May 2026.
After visiting Westerville recently, I had some spare time and decided to travel back to Newark to retake some photos. I did this for several reasons, in large part due to the fact that the Home Building Association Bank (designed by Louis Sullivan) was closed for renovations when I first visited in January 2025, but has since reopened. I also wasn’t satisfied with my cursory coverage of downtown and the poor weather that day. I didn’t seek out to redo everything, just bolster what existing photos I had, and get more of some more notable buildings. This article is an example of the latter category.
The Newark Arcade is a smaller-scale example of a shopping arcade, a long atrium lined with retail, which were popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I briefly covered it in my third Newark “dump article,” but it was being renovated at the time, and I only grabbed one exterior photo. It has since reopened, and I figured a closer look at the exterior and newly renovated interior would be warranted.
The Newark Arcade is located at 31 North 3rd Street on Courthouse Square in Newark, Ohio. It is bordered by commercial buildings (including the Union Block) to the north and south, 3rd Street to the east, and 4th Street to the west.
History
Historic photo of the Newark Arcade. (Newark Arcade website)
The Newark Arcade was actually an alteration to a Greek Revival hotel built in 1842 and known as the American House. Designed by Columbus architect Carl E. Howell (of Howell & Thomas), he changed the six northern bays from their original design into a more Beaux-Arts interpretation. It opened on June 7, 1909. The arcade originally housed 23 stores and apartments above, and a cold storage space in the basement. Some of the businesses included the Arcade Theatre and a rumored speakeasy.
Interior of the arcade, likely shortly after opening. (Newark Development Partners)
The building was significantly altered over the course of its lifetime. Its cornice was removed, the windows were partially infilled and reduced to a rectangular shape, and the storefronts were replaced. By 2012, when the building first appeared on Google Maps, these alterations had aged poorly and cheapened its appearance. In 2019, it was purchased by Newark Development Partners, and Schooley Caldwell was commissioned to restore the arcade. It reopened in fall 2025.
Photos
Although not an exact recreation of its original appearance, the arcade’s restoration is still very faithful to the 1909 design:
The windows have been returned to their original size and shape, the cornice has been rebuilt, and a period-correct awning covers the entrance doors. Although I’m not fond of the gray paint everywhere, it is more or less original.
The central bay:
I really like the new awning with the array of light bulbs:
Zoomed in on the cornice and parapet:
Admittedly, the red clay tile coping looks a bit weird contrasted with grayscale paint everywhere else.
Modern sign on the end of the building:
Original mosaic tile floor by the entrance doors:
Looking down the main promenade:
One of the “anchor stores,” so to speak, that also has a streetside entrance is this ice cream parlor, which has great period-correct design:
The design of the arcade itself has some classical influence, given that stores are divided by pilasters:
The buff brick and simpler detailing owes some debt to Arts and Crafts/Craftsman designs that were also becoming popular at this time.
One of the things I like the most about arcades is their exposed tectonics (structure), which is usually seen in the skylights and roofs:
At certain spots in the floor, there are glass block pavement lights, which are likely meant to bring light into the basement:
Looking inside one of the stores, the original mosaic tile floor seems to be intact:
In the middle of the east-west promenade, there is a small portion that runs south, which doesn’t seem to have any stores facing it.
In the middle of this crossing area once sat a fountain, but it is now a seal documenting the building’s history and current owners:
Storefront detail, with a mural of the Licking County Courthouse by Newark High School students:
The gabled roof is intersected by a cross gable here, which creates an interesting cruciform effect (that I didn’t look up and capture):
At the western end, there is a small balcony, which probably belongs to one of the apartments above the arcade:
The west facade, unlike the eastern end, seems to have been built when the Newark Arcade was. It has a Commercial style design with its fancy brickwork and simple cornice:
It’s a little tough to see with the shadow cast by the balcony, but the stone entrance portal has an “ARCADE” relief emblazoned in it:
I like the other stone details in the borders, too. The relief uses Garamond font, my personal favorite and the one this blog uses, too. Here’s another look at the carved stone details:
Detail of the brickwork and the stone embedded in it:
I inadvertently captured some bird roosting in the middle vent, which is pretty cute.
The Newark Arcade is only one of four glass-covered arcades remaining in Ohio, so it’s very special that this one has been restored and had its future secured. (I’ve visited the other three: the Dayton Arcade, 5th Avenue Arcades in Cleveland, and the Cleveland Arcade, so stay tuned for that. I also covered the demolished Arcade Hotel in Springfield, which was similar to the Newark Arcade.)
Sources:
https://www.historicnewarkarcade.com/about
https://www.wedignewark.com/historicnewarkarcade
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