Downtown Jackson

Architecture Tour

About the ​Tour

Click here to view the ​route in Google Maps

Time: 30 minutes

Distance: 0.6 mi.

Enjoy this walk through Jackson’s historic ​downtown as you learn the stories of some ​of its most iconic buildings.

Note: The Grand Opera House theater and ​the Cambrian are not open to the public

Grand Opera House

This establishment was built in 1883 and originally known as Jones Music Hall, after ​owner Thomas M. Jones. It was the first opera house in Jackson, preceding Crescent Opera ​House, now the Arch & Eddies parking lot, by two years. Soon after its dedication on May ​16, 1883, the Jones Music Hall housed the 7th Jackson High School graduation, which ​included 6 graduates. The building was also used for hosting speakers, roller skating, formal ​balls, and theatrical productions.

In 1892, Jones sold the building to Gershun David and Moses Sternburger for $4,300, ​even though the cost of construction was close to $16,000. That would be over $500,000 ​today. David and Sternburger extensively remodeled; the east wall was expanded, the stage ​was moved, and the auditorium was redecorated. They also added electric lights and ​heating. The theater reopened March 3, 1892 as “Grand Opera House”. Not long after, ​disagreements arose between David and Sternburger, and the opera house was purchased ​by Daniel P. Col in 1907.

The Markay

On April 14, 1930, Earl P. Jenkins announced plans for a new theater in Jackson owned ​by Jackson Amusement Co. His associates were brothers Donald and Dwight Jones and ​Jenkins’ sister-in-law Mrs. H.M. Zweifel. Architecture firm Miller and Reeves of Columbus ​was hired to draw the plans for the theater. O.C. Miller was a Jackson native whose family ​owned the longstanding Miller’s Drug Store.

During construction, the owners strove to use local labor whenever possible. The building ​was built in the distinctive Art Deco style–as seen in the scalloped gables and shell details–a ​rarity outside of major cities, and the inside was decorated in a similarly opulent fashion. ​The lobby was fitted in green and gold, while the theater featured an English mosaic ceiling, ​leather seats, and walls paneled in red, blue, and green. Both the curtain and projector were ​automatic. The second floor was home to the Markay Soda Grill. In total, the initial ​investment was estimated to total $100,000, which would be nearly $2 million today.

A naming contest was held for the new theater in July of 1930. The winner was ​“MARKAY”; a combination of “Marian” and “Katherine”, the wives of Donald and Dwight ​Jones respectively. Opening night was October 20, 1930, and the theater showed The ​Playboy of Paris. Cecil B. DeMille’s The Greatest Show on Earth was shown at the Markay in ​1952. The film, which won Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Story, included a ​performance by Jimmy Stewart and a writing credit for Jackson native Frank Cavett.

Jackson Amusement Co. opened a sister theater in 1938 on Broadway. ​The Kaymar was at the site where Sherwin-Williams is now. From 1940-​1973, both the Markay and the Kaymar were leased to Chakeres Theater ​Co.. The Kaymar shut down in 1962, but the Markay remained open as it ​changed hands multiple times during the 1960s and 1970s. Sadly, the ​theater closed in the early 90s and was acquired by the City of Jackson in ​1996.

In 1996, The Southern Hills Arts Council began renting the Markay ​from the city for $1 per year and started the 20-year project of renovating ​the historic theater. Instead of restoring the theater to its original ​appearance, the Council sought to salvage any possible original materials. ​Part of the theater was opened as The Markay Cultural Arts Center in ​1997, including the lobby, which was now a Gallery to showcase local art ​and exhibits. Moving to the auditorium, the Council restored the six ​original bas-relief figures representing Jackson’s various industries. They ​also salvaged four floral-patterned octagonal chandeliers. Through ​grants, volunteer labor, and a “slow but steady” renovation strategy, the 2 ​million dollar project was completed with no debt. On August 1, 2015, the ​Markay was fully reopened for live theatrical productions and classic film ​showings.

The Memorial Building

Before the Memorial Building, this was the location of the proposed Carnegie Library. In ​1903, Andrew Carnegie offered $10,000 for the construction of a public library in Jackson. ​His stipulations included the city providing a site and passing a tax levy. Building plans were ​drawn by architect Frank L. Packard, who designed The Cambrian Hotel. However, ​Carnegie’s terms were not met and the project fell through.

During the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was one of the ​New Deal employment programs created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1936, the ​WPA began constructing a gymnasium for community use in Jackson. However, when the ​initial cost threshold of $25,000 was removed, the City of Jackson and the American Legion ​contributed additional funds for the WPA to construct a “Memorial Hall” to house both city ​and American Legion offices. The construction utilized unemployed skilled laborers, and ​local materials were used to keep costs down.

WPA construction created a new subset of the Art Deco architecture movement. Known ​as PWA or WPA Moderne, the New Deal structures featured a simplified version of Art ​Deco. Designed by architect Benjamin Jones, the Memorial Building is an example of this. It ​has a symmetrical layout with chevron details, faux-Corinthian columns, and geometric ​detailing on the corners. The yellow brick is known as “buff brick”, and it is common in ​Eastern Ohio due to an abundance of fire clay.

The dedication for the Memorial Building was held on Armistice Day, ​November 11, 1937. The ceremony featured the Jackson High School ​Band, an 8-gun salute, and a flag raising by one of two remaining Civil ​War veterans in Jackson. In 1957, a one-room addition was built on the ​roof for civil defense air spotters. This was likely due to the Ground ​Observer Corps, a Cold War-era civilian plane spotter program run by the ​U.S. Air Force.

The American Legion has since moved to a different location, but from ​1937 to 1975, the second floor served as the home of the Jackson City ​Library. Today, the Memorial Building is still home to the offices of the ​City of Jackson, and the gymnasium benefits many groups in the ​community.

