March 2025.
The A. B. Graham Building, immediately south of Clark County’s courthouse, holds the distinction of being the place where an organization that predated 4-H (a farming organization for young people) was founded. Infuriatingly, it took a lot of digging to find any history at all, and it was only by chance that I discovered that it was originally built as the County Building.
The A. B. Graham Building is located at 31 North Limestone Street, near the northern edge of downtown Springfield, Ohio. It is bordered by Columbia Street and the Clark County Courthouse to the north, parking lots and the site of the old Bushnell Garage to the south, Limestone Street and Clark County’s juvenile detention center to the east, and commercial buildings to the west.
History
Postcard of the County Building from 1907. (eBay)
The A. B. Graham Memorial Building was built prior to 1902 in the Beaux-Arts style. I am assuming that it was built c. 1900, since that was when the style became most prevalent. I also find it reasonable to conclude that it was built as an annex to the courthouse to house different county offices, since that remains its purpose today.
Though the historical markers on-site and A. B. Graham’s Wikipedia article claim that Graham founded 4-H outright in 1902, it was actually one of many farming-related youth programs across the United States during the early 20th century, and 4-H as an organization was not established until 1914. Additionally, that same article says that the A. B. Graham Building was the original post office, which is untrue.
Children standing in front of the entrance. (Ohio Supreme Court on Facebook)
The A. B. Graham Building was renovated after 2018 to update the building’s systems and accessibility. The exterior had been restored prior to that time, but preservation was likewise a priority. The woodwork, marble, and brass staircase were restored and retained. The building still houses county offices today, such as the Auditor’s Office and Title Office.
Photos
Let’s start by looking southwest from the corner of Limestone Street and Columbia Street. This is the only photo I’ll use from my cloudy first visit, since I didn’t get a similar one a week later.
This is a pretty run-of-the-mill Beaux-Arts composition--classical ornament, symmetry, strong axes, and grand entrance. I find it interesting that the base is a rusty, rough ashlar, which contrasts greatly and seems more at home in a Richardsonian Romanesque building. The remainder is buff brick accented by carved stone details, probably limestone. I’ve seen darker masonry classical buildings on occasion, but never a combination of the two colors.
The east facade:
The columns and dentils indicate that the A. B. Graham Memorial Building is in the Greek Ionic order. However, the modillions on the pediment are a Corinthian feature.
I really like this vaulted portal and the woodwork behind it.
Zooming in on the pediment:
Note the many different ornamental patterns in the void between the overhangs. There are modillions, a band of egg-and-dart molding, dentils, and a curving motif below. An elaborate carving resides in the middle.
This version of the Ionic order (Roman Ionic) has the volutes at a 45° angle:
The first floor has pedimented windows on the ends, which feature a similar carving to the central pediment:
There are also pilasters of various sizes across the facade. Here are the first floor’s, which rise only one story, and have an Ionic anta capital:
These form a mini colonnade with a slight cornice. Also note the rosettes carved in this area.
This larger capital belongs to one of the two-story pilasters:
The woodwork by the entrance is simply fantastic. It’s a wonder that it has even survived, much less in such good condition:
The corners of the portal also curve in, which is another interesting detail. Also note the coffering in the vault above.
The north side is smaller and shares the same details as the east facade. The entrance is decorated with a scaled-down portico.
The A. B. Graham Building has several historical markers which explain the significance of the site. This is the Ohio state historical marker:
There are also these two plaques attached to the building:
I think 4-H should go back to the name that A. B. Graham started his organization as…who wouldn’t want to be a part of the Corn-Growing Club?!
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._B._Graham
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4-H
https://www.ebay.com/itm/405917197849
https://www.ebay.com/itm/127085125504
https://www.kappconstruction.com/construction-news-blog/clark-county-historic-renovation
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