A Little piece of Paradise… College Hill, Ohio - SELFCRAFT

artender, Mr. Murrison also cranked the autos for the patrons.The former hotel building was demolished in 1963 so that a new O. E. S. Home could be built on thesite. This was the first Eastern Star Home in Ohio.Ludwig’s Shoe Store was started in 1932 by John Ludwig. Favorite brands back then were Poll Parrot,Florsheim and Red Ball sneakers. The store originally included shoe repair. The 5845 Hamilton Avenuestore was not his only one; he expanded over the years to one in Mt. Healthy, Northgate and BeechmontMalls. A prominent local business leader, Mr. Ludwig held a patent on a shoe/foot sizer which was soldabroad. Next to Ludwig’s was Schwartz Jewelers, a family jewelry store founded in 1932. And next tothem was VonderBrink’s dress shop. These three stores anchored a block of store-to-store shopping untilthey were demolished in 1989.Pearce’s Auto Care Center 11 has been at the same corner, 6014 Hamilton Avenue, since its founding in1936. Jim Pearce is an accomplished artist but after high school he could not find a job due to theDepression. He joined with Harry Pearce, who was mechanically inclined, to open a service station. Harryeventually bought out Jim’s share of the business. It is now owned by Harry’s son, ‘Hank’ Pearce. Thisgas station has seen the spectrum of automotive history - from hand pumped gas to computers andelectronics.Piazza-Discepoli Vine Wine Merchants 12 5901 Hamilton Avenue was started in 1988 at the corner ofHamilton and Cedar Avenues. Originally the building was built to house a Dow Drugstore (Charles“Daddy” Dean) which later became Brothers Drugstore (Larry & Mark Schwienher.) The last pharmacyon that corner was Family Drugstone. Piazza-Discepoli specializes in quality wines and specialty foods.The Discepoli name has been associated since 1930 in the pharmacy business.When Guy leased the empty storefront, little did he know the history he was acquiring. In addition toyears of accumulated junk going back to the original drugstore, he found old medicine boxes, full gallonbottles of Glacier Spring and Mountain Valley water.The basement held the original cast iron furnace and water heater (ca 1924). The floor on which thesoda fountain from years ago once stood was concrete, which can be seen between the rafters.Guy was able to reuse the original tobacco showcase as his counter by replacing the glass top withwood and turning it around so that the bin handles face today’s customer. The bottom is lined withcorrugated tin to hold damp rolls of newspaper or towels for tobacco humidification.The suspended ceiling was removed, revealing the tin original made by the Edwards ManufacturingCompany. Guy cleaned the tin ceiling for three weeks. The grime of sixty-five years came off, down tothe original baked on enamel paint, which is ivory colored. Guy left a small thin strip untouched at theback of the store for comparison. He also connected ceiling lights and fans to the original fixtureplacement of one light in each bay and two fans in the center of the tin ceiling. When the window displayarea was renovated, pieces of the black faux marble ceramic that once formed the exterior facade wereuncovered. This handsome store is a good example of how restoration and renovation can complimenteach other.Pies Dry Cleaners 13 at 5748 Hamilton Avenue (1921) and 5822 Hamilton Avenue (1935) was started byOllie Pies. When Ollie died in 1945 the business was continued by his sons, Ambrose and Robert. OlliePies was known for more than being a good dry cleaner, he was one of the best pinochle players inCollege Hill.11 Source: Harry Pearce II12 Source: Guy Discepoli13 Source: Ambrose Pies265