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Tuesday - Saturday:
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday:
1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Monday: CLOSED
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In 1873, the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows Lodge #303 (“IOOF”) erected the 3 story brick
structure that still stands at 102 W. Main Street in New
Paris, Ohio, and became home to the New Paris Antique Mall
in 2008.
The IOOF encountered financial
difficulties and was compelled to sell the property in
1899. Following a succession of short-time owners, the
structure was purchased by the Knights of Pythias (“K of
P”) and became home to the Castle Hall of Harmony Lodge
#396 in 1909.
Both the IOOF and K of P lodges
utilized the third floor of the building for their lodge
meetings. The second floor served as the community opera
house. According to information printed in the New Paris
Mirror in 1930, the opera house featured the Babetta
singers and dancers, an eight-act vaudeville show,
minstrel shows, medicine shows, and a dance and card party
sponsored by Delta Theta Tau Sorority. It was also the
site of a 50-50 dance sponsored by J.J. (Jack) Simpson
with music by Harry Kepler’s Harmony Four Orchestra with
tickets priced at 25 cents and a crowd of 90 attending.
It has also been told that the Grand Army of the
Republic (“G.A.R.”), Caleb Marker Post #646, used the
second floor opera house for meetings and dinners.
Click here for
pictures of a ticket to a dinner held on New Years Day
1889, and some interesting history on the G.A.R. and Col.
Caleb Marker.
Business establishments utilizing
the first floor of the building over the years included:
L.J. Reid Hardware (1901); Earl Radford Hardware (1928);
Fred Woods Grocery (1931); Denny Brothers; and Williams
Brothers Market owed by S.A. (Bill) and Joe Williams from
1934 to the late 1950s. In 1960, William Aker purchased
the building and opened a furniture store. Akers
Furniture Store operated out of the building for 34 years
until the store was closed and the building was sold at
auction to a local New Paris businessman in September
1994.
The building then languished for 14
years and fell into serious disrepair until it as
purchased in early 2008 by Keith and Linda Kelley and
renovations commenced. After six months of restoration
work, the first and second floor of the mall opened for
business. Renovations continued and over time additional
renovated spaces, including the basement, third floor, and
adjoining one-story building, have been added to the
overall sales floor space. Go to our gallery of building
renovation pictures for a look at the restoration work
that has been undertaken to date.
There’s still
plenty to do, but we are proud of what has been
accomplished so far in bringing this grand old building
back to a state of usefulness. Not only have we preserved
a bit of history, we are excited about how the antique
mall in the building is helping to revitalize business
interests in the Village of New Paris.
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