Description: Caption reads: "Langley's Inn, built as an Indian trading post in 1828. Still stands in an excellent state of preservation on River Road at E. Wayne St. in Maumee, Ohio." The oldest business building in Lucas County, Ohio, the Commercial Building at 301 River Road has been known by different names over the years, including the Neeley House, the Eagle, the Schieley House, the Bismark, the Seurin Hotel, the Langley Inn, the Governor’s Inn, J. Brown’s River Inn, and the Old Plantation Inn. In 1836, Levi Beebe built the Commercial Building. Initially, several different businesses occupied the structure, including various law firms, several stores, and even the local post office. The building also housed an inn at this time. Several prominent people purportedly stayed at the inn, including future presidents Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and Rutherford B. Hayes. Businesses in the Commercial Building flourished during the 1830s and 1840s. The structure was located on the stagecoach route between Detroit, Michigan and Fort Wayne, Indiana. Also, Maumee is located on the Maumee River, and river traffic brought business and guests to the area. Maumee also was the original county seat of Lucas County, bringing people to the community who were engaged in legal matters or in politics. In 1837, the Lucas County Whig Party actually formed in the Commercial Building. In 1852, the Lucas County seat moved to Toledo. The Maumee economy weakened at this time, but the Commercial Building continued to house various businesses. Purportedly, the structure served as a stop on the Underground Railroad in the years before the American Civil War. During the twentieth century, the building principally functioned as an inn and restaurant. As of this writing, the Commercial Building houses Giannos Restaurant. The Commercial Building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B02F02_012
Subjects: National Historic Landmark Program (U.S.); Historic sites--Maumee River Valley (Ind. and Ohio)--Pictorial works; Lucas County (Ohio)--History.
Places: Maumee (Ohio); Lucas County (Ohio)