Mantua – At their last meeting, Mantua Village Council heard from Renee Henry from the Landmarks Commission. Ms. Henry shared details of a proposed walking tour of Mantua’s historic business district. The tour includes five stops, the first of which is the C.H Ray Block (former site of Weber Hardware) on Main Street. The site is a flower garden that was planted after a fire consumed the building in 1985.
The next stop is the nearby Bowen Block, on the east side of Main Street, north of Prospect. The initial structure, on the northeast corner of Main and Prospect, was built in 1873, while the northern buildings of Bowen Block were added in 1877, 1881, and 1885.
Moving along, the Pellettiere Thompson Block, built 15 years after the Bowen Block, is the next stop on the tour, followed by the Mantua Grain and Supply Building and grain elevator on Prospect Street. The final stop on the walking tour is the Mantua Station Depot. The Depot, which served the Cleveland-Mahoning Valley Railroad, then went on to be used by the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad, carried passengers and local produce from Leavittsburg through Mantua and on to Cleveland. The former route, which was discontinued for train travel in the 1970s, serves as the Headwaters Hike & Bike Trail. For more information on the structures included on the walking tour, contact Mary Lou Selander at selanderml@hiram.edu.
In similar news, council approved a motion to update the “Welcome to the Village of Mantua” sign at the corner of Canada Road and State Route 44. While the overall size of the masonry sign will remain the same, the plaques within the sign, which promote various community organizations like the Rotary and Garden Club, will increase in size and be designed in a more consistent format. Village Administrator Bruce Reninger will have final design approval on the modified sign.
In other news, Councilman John Clark shared that the Service Department recently met with several residents on Pioneer Trail to share details on the possibility of tying in to the village’s water and sewer systems. The village is waiting for feedback from those residents.
On behalf of the Parks Committee, Mary Hura reported that they’re looking into the costs associated with moving a ball field, something that is recommended on the newly developed Parks Master Plan. He’ll keep Council advised of the developments.
Lastly, Administrative Assistant Chelsea Gregor shared that the Engineering class at Crestwood High School will build a free library box this spring. The structure will be housed near the police station, and provide donated books to children in the community. For more details, or to donate reading materials, contact Chelsea at mantuasa@sbcglobal.net.
The next regularly scheduled Village Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 17th at 7 pm. Residents are encouraged to attend.
