Have you ever thought your house or apartment was a bit blah? Most people have. It doesn't have to be that way, though. You might try adding a piece of architectural salvage.
Every year, old buildings are torn down. A lot of them have beautiful woodwork, stained glass windows, stone carvings, or even just a nice brass doorknob. All that isn't usually hauled off to a dumpster. It's usually salvaged and made available for people who think their home needs that something extra.
Believe it or not, one of the USA's most well-known purveyor of items like these is located right in Downtown Toledo. It's called Architectural Artifacts and you'd be amazed by their store, at 20 South Ontario. It's packed. The first floor has the real gems. There's everything from wooden mantels to life-size marble statues. Upstairs, you'll find doors, stair rails, hardware, and everything you could possibly use to decorate a building. Other interesting antiques aren't neglected, either. Be sure to say hello to the two very friendly resident cats. If you're a cat person, I am, they might supervise your tour themselves.
Can't make it to Toledo? Try the website at the link below. Architectural Artifacts does a lot of e-business. One more thing. If you need something they don't have, which is hard to believe once you've seen the place, just let them know. You never know. It might just turn up the next day.
Ohio cities have a long record of providing names for US Navy ships. Toledo is no exception. The current USS Toledo ( SSN-769 ) is the second ship to bear the name. This time we got a nuclear submarine.
The USS Toledo is a Los Angeles Class attack sub. This class of vessel broke the old tradition of naming submarines after sea creatures. The Toledo was launched in 1993 and is 360 feet long.
Since her launch, the Toledo has taken part in Operation Iraqi Freedom, been involved in drug interdiction in the Caribbean, and patrol duty in the Persian Gulf. She is best known, however, for something she wasn't involved in. There's a conspiracy theory floating around that claims the Toledo, along with the USS Memphis, sunk the Russian submarine Kursk back in 2000. The notion is based on the fact that the Toledo was ordered home for repairs three days after the incident. Well, that is unusual. This type of vessel is usually short on problems. But, while other subs were in the Barents Sea at the time, the Toledo apparently wasn't one of them.
Award winning architect Frank Gehry is known for his work all over the world. Among his designs in Ohio is the University of Toledo's Center for Visual Arts.
The Toledo Museum of Art, in keeping with its reputation as one of the top ten museums in the USA, has a widely varied collection. Most periods and parts of the world are represented. If the art of ancient civilizations strikes your fancy, the museum has a lot to offer.
Egyptian work is well represented. My favorites are a small chalice of faience. It's only about six inches high, but it's covered with an intricate relief of animals. I'm also partial to a stone hawk, symbol of the god Horus. He's from the Ptolemaic Period but he's so stylized that he could fit right in on a twentieth century building. There's also plenty of sculpture, a papyrus scroll, a model boat, and one of the "mummy portraits", a highly realistic portrait on wood that was placed over the subject's face when mummified.
The selection of Greek and Roman art is superb. There are dozens of Greek vases, including one by one of the great masters of the art, Exekias. If you're interested in military history, you'll like the very rare Corinthian bronze helmet. There are several Roman portraits, including one of the Emperor Domitian. The guards like to point out that he wrote a treatise on hair care, but he's wearing a wig. Be sure to notice the mosaic floor from North Africa, as well.
You'll find work from Babylon and Persia, Sumeria and Petra. There's a fine display of Etruscan art. You can see some of it in the picture. The terra cotta bust is their sun god Apulu. There's so much to see and enjoy in the Classical Hall that you could spend a whole day just in this one room.
Oh, yes. One other thing. At the back of the room is a little alcove leading to a door. If you look through it, you'll see the Peristyle, the museum's auditorium. Putting the Classical Hall next to it was an appropriate move. It's a beautiful room in the purest Classical Greek style. But that's another story.
There isn't much that will cause a building to stand out from the crowd quite so much as the use of different and contrasting colors. Toledo's Lasalle Apartments is a good example. The limestone of the upper and lower parts is accented by the mellow brick of the middle. It's sort of like an architectural layer cake. The icing is provided by the copper cornice with its green patina.
The Lasalle was built in 1917, for the Lasalle and Koch Department Store, or "dry goods" as it was called then. Lasalle and Koch was one of Toledo's oldest businesses, having been founded in 1865. To design their new store, they hired the New York firm of Starrett and Van Vleck. This firm specialized in large retail structures. Their work could be found all over the eastern USA, including Polsky's in Akron. I've been told they built an almost exact duplicate of the Lasalle in Atlanta.
Starrett and Van Vleck's design for the Lasalle is in the Renaissance Revival style. The two-story arcade at the base would fit right in on a street in Florence. For extra variety, the columns are made of polished granite. Another two story colonnade adds interest to the upper floors
The Lasalle has the distinction of being Downtown Toledo's first important commercial to residential rehab project. In 1996, after standing vacant for twelve years, it was converted to apartments. To show how big the building is, there are one-hundred-thirty of them. It's success led to a long string of similar projects, which make downtown a surprisingly trendy place to live.
