Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. A historic map-sheet match is not published yet. The record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary.
“The Barr Hotel is a historic hotel on the eastern side of downtown Lima, Ohio, United States. Built in 1914, the Neoclassical hotel occupies the northeastern corner of the intersection of High and Union Streets.”
Wikipedia article Barr Hotel, CC BY-SA 4.0.
one of 26 National Register listings in Allen County · listed in 1986 · category: Building.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
The chapter on Lima City in History of Allen County, Ohio. Containing a History of the County, Its Townships, Towns, Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; Biographies; History of the Northwest Territory; History of Ohio; Statistical and Miscellaneous Matter, Etc., Etc, published 1885 names Lima. This is what it says, exactly as the scans read.
Lima has passed the first half century of her existence. From the day in 1831, when the pioneers arrived on the spot, now known as the Public Square, progress has been made as remarkable as conciliatory. The locality possessed many advantages - nature made it beautifuL The American pioneers came to draw forth all the resources of the country; the forest began to disappear; mills to spring up along the stream which then flowed swiftly by the settlement ; log-cabins to dot the clearings; roads to lead through the wilderness ; gardens to peep forth from the confusion of fallen and decayed trees; the whole scene to assume an air of busy life, which told at once that the men and. women who toiled there came to stay and to improve and to build up a city. The task which those early settlors of Lima set out to accomplish, has been performed.
Passage source: History of Allen County, Ohio. Containing a History of the County, Its Townships, Towns, Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; Biographies; History of the Northwest Territory; History of Ohio; Statistical and Miscellaneous Matter, Etc., Etc, published 1885.
From what has been already written of Ottawa Township, a knowledge of the location and general physical characteristics of Lima may be obtained. Its altitude (at railroad depot), above Lake Erie level, is 208 feet ; while its depression below Hog Creek marsh is 147 feet, this marsh being 850 feet above the lake level.
Passage source: History of Allen County, Ohio. Containing a History of the County, Its Townships, Towns, Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; Biographies; History of the Northwest Territory; History of Ohio; Statistical and Miscellaneous Matter, Etc., Etc, published 1885.
Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.
Read the whole chapter on Lima City - 30,764 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. Museums hold 334 specimens collected within 10 miles of Barr Hotel between 1893 and 1975: 315 Animalia, 18 Fungi, 1 Plantae. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by Adler, K. K., Amstutz, K., Bezdek, H. and others. Each is a physical object with a catalogue number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be concluded from a species being absent.
| Image | Species | Year | Collected by | Where, as recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Alasmidonta marginata Say, 1818 | 1908 | not recorded | Auglaize River, Defiance |
 | Ligumia recta (Lamarck, 1819) | 1908 | Bureau of Fisheries | Auglaize River, Defiance |
 | Quadrula pustulosa (I.Lea, 1831) | 1908 | not recorded | Auglaize River, Defiance |
 | Chrysemys picta (Schneider, 1783) | 1893 | not recorded | Cloverdale, Sugar Creek |
 | Etheostoma spectabile (Agassiz, 1854) | 1893 | PH Kirsch | Sugar Creek, 2 miles north of Lima; Maumee River dr. |
 | Lepomis cyanellus Rafinesque, 1819 | 1893 | P. Kirsch | Lost Creek, Lima, Ohio |
 | Lithobates pipiens (Schreber, 1782) | 1893 | not recorded | Lima, Sugar Creek |
 | Nerodia sipedon (Linnaeus, 1758) | 1893 | not recorded | Lima, Sugar Creek |
 | Regina septemvittata (Say, 1825) | 1893 | not recorded | Lima, Sugar Creek |
 | Thamnophis sirtalis (Linnaeus, 1758) | 1893 | not recorded | Lima, Sugar Creek |
 | Amanita frostiana (Peck) Sacc. | 1902 | C. W. Dawson | Lima |
 | Amanita rubescens Pers. | 1902 | C. W. Dawson | Lima |
All 334 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 8 workings within 5 miles of Barr Hotel: 4 past producers, 2 plants, 2 producers. 4 still produce. What was taken out: Limestone, General, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Sulfur. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Facility) Lima Ohio Refinery | Sulfur | Plant | ||
| Fouremans Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Lima Plant | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Plant | ||
