Klaus Block
a.k.a. Johnson's Paramont Drug Store
401-405 N. Main St., Lima, OHAn important structure in Lima's north downtown. Philip Kraus, apparently the builder, had a meat market here in 1876. There has reportedly always been a pharmacy located in the se corner; in 1880 J. P. Beckley a druggist is located here. Over the years the building has housed many businesses: in 1903 the Columbia Candy mfg. co. the top floor is a former high-ceilinged ballroom and a notorious '30s speakeasy. Significant as an excellent example of High Victorian Gothic commercial architecture.
Local significance of the building:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.