The Curtis Block

Tradition. Rituals. Community. In an increasingly utilitarian society that seems to worship all things new, these quaint concepts are often disregarded with a casual indifference. Why preserve something that simply can be replaced? Isn’t the more modern building or newer technology inherently superior? Why hold onto the past? Just be practical.

Yet, honoring our history and traditions is not merely a sentimental expression--it is often, paradoxically, one of the most practical things that we can do. This is especially true in Lakewood. In our competitive, dynamic world, we have some comparative advantages over our friends to the west, the most prominent include our housing stock, location and architecture.

Every time we maintain, renovate or reconstitute an old building—see Geiger’s, Donato’s, Malley’s, Players, Sweet Designs, or just drive down Clarence—we keep Lakewood special and further differentiate ourselves from the land of strip malls and subdivisions. Each step in the other direction promotes homogenization, and our identity becomes eroded.  

Our sense of place, and the history embodied within it, reinforces an understanding and appreciation of those who built our town. The preservation of such “places” is not only the preservation of history, but also the stories behind it.

As a history teacher at Lakewood High School, I see students every day who are enriched by an understanding of where they came from; many have a genuine pride in our home town. We often talk about how Lakewood developed before the widespread use of automobiles, and how that fact has shaped our city. I was therefore thrilled to see that the Planning Commission approved the first part of the process toward declaring the Curtis Block, on the southwest corner of Marlowe and Detroit, as historic. Descendants of two of our earliest settlers-- Joseph and Sarah Curtis Hall--built this beautiful building. It shares a block with four other original commercial buildings from the streetcar-era. It’s as Lakewood as the big tree on Summit, and Mahall’s.

Just about everyone has fireworks, but the Fourth of July Parade and Lakewood Project concert are as uniquely Lakewood as anything I can think of. I couldn’t imagine a Fourth of July without them. Likewise, I want to continue living in a Lakewood that celebrates its traditions and history, not simply in the Old Stone House or on a website, but as a living reminder of economic factors, visionary people and ideas that built our magical community. Long Live Lakewood.

Read More on
Volume 11, Issue 11, Posted 3:04 PM, 05.26.2015