Aurora buys historic building, as well as property next to the library

The city is purchasing two properties: the historic Country Development Building with plans to preserve it, and the property adjacent to Aurora Memorial Library for potential future library expansion.

City Council approved the purchases of the Country Development Building at 10 S. Chillicothe Road (southwest corner of Routes 306 and 82) and a lot at 123 E. Pioneer Trail, adjacent to the library, on Feb. 13.

The CDB, which originally was the James Converse Store and until recently housed Sutton Insurance Agency, was purchased from Hanes Properties LLC for $490,000. The property next to the library was purchased from Thomas and Jessica Orosz for $345,000.

“This [the CDB] is a very historic, iconic piece of property that we’ve been working on with the Hanes sisters for a number of months since they first indicated they were probably going to sell it,” said Mayor Ann Womer Benjamin.

“It’s right at the gateway to the historic district on a prominent corner, and we were concerned it might become something that we didn’t want it to be – whether a gas station or something similar – and the building might be torn down.

“We determined there is a public interest. It’s consistent with recommendations in the master plan which promote historic preservation and enhance the Town Center. I feel the price negotiated is reasonable and it’s in the best interest of all of us.”

The city will maintain the building and preserve its historic character. Although a conditional zoning certificate was OK’d a few months ago for residential use on the top floor, the mayor said the city is only looking for a commercial tenant.

Meanwhile, Womer Benjamin said the city pursued buying the East Pioneer Trail property when it was for sale a few years ago, but it was already under contract. It came up for sale again just a couple weeks ago.

“It is a critical property, I think, for the potential future expansion of the library,” said Womer Benjamin. “It is consistent with the master plan. The library has been a critical cultural piece of the Town Center.”

She noted eventually the city will remove the buildings and maintain the land until it is needed. “We’ve considered adding a second floor to the library, but that would be costly and not appropriate for the neighborhood,” she said.

History of the Converse Store building

The Converse Store building was erected in the early 1800s and rented by James Converse in 1825 as a barter house and to sell various goods, including whiskey. It later served as a cheese warehouse and feed store.

Seth A. Gillet, an employee of Converse, bought the building, then sold it to Hopson Hurd in 1845, who sold everything from doses of calomel to large herds of cattle destined for eastern markets.

Hurd’s store was a popular gathering place, in part due to the barrel of whiskey kept in the basement with a waiting dipper for anyone who paid his bill. Cheese was sometimes used as legal tender.

In 1948, Andrew G. Hanes Sr. purchased the building and completely restored it, creating an apartment on the second floor and leaving a large room on the first floor, along with a lavatory and storage room.

All the original woodwork, windows, beams and flooring throughout the structure were retained, and improvements were made to the heating, wiring and plumbing.

From 1950 to 1955 the building was rented to Calico Corners, a fabric store. That business relocated south of the 1815 House and Hanes used the building to house his own growing real estate company – Country Development.

Hanes graduated from the Cleveland Barber College in 1927. He began his barbering career traveling throughout the area, then became a notary and property appraiser. Country Development was incorporated in Ohio in 1967.

Andrew’s daughter-in-law Gladys Hanes was a secretary/bookkeeper at the business and became an agent, notary and broker. When Andrew retired in 1974, she became manager until the companyceased operations in 1992.

After serving in World War II, Andrew’s son Lowell Hanes and his brother Roland began their home-building company Hanes Brothers Construction in the early 1950s, and eventually operated the business out of the same building as the realty company.

The Hanes brothers built their last house together in Aurora in 1989. Sutton Insurance occupied the building for the last several years until moving to the small plaza on North Aurora Road south of Aurora Auto Wash.

History of the Converse Store was provided by Aurora Historical Society President John Kudley.

Contact the newspaper at auroraadvocate@recordpub.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Aurora purchases both former Converse Store, land near library