Greenbaum Building

The Greenbaum Building was a historic commercial structure at 200 N. Market Street in Waverly, Ohio. It was razed in 2021.

The Greenbaum Building was built circa 1878 and initially housed James Emmitt’s Jas Emmitt Dry Goods store after it relocated from across the street. ² The building later hosted Hoffman’s department store ¹² and then Charles Lewis Greenbaum’s Greenbaums which proclaimed that it was “The Store With The Goods.” ⁷ A bargain basement and a year-round novelty counter and toy department was added in 1938. ¹¹

Greenbaum’s announced that it would go out of business on March 13, 1947, ⁹ and it closed on April 19. ⁸ The storefront was then leased to local plumbing outfit Armbruster and Armbruster who used it as a display room, ⁹ followed by Waverly Drugs in June 1954. ⁴

Businesses that were located in the Greenbaum Building over the years included:

Business	Dates of Operation
Emmitt Dry Goods Store	1878 –
Hoffman’s
Greenbaum’s ^{8 9}	– April 1947
Armbruster and Armbruster ^{2 3 9}	1947 – 1953
Waverly Drugs ⁴	June 1954 –
Bee Hive Tavern ^{2 3}	1975 – 1992

The top floor of the Greenbaum Building originally housed Waverly Aerie No. 2227 Fraternal Order of Eagles, ⁵ and was later used as a dancing venue and bowling alley. ^{2 3}

After the Bee Hive Tavern left circa 1992, the Greenbaum Building fell into severe structural disrepair. Proposals to save the building over the years proved to be a fruitless endeavor because of high construction costs and the lack of long-term tenants that would sign onto the project. ¹ Complicating the issue were previous owners who failed to secure the building and an ongoing dispute with an adjoining property owner that halted attempts at structural stabilization.

The city sought the opinion of the Chesler Company, which specialized in the restoration of distressed historic buildings and who had restored the Carlisle Building in Chillicothe after a major fire gutted much of the structure. ¹ Chesler concluded that unless two adjoining buildings could be acquired and combined into one parcel with the Greenbaum Building, and that unless a tenant could be secured on a long-term contract, there would be little economic return on investment for any developer.

The Greenbaum Building was condemned after a hole opened on the side on July 31, 2018. 1 Because of accelerated deterioration of the structure, including a roof collapse and structural wall shifts, it was determined in November 2021 that the structure needed to be demolished. ⁶ Funding for the razing came primarily through a $250,000 community development block grant from the Ohio Department of Development, $40,000 from the Village of Waverly, $35,000 from the county, $60,000 from the Recovery Council, $20,000 from the Pike County Land Reutilization Corporation, and $5,000 from the Pike County Economic Development office.

The Greenbaum Building was demolished on December 4.

Sources

“Greenbaum building likely to be demolished.” News Watchman, 31 Aug. 2020.
Henry, Jim. “Hoping memories of the Greenbaum building will prompt restoration.” News Watchman, 12 Nov. 2019.
Kalfs, Barbara B. “Variety of shops, restaurant to fill ‘House of Greenbaum’.” Chillicothe Gazette, 2 Apr. 1982, p. 8.
“Waverly Drugs To Open Shortly.” Chillicothe Gazette, 17 May 1954, p. 3.
“Waverly police.” Chillicothe Gazette, 9 Jun. 1982, p. 7.
Keck, Patrick. “Greenbaum demolition date set tentatively.” News Watchman, 8 Nov. 2021.
“Death Summons C. L. Greenbaum.” Chillicothe Gazette, 24 Sept. 1935, pp. 1-2.
“Last Two Big Days.” The Republican Herald, 17 Apr. 1947, p. 3.
“To Quit Business.” Republican Herald, 13 Mar. 1947, p. 1.
“Historical Sketch.” Inventory of the County Archives of Ohio: No. 66 Pike County, Ohio Historical Records Survey Project, Columbus, OH, 1942, p. 5.
“Greenbaum’s in Expansion.” The Republican Herald, 27 Oct. 1938, p. 1.
“Pike’s Postcards: Changing Main Street to Emmitt Street.” News Watchman, 13 Oct. 2017.