Former interurban station gets facelift courtesy of Medina CDC

MEDINA — One of the last remnants of the Cleveland Southwestern Electric Interurban, which would transport passengers from Medina to Downtown Cleveland several times daily, stopped making stops in Medina in 1931. Once a vibrant means of transportation, it went by the wayside when people started buying their own cars. The Interurban Station, near 260 S. Court St., is about all that's left of the railway, and it was important to the Medina Community Design Committee to keep those memories alive. So, the Medina CDC has partnered with Main Street Medina to repaint and complete repairs on the historic Interurban Station, located just off the square. The new paint colors were chosen by the CDC and approved by the Historic Preservation Board. Early next year, CDC Director Michele Kenealy Nichols said plans are in the works to paint the one-room station's interior. She said the CDC paid about $3,000 to refurbish the station and will get reimbursed for about half that amount with Heritage Ohio grant funds. Medina Signs is in the process of making a historical marker, which will be installed in 2021. The train station once sat on the west side of North Court Street, past Kmart, about where Stonegate Drive is today. It was in danger of being torn down in 1988 when then Mayor Bill Lamb and Service Director Charles Ramer had it moved to the city garage. It was restored by the CDC in 1991 and moved to its current location. "It was moved there because the city had a parking lot and there was space for it," Lamb said. "We needed a place to put it. (Many) people still don't know what it is." Nichols hopes to plan a documentary on the small structure and have it aired on MedinaTV. "It was long overdue for a face-lift," she said. According to research from historian Bob Hyde, the Cleveland, Medina and Southern Electric Company, or CM&SE, organized in 1895, planned to build an electric railway line from Berea through Medina to Chippewa Lake Park, a growing amusement and recreation park, and eventually to Wooster. By December 1900, the CM&SE had franchises and private rights-of-way stretching from Berea to Wooster. The Pomeroy-Mandelbaum properties consolidated Jan. 21, 1903, to form the Cleveland and Southwestern Traction Company (C&SW). The new company created two divisions, Western and Southern, and operated a total of 120 miles of completed track, with 26 miles under construction at the time of consolidation. It operated two power stations and 33 motor cars between Cleveland and Medina to the south and Oberlin, Elyria and Wellington to the west. By September 1903, the Southern Division line through Medina reached Wooster. Medina resident Jim Gerspacher had fond memories of the Interurban Station, which he said was located where Liberty Tree Plaza is today. "They sold honey cream ice cream there," he said. "The property owners had ponies. With ice cream and ponies, it was a piece of heaven for me." Main Street Medina will use the Interurban Station as a temporary house for Santa Claus this year. His house was burned by an arson fire several months ago, but now children will be able to visit Santa in a safe social-distancing environment throughout the holidays. Contact reporter Bob Finnan at (330) 721-4049 or rfinnan@medina-gazette.com.