SALEM – If only the walls could talk before falling into a pile of rubble.

Two Salem structures which stood on State Street between Lundy and Broadway for 100-plus years became part of downtown’s razed past last week, joining a long list of buildings no longer standing but still cherished by historians and residents.

Sad was the feeling expressed a lot on the Salem Historical Society’s Facebook page under Salem Ohio History, but there were also many fond memories recalled about former tenants of those buildings.

The first building to fall was the former TanFastic building, better known to some as the headquarters of Haldi’s Shoes, where many city residents shopped for the latest styles in footwear and had their feet measured by the X-ray machine. According to “The Salem Story,” the Sesqui Centennial Souvenir Hand Book, the building also housed a millinery shop for many years and the Style Shop in 1956 at the same time as Haldi Shoes.

Next was the building to the immediate east, known as the former site of both Rossetti’s Bakery and Engle’s Bakery. In 1912, it was known as the L.H. Rice Bakery. In 1956 the building housed Joe Bryan’s Floor Coverings. A metal sign which said Bryan’s Floor Coverings was attached to the back of the building and seen by many in the past few weeks. The sign is now in the hands of the Salem Historical Society.

The fate of two more buildings on the block could be decided soon, with the west side of the former Cheshire Booksellers to the east opened up like a dollhouse during the demolition of the bakery building. The building has played host to many businesses, including the Rosebud Cafe in 1912.

Also up in the air is what’s going to happen to the former Butler building, which had been the location for Kresge’s and had been part of First National Bank. The site where KeyBank and the Butler is located previously was the home of the Pow building, the first location for the First National Bank and the location of Concert Hall on the third floor where Mark Twain once appeared.

Concert Hall was built in 1861-1862 by Alexander Pow, but started showing signs of wear and tear by 1890 and was condemned in 1909. The building was razed in 1929 and replaced by the current structure.

Many other buildings on the block and throughout downtown have come and gone, such as the grand post office which was located on the northwest corner of Lincoln and State where Home Savings is now. The front steps and columns of the old post office adorn the front of the Salem Public Library.

The southwest corner of Lundy and State was once home to the Metzger Hotel and fell victim to a tragic fire which killed three hotel residents. Another hotel was the Lape located at the northeast corner of Ellsworth and State, now the site of a municipal parking lot. The Grand Theatre on State Street is just a plot of grass now along a brick sidewalk leading back to Sugartree Alley. Home Furniture was located at the southwest corner of Ellsworth and State and featured a large sign with a woman’s bare back, now it’s Consumers Bank.

The northeast corner of State and Lincoln has changed multiple times. Now the site of Family Video and Marco’s Pizza, the corner lot was a BP gas station for many years, but before that was known as the Arbaugh Furniture and the Pioneer building. The third floor of the Pioneer building was a large dance hall at one time.

For more on the history of downtown Salem, check out the Ohio Room in the Salem Public Library where many books about Salem can be found, including several by the late historian Dale Shaffer. Also a resource is the Dale Shaffer Library operated by the Salem Historical Society.

For a visual trip down memory lane, visit the Salem Historical Society’s Facebook page at Salem Ohio History where many photographs of past treasures have been posted.

mgreier@salemnews.net