Flashback Minis: Downtown Youngstown Central Square Circa 1874

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio– This is a photograph of an early Downtown Youngstown Central Square. It was taken in 1874 by Youngstown photographers Leroy & Terrill. This view of the southwest corner shows the newly built Mahoning Bank, Opera House, and Diamond Block building, with the Civil War Monument in the middle of the square.

When Youngstown was a new settlement, local life revolved around the Mahoning River and residents congregated near what became downtown’s Central Square. They built homes, businesses, schools, and churches. Residential and commercial growth happened in tandem during the 19th century. Rapid population growth at the end of that century changed downtown’s makeup to primarily commercial structures, and residential growth continued beyond the central business district.

During the first decades of the 20th century, downtown construction exploded, and skyscrapers dotted the Central Square and beyond.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.