Hidden Spaces Tell Their Stories in Downtown Delaware

By 1808Delaware

The streets of downtown Delaware were quite busy on Friday evening, as sidewalk diners and shoppers were joined by a number of people wearing conspicuous bright green wrist bands.

You could identify these people not only by the flash of green, but because they were walking up and down Sandusky and side streets and then quickly disappearing into rarely used doorways between commercial storefronts.

Friday was the Hidden Spaces Tour hosted by Main Street Delaware,which showcased rarely seen upper floors — some in nearly original condition, and others which have already been transformed and updated for modern use.

The evening started, fittingly enough, at the new Delaware Welcome Center project, soon to be the permanent home of Main Street Delaware. The former Sheets property at 20 East William Street was open, and even before the Hidden Spaces Tour official began at 6 PM, the Welcome Center was a very busy place.

Each location on the tour had individuals on hand to provide information and/or for questions.

The Big Four Railroad Depot on Lake Street was also open, with owner representatives there to share their hopes and plans for the facility.

We took several photos from the Hidden Spaces Tour; click on any photo for a larger image.

Included below are views from the new Delaware Welcome Center next to COhatch, several buildings along Sandusky Street, and the Big Four Railroad Depot on Lake Street.

UPDATE

On Saturday, we received a request from a reader to add locations to the photos below. To the best of our memory, these were taken in the following locations:

Top two photos and spiral staircase photo — Future Delaware Welcome Center, 20 East William

Second from top on right and left — Above Toujours, 8 North Sandusky

Third and fourth from top on right — Templar Hall, 17 North Sandusky

Bottom on left — Above Son of Thurman, 5 North Sandusky

Bottom in middle and bottom two on right — Big Four Depot, 60 Lake Street

Others locations on the tour, some of which we visited — 1808 American Bistro, 29 East Winter; Georgia’s Bed & Breakfast, 76 North Franklin Street; Future Home of Mane Salon & Spa, 33 North Sandusky; OWU’s Labyrinth; Sydney Co Salon, 49 North Sandusky (not open)