A crenelated parapet
This walk around the block continues in front of Starbucks, on the northwest corner of Broadway and W. Third Street. Head west on Third until you reach the building just next to the International Order of Oddfellow’s Building.
Appropriately enough, it’s called the International Order of Oddfellow’s Annex. It’s a chip off the old corner-of-the-block building. It was built by the organization in about 1910. The bottom level houses Fleet Feet, a longtime occupant. A metal boxed cornice runs along the entire length of the front of the building. It’s supported by a large bracket at either end. Above that is a crenelated parapet.
The building next door, which also has a cornice and brackets, is home to good eating. Spice Creek and Cafe Malvina are ground floor next-door neighbors.
When you turn right and head up Salem Street, you will be confronted by a visually blank block on this side of the street. But that is more than made up for by the 1905 gothic revival-style St. Augustine of Canterbury Anglican Church, which takes up most of the block on the other side of the street. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The church has turned the northern end of the building into Augie’s Fine Coffee & Tea. Beyond the church lies the parking lot that was once the site of the Hotel Oaks, which stood on the southwest corner of Second and Salem streets for almost 60 years.
It looks bad for a city when a historic building is torn down only to be replaced by a parking lot. But Hotel Oaks came to an end because business was down, not because the site was needed for a parking lot.
Would a 21st century version of Hotel Oaks do well on the site today? My guess that it wouldn’t stand a chance unless parking for guests could be guaranteed.