One of Mentor’s oldest structures is the Gray-Coulton House located at the corner of Mentor Avenue and Maple Street. Originally built in 1868 by Martin Gray, it has served as a seed store, general store, grocery store, and a dry goods store. In recent years, the storefront has housed antique shops, photographers, and even a gun shop.
The building has withstood the test of time and serves as a reminder of Mentor’s rural past when shops were both home and business for the proprietor, and served as community gathering areas accessed via horse and wagon or on foot.
In fact, President James A. Garfield often visited the store when at home in Mentor.
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
The Gray-Coulton House is located at 8615 Mentor Avenue, Mentor, Ohio
Visit www.mentorhistory.com for additional waypoints on the Mentor History Trail.