Toledo's Martin Luther King, Jr. Bridge has been subject to short closings lately. It's about to be out of commission for a longer period. The structure is in the process of getting a complete overhaul, and will close today so the central drawbridge section can be replaced. People will have an easy time remembering when they'll be able to cross it again. It opens two days after Valentine's Day.
The Cherry Street Bridge, as it was first known, was built between 1910 and 1914, at a cost of one million dollars. That may seem like pocket change for building a bridge these days, but back then it was the most expensive public improvement project in Toledo's history. Like most expensive public projects, the building of the bridge was controversial. There were a lot of people who thought spending a million dollars on a bridge was just plain crazy. They lost the argument, but managed to get a few corners cut in the budget. For example, the best part of the design, four tall, column-like towers were never built. Two of them were to sit at either end of the drawbridge to house the lift mechanism. That's a shame. I've seen the plans and they were impressive. Everyone likes to save money, but no one liked the plain wooden sheds that were built instead. It was a long while before they gave way to the current structures, which are an improvement, but nowhere near as nice as the towers.
One other interesting thing about the building of this bridge, it was constructed right next to the old bridge it replaced. No traffic problems there.
It's not too early to think about baseball season. I couldn't resist posting this view of one of the gates at Fifth Third Field, home of the Toledo Mud Hens. If you don't know what a mud hen is, it's a bird otherwise known as the coot.
There was a time when wealthy Americans could buy historic buildings in Europe, ship them across the Atlantic, and reassemble them. These days, few could afford it, even without Europe's strong antiquities preservation laws. That's probably a good thing. Still, I can't complain about Toledo's share of the spoils.
As part of the increased interest in Medieval art in the first few decades of the twentieth century, the Toledo Museum of Art was able to buy small parts of three monasteries in the south of France. Each was an arcaded wall from a cloister, a covered walkway around a courtyard. The three arcades were reassembled, in 1932, to form Toledo's own cloister. Since the museum was only able to buy three side, the fourth was made by builders here in Toledo. To avoid confusion and distinguish it from the authentic parts, the fourth arcade is just plain wood. I wish I could say I haven't seen tourists oohing and aahing over that one, but I'd be lying through my teeth.
The oldest arcade came from the monastery of Espira de l'Agly. It's in the Romanesque style and was built sometime between 1134 and 1146. The next, the one you see in the picture, was from St. Pons de Thomieres, and dates to the late 12th or early 13th centuries. It's also Romanesque. Last is the Gothic arcade from Notre Dame de Pontaut. It's from the late 14th or early 15th century. All of the arcades are magnificent pieces of stonework. Each of the columns has a capital, the top part, carved with scenes from the Bible, the life of St. Pons, animals, or foliage. In the middle, you'll notice a square object. That's a marble wellhead from Venice. It was made in 1467. Like the capitals, its sides are carved. Each side has a pair of mythical or symbolic creatures.
So, why does the lighting look a it odd? That's one of the little surprises the Toledo Museum of Art is so good at providing. The Cloister can be lighted to simulate both day and night. The ceiling can look just like the night sky. It's a wonderful effect.
But wait. That's not all. In the Cloister, you'll find part of the Museum's collection of Medieval art. There are paintings, of course, and sculpture. Stained glass and ivory carvings. Embroidered textiles and Limoges enamels. It's a dazzling display worthy of a world-class museum. That's exactly what the Toledo Museum of Art is.
Valentine's Day? You're asking the wrong person. That's for sure! I'm happily single and past that stage. But I'll gladly offer an opinion on just about anything, so here we go.
We'll start with restaurants. If you want an in-depth discussion, you could look at Toledo Restaurant Reviews, a local blog. It hasn't been updated in a while but it's useful.
For world-class continental cuisine you couldn't go wrong with Fifi's. It's even listed in Ochsner's Pocket Guide to the Finest Restaurants in the World. If your taste runs to Italian food, like mine Carrabba's and Ciao are good choices. Steak? You'll find that, and just about anything else you want, at one of the four Mancy's Restaurants.
How about a romantic atmosphere with good food, as well? No question there. Any of the restaurants at The Docks, in International Park will provide both. You can find seafood, Mexican dishes, Italian, Cajun, and who knows what else. While eating, you can watch the lights of Downtown Toledo reflect off the Maumee River. It's an impressive sight.
I could go on all night here, but that's enough to get you started. Oh, wait a minute. Maybe you're a gourmet cook and want to make your own romantic dinner. Don't go overboard and wear yourself out. Pick up dessert at Wixey's Bakery, on Glendale. They're the best in town. The only thing they lack is a website. The same can be said about my last suggestion, Superior Chocolate. Believe me, it is superior. How do chocolate covered strawberries sound?