The Gibson House

Where the Veterans’ Park is now was once the site of the Gibson House. Not much is ​known about the construction of the hotel, but the establishment dated back to 1816. The ​lobby and second floor above were estimated to have been built in the 1840s when the hotel ​was still the property of the original owner, David Hoffman. Upon Hoffman’s death in 1861, ​the hotel was sold to Levi Gibson. After Morgan’s Raiders swept through Jackson in 1863, ​Gibson billed the State of Ohio for meals for the raiders and feed for their horses.

A large addition and a third story were added during an 1883 renovation. At that time, ​the Gibson House offered complimentary transportation to and from the railroad depot. ​Until 1915, the Gibson family continued to own the hotel. For the next decade, the hotel ​changed hands at least 5 times, until it was purchased by the Wick family, who also ​operated The Cambrian. By 1927, the Gibson House was known as the Gibson Hotel, and in ​1931, the Wicks ended their contract with The Cambrian to focus on the Gibson. Around ​the same time, the hotel underwent an extensive interior remodel. The lobby was redone in ​the French provincial style. The walls were re-papered, the woodwork re-done, and all of ​the bedroom furnishings were replaced. An outdoor restaurant and entertainment area, ​known as The Summer Garden, opened May 26, 1934.

Following the death of Wayne Wick in 1959, the hotel once again ​cycled through owners. David Wilkin bought the hotel in 1979, and he ​began the process of submitting the Gibson Hotel to the National Register ​of Historic Places. Also under Wilkin, the name was changed back to the ​Gibson House in 1983. In November of 1985, the Gibson House was ​officially included in the National Register of Historic Places.

Unfortunately, the hotel fell into a steep decline in the early 2000s, ​and the question of demolition was raised. Supposedly, a grudge match ​between Wilkin and the local government had resulted in Wilkin’s ​involuntary admittance to a mental institution and the City’s ownership of ​the hotel. Believing the cost of demolition could be used for repairs, the ​Jackson Historical Society hired a structural engineer who reported the ​building was in need of repair, but in no danger of collapsing. Despite the ​findings, in February of 2006, the Gibson House was razed. On Veterans’ ​Day, November 11, 2014, the location was dedicated as Veterans’ Park, ​with an accompanying memorial paying tribute to those from Jackson ​County who have served in the Armed Forces.

The Cambrian

The Cambrian was built by industrialist Edwin Jones, who believed Jackson deserved a ​grand hotel. The hotel was designed by renowned architect Frank L. Packard. Packard ​modeled The Cambrian after one of his earlier projects, The Chittenden Hotel in Columbus. ​Construction began in 1901 with the laying of the cornerstone. Inside, a lead time capsule ​was enclosed, whose contents included a list of recent events, a Bible, opera house ​programs, copper cents, and an American flag. The name “Cambrian” was chosen by Jones ​to honor his Welsh heritage, as “Cambria” was the Latin term for Wales. Like its inspiration, ​The Chittenden, The Cambrian was built in a grand Italianate style with arched windows and ​distinctive tiled cupolas on the roof. The opulent interior included a fountain in the lobby ​and mosaic flooring, most notably a depiction of a Welsh dragon holding a “Cambrian” flag.

On December 22, 1902, The Cambrian officially opened for business. Renting a premier ​room with a bath cost $3. Although Jones was the proprietor, he leased the hotel to various ​managers from 1902 to 1913. He sold it to Chicago developer George Gauntlet in 1913, ​before repurchasing the Cambrian in 1917. Jones sold The Cambrian to Harry Cruikshank ​of Columbus. From 1917 to 1918, the hotel briefly closed before reopening under new ​ownership. The most successful of the managers were the Wick family, who ran the ​Cambrian for over 20 years.

In addition to the hotel, The Cambrian was home to many local ​businesses. It housed The Cambrian Restaurant and the Black Diamond. A ​barber shop, shoe repair shop, telegraph office, and real estate company ​all utilized the space by 1960. Meetings for the local Rotary and Lions ​clubs were held in the banquet room. However, the hotel had begun to ​decline, and owner Phillip Lakes closed the hotel in July of 1963. It was at ​this time that the interior was stripped of anything of potential value. The ​City of Jackson purchased the hotel in 1980, a shell of its former ​grandeur.

As the local landmark continued to deteriorate, the City began to ​consider demolition. However, a grant from the U.S. Department of ​Housing and Urban Development provided the funds Jackson needed to ​save The Cambrian. The federal grant promised $2.5 million dollars to ​repurpose The Cambrian for low-income elderly housing. The City then ​transferred the property to the Jackson Metropolitan Housing Authority, ​which awarded the renovation bid to A.J. Stockmeister of Stockmeister ​Enterprises. Stockmeister had the lowest estimate of $2,923,55, which ​was still considerably more than the federal grant amount. However, ​Stockmeister personally lobbied in Washington D.C. Vice President ​George H.W. Bush for increased funding. Soon after, additional funds ​were received by the Appalachian Regional Commission.

One stipulation of the federal grant was that the renovation must be ​completed in under 1 year, a massive undertaking. The building was ​completely refitted with steel supports, and the interior was reworked to ​encompass 55 residential rooms and other facilities. Although they could ​not restore the interior, the “Cambrian” dragon mosaic was salvaged and ​hung on the lobby wall. Since The Cambrian was in the National Register ​of Historic Places, the renovation had to preserve the original outer ​appearance. The trademark cupolas were refitted with new lights, ​donated by Stockmeister Enterprises. It is also speculated that ​Stockmeister absorbed unexpected costs accrued by the project. On June ​2, 1985, the official opening was held, less than 365 days from the start ​of construction. Lillian Jones, daughter of original owner Edwin Jones, ​cut the ceremonial ribbon.

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