Medina Public Square

The Bustling Victorian West Side Because the Public Square was the central shopping mecca for Medinians, it was always crowded. Notice the multitude of carriages parked and the crowds of people walking down the sidewalks. This community reliance on the square continued until the 1990s, when large box stores moved to the northern corridor of Medina on Route 42. The Medina square transitioned from the location for buying staple items to a place with some of the most unique specialty stores in the state. Source: Medina County Historical Society Date: ca. late 19th century

Walking along Medina's Public Square you will encounter some of the most interesting shops in the county: Dan's Dogs, Whitey's Army Navy, Ormandy's Trains and Toys, Studio Knit, Hershey's Barber Shop, All Fired Up Pottery, and the Dress Bridal Boutique. Cars and semi trucks will patiently wait for stop lights to change and crossing pedestrians will be rushing to the House of Hunan or Main Street Cafe to eat. Kids will play in the gazebo, the old cannon, or the water fountain. But if you look up at the architecture of the buildings you will begin to see a Medina Public Square that is much more than a quaint drive-through passage from north to south. You will begin to see a community rich with stories about bygone times of temperance, depression, heroes home from war, and families that have built a legacy of community values and created a sense of nostalgia for visitors and residents alike.

According to local lore, Medina was first founded by a group of settlers that raised a flag on the square for the first time in 1818. With a tub of home brew, the first citizens of Medina named the streets of Washington, Liberty, Jefferson and Court by noon. The small village has grown as it nears its bicentennial but has remained faithful to its love of country, faith and community.

The west side in particular harkens back to a day when farmer's wagons relied on the economic heart of the county for supplies, news, and trade. This economic center remained stable through the mid-twentieth century, complete with several grocery stores, meat markets, clothiers, lunch counters and hardware stores. Changes ensued in the Eisenhower Era with the growth of the northern corridor of Route 3 and the construction of I-71 just east of Medina's town center. As the north side of town expanded, the Medina Square became riddled with aluminum signs pointing visitors to the modern shopping plazas of North Court Street. In 1967, the Community Design Committee set out to assist building owners with restoring the square to the Victorian Era in which it rose like a phoenix out of the great 1870 fire that left it in shambles. The result is a picturesque backdrop for the specialty shops that call Medina home today.

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Temperance Union Oath, 1850 Once a stopping point for many travelers heading south from Cleveland, the Cleveland connection is difficult to erase from Medina's core. However, the Wooster Pike did more than bring overnight guests to town. The Women's Christian Temperance Movement began in Cleveland in 1850. This anti-alcohol movement quickly spread to small towns including Oberlin, HIram and Medina. The proponents of temperance were encouraged by Lathrop Cooley, leader of the Franklin Circle Church in Ohio City. His second wife dedicated the marble fountain located on the Medina Square to commemorate her late husband's work.