springfield. Designed by architect Charles A. Cregar, construction on this Gothic style brick building began in 1848. Construction on a very large addition began in 1892, and was officially completed with the dedication in 1898. This historic Roman Catholic church has a 184 foot tower, and a somewhat smaller one holding a 16,000 pound bell. The stained glass windows, created by Mayer of Munich, were designed in the twelfth-century manner. In 1976, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. On the left side of the photograph is the round tower of the St. Raphael Church elementary school. This 3-story stone building, built in 1890, began as the United States Post Office with a construction cost of $150,000. Sometimes just called the United States Building, it was designed by Charles Creager in the Romanesque style. By 1898 the space had become inadequate and funding was received to begin renovations. An axillary station was established in the Crowell Publishing building until expansions were complete. A new Post Office was built in 1934 at 150 North Limestone, which is probably when the old Post Office became the Saint Raphael Church elementary school. Formerly located on the corner of East High and South Spring Streets, the building was demolished in the 1960s to create more room for Parish parking. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B09F13_008
Subjects: Springfield (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc; Churches--Ohio; Roman Catholic Church; Mayer & Co; Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge; Bushnell, Asa Smith, 1834-1904; Post office buildings Ohio; Catholic elementary schools--United State
Places: Springfield (Ohio); Clark County (Ohio)