Levering Hall
Encyclopedia
Levering Hall is a historic building in downtown Mount Gilead
, Ohio
, United States
. A fine example of the Italianate
style, it was intended to house a range of civic functions.
Architecturally, Levering Hall is distinguished by such elements as elaborate ironwork and detailed cornice
s. Built in the national centennial year of 1876, it was initially conceived as a village hall and fire station
, but before construction began, local businessmen proposed using its front portion for commercial purposes. Ultimately, the front and rear were built separately at a combined cost of $22,500. Among the most distinctive portions of the finished two-piece building was an opera hall, used as a community theater until the end of the 1940s. The village offices and fire station also left the building in the middle of the twentieth century.
Plans for the building that became Levering Hall were laid during a period of rapid growth for the village of Mount Gilead, which had only recently been a tiny crossroads community. The hall's cornerstone
was laid on June 28, 1876, and construction was finished by the end of the year. Its builders were Miller and Smith, who were known for their work on several Ohio county courthouses and the Ohio Penitentiary
in Columbus
. Leading Mount Gilead businessman Allen Levering was the building's namesake; a future state legislator
, he helped to organize the local business association that proposed using the building for commercial purposes.
In 1980, Levering Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. It qualified for listing because of its distinctive architecture, its part in overall local history, and its connection to Allen Levering.
Mount Gilead, Ohio
Mount Gilead is a village in Morrow County, Ohio, United States.Mount Gilead's population was 3,290 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Morrow County and the center of population of Ohio. The village was established in 1832, eight years after white settlers arrived in the region...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A fine example of the Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
style, it was intended to house a range of civic functions.
Architecturally, Levering Hall is distinguished by such elements as elaborate ironwork and detailed cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
s. Built in the national centennial year of 1876, it was initially conceived as a village hall and fire station
Fire station
A fire station is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus , personal protective equipment, fire hose, fire extinguishers, and other fire extinguishing equipment...
, but before construction began, local businessmen proposed using its front portion for commercial purposes. Ultimately, the front and rear were built separately at a combined cost of $22,500. Among the most distinctive portions of the finished two-piece building was an opera hall, used as a community theater until the end of the 1940s. The village offices and fire station also left the building in the middle of the twentieth century.
Plans for the building that became Levering Hall were laid during a period of rapid growth for the village of Mount Gilead, which had only recently been a tiny crossroads community. The hall's cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
was laid on June 28, 1876, and construction was finished by the end of the year. Its builders were Miller and Smith, who were known for their work on several Ohio county courthouses and the Ohio Penitentiary
Ohio Penitentiary
The Ohio Penitentiary, also known as the Ohio State Penitentiary, or less formally, the Ohio Pen or State Pen, was a prison operated from 1834-1983 in downtown Columbus, Ohio, in what is now known as the Arena District. The prison housed 5,235 prisoners at its peak in 1955...
in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. Leading Mount Gilead businessman Allen Levering was the building's namesake; a future state legislator
Ohio General Assembly
The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate...
, he helped to organize the local business association that proposed using the building for commercial purposes.
In 1980, Levering Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It qualified for listing because of its distinctive architecture, its part in overall local history, and its connection to Allen Levering.