Northwest Ohio has a good variety of small to mid-size businesses. One of the best, and certainly the easiest on the nose, is Swan Creek Candles. I've been to their store in Toledo's Warehouse District, right across from Fifth Third Field, so I can vouch for the fact that the company's promises about fragrance aren't exaggerated at all. Their candles are long burning, too.
Swan Creek Candles has been in business for twenty years and, considering their expansion to six outlet stores, seems to be doing well. What's their secret? Their products aren't the usual cheap paraffin candles. They're made from a blend of American soybean wax and natural botanical waxes. This makes the candles lead free and cleaner burning than most. I know people who swear by them.
Another good point about Swan Creek Candle outlet stores, they have a really nice assortment of candle holders and gift items. This is in addition to all shapes and sizes of candles, in more than fifty scents. You'll find trendy smells like kiwi watermelon and crisp cotton, as well as old favorite like lavender, lilac, and patchouli. Hey, what can I say? I survived the sixties. Patchouli is an old favorite of mine.
If you'd like more of an introduction before visiting a store, check out their website at the link, below. There are stores in Toledo, Swanton, Vermilion, and three in Michigan. If you can't resist candles, you'll love them all.
I tell people, probably until they're sick of hearing it, that you never know what sort of interesting sight you'll see next, if you just look. Ohio cities and towns are anything but boring. The problem is that most of us get so caught up in our daily grind, not to mention our walkmans and cell phones, that we could walk past a lion dancing the waltz with a hyena and never notice. This is a pity. There's so much to see.
Let's have a look at one of my favorite examples. The building in the picture looks like it could have been built anywhere from the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries. It would fit right in on the streets of a lot of small cities in Europe. People spend a fortune travelling to soak up period charm like this.
Well, guess what? It's in Downtown Toledo. Sits right on Madison, next to an Art Deco skyscraper. It was built, in 1929, as a realtor's office, but is used by a jewelry store now.
You've seen houses like this. They're all over the place. People call them "Tudor", though the correct designation is "Mock Tudor" or "Tudorbethan". The Tudor dynasty ruled England from the time of Henry VII to Elizabeth I, late in the time things like this were built. It's one of the eclectic styles of architecture that were popular in the early twentieth century. You see, along with the new, more "modern" styles of the time, some people preferred a return to older forms. Their work, as in this case, was an accurate re-creation of buildings from the past. Williamsburg comes to mind, the same sort of idea.
This particular building is a good example. The half-timbering is well done and looks authentic, not just tacked on. Maybe it is authentic. A lot of buildings like this used, not only the style of old buildings, but the construction methods, too. I like the contrast between the stucco on the main wall and the bare brick in the gable. By the way, that arrangement of beams up there may look like an upside-down peace symbol, but it would add a lot of extra strength to the wall. The small-paned casement windows on the second floor add another note of authenticity. On the whole, this is one of the best examples of the "let's build like the old days" attitude I've ever seen. Believe me, I've seen a lot of it. Oh, yes, one other thing. Building something like this would be expensive. Look at the side wall on the right. It used to be hidden by another building. Authenticity is good, but why waste money on something no one will see? The side wall is just plain brick. I suppose the builders didn't expect the rush to tear things down for parking lots. Their consternation would be softened by seeing that someone's painted a nice mural on it.
Say what you like about eclectic designs, the mid 19th century wasn't afraid to use anything from any source to satisfy their taste for elaborate and unusual buildings. Greek, Roman, and Gothic weren't enough for them. In the quest for something new and different, architects experimented with a variety of "Exotic Revival" styles. Cincinnati has one of the best examples of this trend, the Plum Street Temple.
The Temple, also known as the Isaac M. Wise Temple, is one of the best-preserved examples of the Moorish Revival. This style was developed in Germany and mixed elements from the Moorish buildings of Medieval Spain with Byzantine influences and a dash of Gothic to achieve an interesting mixture that stands out from the crowd.
In the 1860's the Congregation B'nai Yeshurun, led by Rabbi Isaac M. Wise, commissioned James Keyes Wilson, of Cincinnati to design a new synagogue. Keyes used the new Moorish Revival to give the Congregation something truly unique. Even now, it's almost literally unique. There's only one other surviving synagogue in this style. It's even been made a National Historic Landmark in recognition of its architectural importance and of the Congregation's role in the formation of Reform Judaism.
From the carved stone decoration through the minaret-like towers, to the perfectly preserved interior with its thirteen domes, the Wise Temple is one of Ohio's most interesting buildings. My favorite part is the treatment of the entrances. Look at those soaring stone arches set in brick walls. Then at the stonework over the doors. Never seen anything quite like it.
