North Main Street
A February 2019 fire marks the impending doom of the final structure on a two-block stretch of N. Main St. Once it comes down, the east side’s 100 & 200 blocks will be barren due to multiple fires, and flood mitigation. Aerial images comparing 1988 & 2018 illustrate the extent of recent changes to the area (the lone building in the 2018 image is 213-215).
Slide the blue icon to the right to see 1988, and to the left to see 2018:
A December 10, 1999 article in The Courier discussed the future of buildings the city wanted cleared for flood mitigation. Many dated back to the late 19th century. According to Findlay’s then-Development Services Director, Gary Ziegler, restoration was not a viable option. Ziegler explained that “All of the North Main Street buildings in question are on the National Register of Historic Places. However, they may no longer have historic value because their conditions have deteriorated so much.” He continued, “In fact, repairs meeting historic preservation and flood mitigation standards would be so expensive, the property owners might never recover their investment.”
Click on the addresses below to learn more about how they were impacted of floods and/or fires:
🔥Sunday, August 1, 2010 at 4PM
- 35 fire fighters had it under control by 7:30PM
- Owned by the Northwest Ohio Flood Mitigation Partnership
- Heuerman’s Batteries and Storage until 2007 flood
- cause undetermined
130-134: B&T’s Asian Market (130)
- opened in 2016; relocated in 2019. Formerly Tee Oriental market.
- All Demolition began demolition work in late July 2019.
- A June 2, 2017 Courier article states that the building will revert to green space.
- The real estate transfer was published May 18, 2019, however a price was not listed. A May 24th article states $225,000.
- 134: Last business: the Basement, which had relocated from 119.
136: Karl Kuhlman Body & Radiator
- Kuhlman played a major role in having N. Main recognized as part of downtown.
- County Commissioners purchased the property from Susan Kuhlman for approximately $100,000.
- Demolition began in July 2019.
“Both purchases [130 & 136] were financed from the one quarter-percent, 10-year sales tax previously approved by voters for flood-reduction efforts, which expired last year.” – The Courier, May 24, 2019
Purchase of 130: $225,000
Purchase of 136: $100,000
Demolition 130-136: ~$150,000
Total: $475,000
Social Findlay is not sure how many upper level apartments existed above 130-134, but we estimate 6. An old Coca-Cola mural will also become a thing of the past as the buildings are demolished.
The address survived a minor fire, and many floods during its time as Nicki’s Night Club. Owner and namesake, Nicki Decker, passed away Sunday, July 30, 2017. Within two weeks, a FEMA grant allowed the Hancock County Commissioners to purchase the building for flood mitigation, despite the building not being damaged. The purchase was completed in early 2018, bids for demolition were taken on April 12th 2018, and demolition began on June 12th, 2018.
201: Star Pawn Shop, relocated to 211 after 2007 flood
203: Miller’s Luncheonette, closed after 2007 flood
205: purchased 12/2015 from Hancock County sheriff, Jack Wenner & Judy L. Pump
🔥Tuesday, May 8th, 2012 at 9:45PM
- Fire began in 204: Apartment 1 after a cigarette was put into a wastebasket
- Sour Flower & apartments
- owned by Warren Krout
- Purchased by the county and demolished for flood mitigation in 10/2014
Owned by Findlay North Main Street LLC., created in 2006 by Matthew Neuman. Neuman has owned the building in some capacity since 1993. Demolition began on Friday, December 6th, 2019.
🔥Tuesday, January 18th 2005 at 11:30PM
- 14 firefighters, 3 engines and a ladder truck
- 30 minutes to control, 5 hours to extinguish
- 12 apartments on 3 floors
- could not find a cause in news archives, and are looking into this
🔥Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 3:41AM
- 14 firefighters responded, 15 additional arrived after 2nd alarm 10 minutes later
- 3 hours 15 minutes to control, 12 hours before firefighters left
- Building had been vacant for a couple of months at time of fire
- cause not announced
🔥Friday, January 22, 2016 at 6:22PM
- 32 Findlay firefighters, 4 Fostoria firefighters, Allen & Liberty Township volunteer departments on standby
- 11.5 hours before fire extinguished
- firefighters remained on the scene for 3 days
- 1st floor: Star Pawn Shop & 4 vacant retail spaces; 2nd floor: 8 apartments
- 2nd fire for Star Pawn Shop (previous fire at 211)
- 28 residents left homeless; 30 (included those from neighboring buildings) sought assistance from the Red Cross
- owned by Nicholas Moser since 1991
- Investigators know the fire originated in Apartment 5, “but what physically started it, they just don’t know,” Fire Chief Josh Eberle said. He also said it was the most difficult fire he’d encountered in his career.
- cause undetermined
- Demolished April 2016
The fire spread to:
Floods & Fires of Downtown Findlay Part 2: South Main Street is coming soon.
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