City - Cleveland, OH - The Colonial Arcade 1908

by Mike Savad

Title

City - Cleveland, OH - The Colonial Arcade 1908

Artist

Mike Savad

Medium

Photograph - Colorized Photo

Description

Hand colorized 1908
Original Title: Colonial Arcade
Photographer: Detroit Publishing
Location: 530 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH

This is the 5th Street Arcade, also known as the Colonial Arcade, its a historic shopping arcade, located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. Built in 1898, it was originally knows as the Colonial Arcade, as it was named after the Colonial Hotel which was located adjacent to it.

The arcade was designed by architects George H Smith and Frank S. Barnum, it features a long beautiful skyline, ornate columns, along with other elegant details. It was made into an historic landmark in May 18, 1978.

A few fun facts:

In the early days of its operation, they had a fountain and in that fountain they had live alligators. They used it as a tourist attraction.

Some claim the place is haunted and people reported strange sightings.

They were the first one to have DC Electricity and lighting, as they had a power plant on the top floors that supplied power.

The arcade was originally designed to be a shopping are for women, with separate entrances for men and women. This was a common practice in the late 19th century, as women were considered delicate, and in need of special accommodations.

During WWII, the arcade was used as a USO center for servicemen and women, they could come in, relax and socialize.

Uploaded

March 14th, 2023

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