2.+Whipple+and+Sipher

 In an attempt to cope with the despair of the tragic Medina Square fire in 1870, the Medina Square went through a major revitalization in the early 1870s in order to solidify its status as a major shopping center for Northeast Ohio. Part of this revitalization was the building of many new shops along South Court Street, one of which became Whipple and Sipher Grocery at address number 221. Not only was the building constructed in an accessible location, but its beautiful Victorian design, which was very popular at the time, made it very visually appealing and inviting. The Whipple and Sipher Grocery store quickly became a great success in its new Square location, known for its homemade glassware and beautiful crockery. It was these unique products that led to the merchants installing a trapdoor and pulley system in the Italianate building, and the lowering of precious glassware from the attic through the trap door became a common sight for loyal customers.

//An off-set view of the popular Whipple & Sipher store of Medina,Ohio. The store was big amongst the town when it was built after the extensive fire of 1870. The scene also includes a man standing in front of present-day Medina Hardware. At the time, that shop was owned and operated by the Oatman family. (7)//

 It was the great success of Whipple and Sipher Grocery that led to their families acquiring great sums of wealth, which they used to build Gilded Age-inspired homes that perfectly reflected the Victorian architecture prominent at that time. The old Whipple House can still be seen today on West Friendship Street, and Mr. Sipher’s grand safe, once filled with large amounts of money, can still be found among the shelves of Gramercy Gallery. It was the success of the Whipple and Sipher Grocery store, up until its closing in 1926, which helped the Medina Square to transform and keep up with the wave of industrialization sweeping the nation during the grand time of the Gilded Age.



// A look of the south-side of the Medina Square, built in a beautiful Victorian style after the fire of 1870. Shops include Whipple & Sipher, Oatman’s Hardware, and the present-day Fleur’s. This entire section of South Court Street thrived and provided Medina residents with a one-stop place to shop. (8) //

//** Interview with Pam Miller regarding Whipple and Sipher: **// media type="youtube" key="iLdS1qWp-fM?hl=en" height="344" width="425" align="center"

//The pulley in the Whipple and Sipher store saw action in lowering precious glassware from the upper level down to the storefront through a trap door. Although it is no longer in use, the pulley and trapdoor system can still be viewed in the upper level of what is now the Gramercy Gallery. Shown here in the clip above is the pulley as it is today.//