| Lima Quarry | Limestone, General | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Western Ohio Stone Co. Quarry No. 1 | Limestone, General | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Western Ohio Stone Co. Quarry No. 1 | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Western Ohio Stone Co. Quarry No. 2 | Limestone, General | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Western Ohio Stone Co. Quarry No. 2 | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Lima, the town this property stands in, in 77 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 57 thunderstorm wind, 15 hail, 3 tornado, 2 flash flood. The reports record 2 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | 2 hurt, $200,000 | Widespread tree and power line damage throughout the city of Lima. Along a strech of Shawnee Rd. from Fort Amanda Rd. to Reed Rd., every power pole and traffic signal was blown over, completely blocking the road. The roof of an automotive shop at Jackson St. and Findlay Rd. collapsed. Numerous homes and businesses sustained roof damage. About two thirds of Allen County was without power. One person was injured by a falling tree, and one person was knocked over by the wind and sustained minor injuries. There were also up to 15 indirect injuries from automobile accidents during the storm. |
| June 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | $1,600,000 | Three aircraft hangars destroyed. About 17 airplanes and the Allen County Sheriff's Office helicopter were significantly damaged or destroyed. |
| August 2007 | Flash Flood | Lima | $500,000 | Numerous roads closed across the county caused by high, flowing water. |
| April 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | $100,000 | Law enforcement reported tress and power lines down across the county with much of the damage in and around Lima. A large tree fell on a home and a car. The Lima High school which was under construction had damage to the roof. |
| June 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | $50,000 | Roof collapsed at the Motel 6 on Harding Highway. The south end of the building sustained considerable damage. |
| July 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | $50,000 | TELEPHONE POLES DOWN ON CABLE RD. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | $50,000 | Trees and limbs were downed, some on power lines. An enclosed patio on a home was destroyed by a falling tree. |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | $25,000 | Many power lines were downed. |
| April 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | $25,000 | Several roofs were blown off houses, and several windows were also reported blown out. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | $20,000 | Large tree down onto car at the intersection of North Woodlawn Avenue and Latham Avenue. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | $20,000 | Law enforcement officials reported trees and power lines down through the county. |
| June 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | $20,000 | Roof damage to a shopping center. Widespread trees and power lines down. |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | $20,000 | TV tower blown down. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | $10,000 | Several large trees uprooted or downed. Four power poles snapped. |
| November 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | $10,000 | TWO POWER POLES WERE SNAPPED. ONE LARGE TREE WAS BLOWN DOWN. TWO RAILROAD CROSSING ARMS WERE SNAPPED AS WELL. |
| May 1997 | Flash Flood | Lima | $10,000 | Riley creek in Bluffton rose out of its banks causing 6 residents to be evacuated. Several roads flooded across the county. |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | $5,000 | Trees and power lines down throughout county |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | $5,000 | Trees and limbs were downed. |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | $4,000 | Canopy on a shopping mall was blown down along with a portion of the wall that it was attached to. 4 blocks to the south several large tree limbs were sheared off from only the lowest 20 feet of the trees. |
| June 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | $4,000 | Large trees downed, some on power lines. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | $2,000 | Trees down in American Township reported by Allen County sheriff. |
| August 2003 | Tornado (F0) | Lima | $1,000 | Brief touchdown reported near State Route 65 and Interstate 75. 1 barn received damage from the tornado. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Tree inch tree limbs broken. Reported from mPing. Time estimated from radar. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Large tree branches were downed. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Emergency management officials reported trees and power lines down in several locations across the county. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | The public reported large tree limbs down. |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Local media reported structural damage to a modular home, with roof damage and porch collapse noted. |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | The public reported a large tree was uprooted onto a privacy fence. In addition, roughly a half dozen other large trees were blown down in the area. |
| July 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Emergency management officials reported several trees down throughout the county. |
| April 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | A trained spotter estimated wind gusts to 60 mph just south of Lima. |
| November 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | A mesonet station recorded a 63 mph wind gust. |