For more on this wonderful building and its history, see their website, at the link below. Be sure to click on "About" and check out the history of the congregation and of the Temple.
Life on this freighter seemed very laid-back when this picture was taken. It was moored right in Downtown Toledo, within a block of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Bridge.
Buying chocolate, flowers, or those little message heart candies are fine if there's no time to plan ahead for Valentine's Day, but consider some other options. If you use your senses to lead the way, you might come up with some interesting ways to celebrate love. Or a deep like. Or an "I kind of like you." Here are some starting places:
Sense of smell- With Ohio's botanical gardens' conservatories creating a haven against the freshly arrived winter's chill, head to one of them. Breathe in the fragrances of the jungles, orchid gardens and mountainous regions of the world. So, what if you can't go to a tropical island with your honey this year? At Krohn Conservatory, Franklin Park Conservatory, and Cleveland Botanical Garden you can pretend.
If eating is a way to your loved one's heart, head to a cooking school where you can spend time together--plus taste your efforts. Dorothy Lane Market Cooking School in Dayton has wonderful options. Many restaurants, like Handkes in Columbus also have classes. Here is a Shaw Guides website with links to several of them.
For the soothing sense of touch, get a couple's massage. The Marengo Institute, a mind body spa that originated in California but now has Cleveland and Columbus locations, has a Couples Delight Package.
Another option for the sense of sight is an art museum. Here is the botanical garden and art museums page of Ohio Travelers.com to find one you may not have thought of before.
"In a bar in Toledo, across from the depot..." That's how the Kenny Rodgers song Lucille starts. Did a real "bar in Toledo" inspire it? Yes, and it's more than just a bar. How many bars look like a palace in Venice? If there's another one out there, I haven't heard of it.
The famous bar was built in 1898 and knew show business right from the start. It was originally called Burt's Theater. By the way, Burt was the owner's last name, not his first. Toledo architect George Mills was responsible for the design. Mills was becoming very successful and employed a lot of assistants. By 1898, he was ready to hand all the design work over to them and concentrate on bringing in clients. He must have been good at it, for his firm lasted another three decades and this was the last set of plans he did himself. In keeping with the show business theme, he went out with a bang. For inspiration, Mills used a 15th century Venetian palace called the Ca' d'Oro, the House of Gold. The top two floors feature Gothic stone arcades and the windows on each side once had balconies. There's even the winged lion of St. Mark, the symbol of Venice at the corner. He used to hold up the sign. Along the side of the building, the brickwork is a diamond pattern in two colors.
So, why did George Mills use a Venetian palace as a model for a theater in Toledo? Well, he may have been remembering the fact that a the Miami and Erie Canal had run right down the street next to it. Then again, maybe he just wanted his last plan to be a real winner. If that's the case, he succeeded.
though. You might try adding a piece of architectural salvage. 
Toledo ( SSN-769 ) is the second ship to bear the name. This time we got a nuclear submarine. 
has a widely varied collection. Most periods and parts of the world are represented. If the art of ancient civilizations strikes your fancy, the museum has a lot to offer. 
contrasting colors. Toledo's Lasalle Apartments is a good example. The limestone of the upper and lower parts is accented by the mellow brick of the middle. It's sort of like an architectural layer cake. The icing is provided by the copper cornice with its green patina. 
for a longer period. The structure is in the process of getting a complete overhaul, and will close today so the central drawbridge section can be replaced. People will have an easy time remembering when they'll be able to cross it again. It opens two days after Valentine's Day.
Field, home of the 
and reassemble them. These days, few could afford it, even without Europe's strong antiquities preservation laws. That's probably a good thing. Still, I can't complain about Toledo's share of the spoils.
gladly offer an opinion on just about anything, so here we go. 
nose, is Swan Creek Candles. I've been to their store in Toledo's Warehouse District, right across from Fifth Third Field, so I can vouch for the fact that the company's promises about fragrance aren't exaggerated at all. Their candles are long burning, too. 
their taste for elaborate and unusual buildings. Greek, Roman, and Gothic weren't enough for them. In the quest for something new and different, architects experimented with a variety of "Exotic Revival" styles. Cincinnati has one of the best examples of this trend, the 
Life on this freighter seemed very laid-back when this picture was taken. It was moored right in Downtown Toledo, within a block of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Bridge.
Buying chocolate, flowers, or those little message heart candies are fine if there's no time to plan ahead for Valentine's Day, but consider some other options. If you use your senses to lead the way, you might come up with some interesting ways to celebrate love. Or a deep like. Or an "I kind of like you." Here are some starting places:
Toledo" inspire it? Yes, and it's more than just a bar. How many bars look like a palace in Venice? If there's another one out there, I haven't heard of it.
