The story of our very own "Jewel Box" ... 

The Louis Sullivan Building of Newark has graced the Courthouse Square for over a century at One North Third Street. It was built in 1914 and opened its doors on August 25, 1915 as The Home Building Association Company, commonly known as “The Old Home”. One of only eight banks designed by noted American architect Louis Sullivan, it is both a national treasure and a treasured piece of Central Ohio’s heritage. Through the years, the Sullivan Building was also home to a butcher shop, a jewelry store and eventually an ice cream parlor. With each new tenant the interior was altered, but the building’s historic and architectural significance never changed. In 1973, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. 

In 2013, the building was generously gifted to the Licking County Foundation by Newark native Stephen Jones. Since early 2014, the Licking County Foundation Governing Committee and a team of community volunteers known as Team Sullivan have been working to develop and realize a plan for the Louis Sullivan Building of Newark’s restoration and reuse. The vision has always been to create a valuable space that is financially self-sustaining and open for the public to enjoy, celebrate and study. Thanks to enormous support from local, regional and national donors, a team of unflappable volunteers, expert restoration professionals, and our Governing Committee's dedication, this vision will be achieved when the building’s doors open in August, 2025 as the new home for Explore Licking County.   

Thanks to generous, community-spirited donors together with The Jeffris Family Foundation’s visionary matching grant, the Sullivan Building’s exterior restoration is a wrap!

To enjoy a detailed presentation on our Exterior Renovation Celebration Page, click here.