| August 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Law enforcement officials reported a large tree being blown down on Lakewood Street. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | A trained spotter estimated 60 mph wind gusts. Power lines and small tree limbs were blown down throughout the town. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | A trained spotter reported a 80 foot pine tree snapped roughly 20 feet from the ground at the corner of 7th and Main Streets. |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | A trained spotter reported multiple trees down along Kemp Road. Shingles were blown off many roofs in the area. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Law enforcement officials reported trees and power lines down on the east side of Lima. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Amateur radio operators reported several tree branches down. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | A local newspaper reported a large tree fell onto a house and garage in the 600 block of Nixon Avenue in Lima. No information was provided in terms of damage to the structures. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | A trained spotter reported a light pole was damaged by strong winds at the intersection of Metcalf and Elm. |
| October 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | A trained spotter reported a 70 mph wind gust near Heritage Elementary school. |
| June 2010 | Tornado (EF0) | Lima | - | The broadcast media relayed eyewitness reports of a weak, short-lived circulation that briefly touched down near the intersection of Kenilworth Avenue and Rice Avenue. Despite the touchdown, the only damage observed in the area was the blowing around of a trampoline. The circulation dissipated northwest of the intersection of Rice Avenue and Cole Street. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Local law enforcement officials reported several trees blown down around Lima. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Emergency management officials reported that part of a wall from a building fell onto a man walking by, causing minor injuries. |
| June 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Three tractor tailers were blown over on Interstate 75. |
| June 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Amateur radio reported power lines down in the city of Lima. |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Trees and power lines reported blown down. A tree fell down onto an occupied vehicle. No injuries were reported. |
| April 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Emergency management reported 15 downed power lines and about 30 trees down south of Lima. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Law enforcement reported trees and power lines down in Lima. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | A trained spotter reported trees and power lines down in Lima. |
| November 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Sheriff reported trees and power lines down in and around Lima. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Trees and power lines down. |
| August 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Trees down in Shawnee. |
| April 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Power lines and tree lines downed. Time estimated. |
| September 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Large tree blown down. |
| August 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Trees and power lines down. |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Fourteen 4-8 foot diameter trees were uprooted along the Auglaize River. |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | Numerous trees blown down. |
| April 1998 | Hail | Lima | - | Three-quarter inch hail was reported by Amateur Radio Operators and Sheriff's Department on Mumaugh Rd. in Lima and along I-75 at Beaverdam. |
| July 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Lima | - | AT CABLE RD AND LATHEN AVE AND AT ALLENTOWN RD AND ELIDA RD AND AT CLOCK TOWER PLAZA ON WEST SIDE OF LIMA... TREES DOWN AND POWER LINES DOWN. TREES SNAPPED OFF ABOUT 20 FEET ABOVE GROUND, 4 LARGE POLES BEND OVER, AND SMALL CAMPER-TRAILER FLATTENED. |
| July 1998 | Tornado (F0) | Lima | - | TORNADO TOUCHDOWN REPORTED BY SPOTTER 1/10TH OF A MILE NORTH OF FINDLEY RD AT NORTH SUGAR ST. BLEW STEEL WALL DOWN ALONG SCRAP METAL YARD AND POWER POLES SNAPPED OFF. MOVED SE AND TORE OFF RAILROAD CROSSING ARMS BEFORE LIFTING. |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
When this property was proposed for the National Register, someone wrote the case for it: what the building is, and why it matters. That document is a federal record in the public domain. It is reproduced in full on its own page, word for word and never summarised. The text was read off the scanned case file by machine, so the occasional stray character is the recogniser's and the 1970s typewriter's.
The whole case file for this property - 2,299 words, 20 pages, reproduced complete.
Quoted from the National Register nomination for reference 86001053, 20 pages, held by the National Archives in Record Group 79. See the catalogue record.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Dorsey Building | 0.1 miles | 1982 |
 | Linneman Building | 0.1 miles | 1982 |
| Adgate Block | 0.1 miles | 1982 | |
 | Cahill, Beck and R. C., Buildings | 0.1 miles | 1982 |
 | Martin Block and Kibby Block | 0.1 miles | 1982 |
 | Union Block | 0.2 miles | 1982 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 86001053 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Allen County | All 26 listed properties in this county. |
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