The oldest, and most historic, existing building in Grand Pacific Junction, the Grand Pacific Hotel, was erected in 1840. There are about 30 buildings and storefronts that consist in this junction today. A few of the oldest buildings are the Jail house, built in 1860, and the Granary building, built in 1875. Both were renovated in the late 1900s and serve different uses today. The Granary building used to be a storage and market for grain and feed, while the Jailhouse was the main jail house of the police department in that era.
Grand Pacific Hotel
The Grand Pacific Hotel served as a hotel until 1888 when Philip Simmerer bought it and turned it into a hardware store. It continued as a store until the 1970s. The Grand Pacific Hotel was then owned by Bill Kucklick, and he renamed it Kucklick's Village Square Annex. On October 10, 1975, while Kucklick owned the building, it was put on the National Register of Historic Places, and was known in the register for having Greek Revival-style architecture. During the time when the hotel was a hardware store, it also housed a dentist's and doctor's office on the third floor. To make it easier for customers to access those offices without having to go through the store, a staircase was added on the south side of the building. In 1989, Clint Williams, a realtor, bought the building and began restoring it, along with the rest of the Grand Pacific Junction. Changes made by Williams include the removal of the staircase on the south side of the building and the addition of six dormers on the roof, two more on the south side and four on the north side. Inside the hotel, there was an addition of another room, a changing of the configuration of the windows and doors, and an installation of a wooden bar in the rear of the building's interior. The renovations were completed in August 1992, and the building now served as a banquet room, especially for weddings.
Restoration
Clint Williams bought the Grand Pacific Junction in 1989. Williams saw a need to restore the Grand Pacific Junction, as the buildings were in very poor condition and falling apart. Williams had a history in restoration, as in 1978, he converted an old Shell Gas Station into his realtor business building. Williams saw this as an opportunity to revive the history that this junction once had. During the restoration, Williams added electrical, heat and air conditioning, and sewers in all of the buildings. In addition to this, multiple buildings had their windows redone, new dormers put in, and had their siding redone. The insides were all renovated, but still kept the old, historic look. Williams also had a gazebo built outside by the parking lot, overlooking the creek that runs along the backside of the Grand Pacific Junction. Right next to the gazebo, he had a 1922 Vulcan locomotive and a caboose put in a small segment of tracks. The train was then painted, commemorating the revitalizing of this part of Olmsted Falls. In the 24 months that it took to restore the junction, Clint Williams had put in 19 merchants into the buildings, and there were more to come in the years following the completion of the restoration.
Heritage Days
The heritage days fair and parade, occurring in early August, is an annual event that is put together by the city and its people. Established in 1992 by Clint Williams, the Heritage Days is a time that many in the town and in surrounding communities look forward to. The parade is the first thing that happens for this event, and circles the Grand Pacific Junction, where many of its viewers reside. After the parade, the main event is the fair that goes on for four days. Within the fair, there are food trucks and stands, crafts and activity stand for kids, and tables for adults to shop and look over the different businesses that surround the city. Along with this, there are beer and wine tastings, along with other things for adults to do. Throughout the three days, there are also performances for entertainment and also to inform the people watching of the history of Olmsted Falls and specifically the Grand Pacific Junction.
Some of the more notable buildings that were restored have been and are currently being used for small businesses. The old jail house is now the Emerald Winds Honey Shoppe. Customers can go and enjoy fresh local honey and bee products. The depositors building is home to a new popular Italian restaurant called Matteo's. The old P. Simmerer's Flour and Feed shop is now Creekside Vintage antiques store, and their Hardware store is now Clementine's Tea Room. One of the more popular buildings, especially on warmer days, is the Falls Ice Cream shop. The shop was featured in the Cleveland Plain Dealer for having the best shakes.
