Taylor-Johnson Building

Taylor-Johnson Building

Comprehensive History

The 3-story brick building once located at 127 E. Liberty St. in Wooster, Ohio had an inscription chiseled in a sandstone block near the top of the building that read, "1925 Taylor-Johnson". However, the building was actually built long before 1925. A third-floor fire in 1925 made it necessary to rebuild the facade of the building and the later date was placed on the building.

The first occupants and probably the original owners were attorneys, Captain James B. Taylor, and Wayne County Probate Court Judge Isaac Johnson.

Judge Johnson's daughter married Edwin Wertz an attorney originally from Dalton, who then opened an office in the building. Edwin Wertz eventually became U.S. attorney for Northeast Ohio. Later Wertz's son, William Wertz, also had an office in the Taylor-Johnson building. Other local attorney who once conducted business from the building were: Lyman Critchfield and Robert Critchfield, Alton Etling, Harper Annat, John Cox, and Bill Sharp.

However, the building was not always filled with just law offices. There was the Kalkas Candy Kitchen on the west side of the ground floor while Frank Wells had a drug store on the east side. There was also a Hammond and a Snyder drug store there later. Many living today might remember the Crum Drug store operating out of this building. The Zarlengo pool and billiard hall operated on the side nearest the alley which also had a plumbing shop back by the pool room, later the billiard hall was renovated and used by Julius Stark for his Stark restaurant. Mose Kasherman would shine shoes in a little cubbyhole in the building in the alley, just off Liberty street. At one time the offices and switchboard of the Millersburg, Orrville, and Wooster Telephone Company were on the third floor as was Samuel Dawson's Photography rooms and the American Legion Post 68 club rooms, as were Parrett and Johnson engineers, and architect Rowland Curry. Some might remember that among the attorneys on the second floor was also a beauty shop, Myers Insurance offices, Yost Insurance, and a foot doctor. Of course, not all these people occupied the building during the same time span, but it shows the building was an important place of business for Wooster during the years it stood in place.

The Taylor-Johnson building was bought by the First Federal Savings and Loan bank company in 1968 and they opted to demolish the building in 1987 and build a new three-floor structure in its place with a skywalk to connect the First Federal Savings and Loan bank right next door across the alley to their new 1987 building.

Timeline

• 1987 - Demolished

Owners

• Capt. James B. Taylor and Isaac C. Johnson
• 1968 - First Federal Savings and Loan

Tenants

• Crum Drug Store
• Stark Restaurant

Photographs

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