GAYLEEN GINDY HAYMARKET SQUARE

In 1973 the Haymarket Square complex was built by Eugene Paul using an old car dealership block building and creating a space for commercial retail businesses. The outside of the building was made to look like an old-fashioned town, and give the feel of the “Old West.” His idea included an old-fashioned boardwalk along the front of the various businesses and signs above reading: “The Pet Emporium,” “The Prospector Art Supplies,” “Custard’s Last Stand Restaurant,” “General Store Gifts” and “Sodbuster Saloon.”
The parcel that is the parking lot today originally had a large house on it that had been constructed in 1851 when William Warren owned the property. From 1851 until 1904 the home belonged to Mr. Warren, and then his widow. In 1904 his widow, Sarah Warren, sold the home and property to George Mickens, and then in 1909 John and Mattie Crandall purchased the house. The 1909 photo shows their adopted daughter Anna in front.
John lived here until he died in 1917, and Mattie until she passed away in 1925, leaving the home to their adult children, Frank, Lou and Fred Crandall. With the three of them each living in other states, they gave the house to their adopted sister, Anna Rosenbrook, in 1928 and the family said that it was their gift to her for taking care of their father and mother in their final years.
After Mattie Crandall died Anna married Ernest Schaber and the two of them lived in the home until he died in 1957 and she died in 1961. While living here Schaber was selling automobiles and doing radiator and body repair out of the barn on this property. A 1924 building permit issued to Mattie Crandall allowed alterations to the barn. The work was being done by Ernest Schaber and included sheet metal work, a cement floor, new windows and a chimney. A 1927 advertisement shows Schaber Top & Radiator Shop operating at this address.
In 1946 Schaber purchased the property to the north and used the home on that property as his sales office, but soon after demolished the home and built a small cement block building. Then a permit from 1949 shows him hiring Ed Plum and Art Iron Works to add a 45-foot by 70-foot cement block addition to that structure where he operated Schaber Motor Sales until he retired in 1957. That was the year he began renting the cement block building to Vin Devers. In 1957 Schaber obtained a building permit to remove the front portion of the old barn behind his home and seal up the front and build an awning.
Ernest Schaber died in 1957 and Anna Schaber continued to rent the cement block building to Devers. She lived in her home to the south until she passed away in 1960. A January 1961 advertisement shows Devers selling Mercurys, Comets and English Fords. Vin Devers purchased both parcels from the estate in 1962, and by April the Sylvania Sentinel reported that Cote Wrecking Company started demolishing the former home of Ernest and Anna Schaber.
In October of 1963 Vin Devers was issued a building permit to add a 12-foot by 19-foot cement block addition to the front of the commercial building. He continued to sell new and used cars from this property until 1968, when it just became too congested for his growing business, and he moved his operation to Monroe Street.
From 1969 through 1972 the building was leased to Jaranko Surplus Sales, and in July of 1973 the property was purchased by Phyllis Paul, wife of builder Eugene Paul. That same month a building permit was issued to convert the building into a multiple unit commercial shopping complex, with a second story added to a portion of the building where Paul had his offices.
Although Eugene Paul passed away this year at the age of 100, his legacy in Sylvania will live on forever.