Throwback Thursday: Washington Hall and the Ogden Building in Downtown Bowling Green

Downtown Bowling Green is full of history, and some of the oldest buildings in the city can be found around Fountain Square. The corner of East Main Avenue and State Street is home to the Ogden building. While this building went up around 1870, the one it replaced was built about 50 years earlier. Washington Hall was built in 1820 and served as a hostel and dance hall.

In 1820, the corner of Main and State was home to a two-story brick building with eight sleeping rooms. Called Washington Hall, it was named for our country’s first president, George Washington. In fact, they say a large sign featuring a portrait of George himself was hanging outside the hall, over the street. They also say many prominent guests stopped for a night’s rest and good entertainment at Washington Hall, including future president Andrew Jackson. Unfortunately, for lots of Fountain Square buildings, the hotel burned during the Civil War. We wish we could find images of that Washington sign or dance hall.

But within five years, today’s Ogden building was constructed in that location. The three-story building of today features an Italianate style, with second floor window hood molds that are flat and supported by decorative consoles. The third floor windows have arched hood molds instead.

The Ogden building has served many purposes over its time. While we’ve mentioned famous Fountain Square motion picture halls like The Capitol, The Diamond, and The Princess – this place once housed another, The Elite. From 1911 to 1917, The Elite theatre seated 200 people and featured a gold and mahogany interior with brass light fixtures.

Other tenants included the famous Nell O’Bryan hat shop, a Masonic Lodge, Alex Duvall Dry Goods store, a C.D.S. drugstore, Hilliard Lyons and more. The building is currently available for lease and was recently renovated, ready for another chapter in the two centuries of its Fountain Square history.