The Primett Building

The Primett Building (rhymes with “limit”) was the first masonry building in Rocky River and is still standing today in 2013. Archer Primett was born September 11, 1869, in Lakewood, Ohio. Anna Saunderson was born on October 23, 1870, in Lakewood. When they were young they both lived on what is now Arlington Road in Lakewood. They were married on February 11, 1890.

Both Archer’s and Anna’s families were in the meat business. Archer had his first meat market in a small building on Detroit Road in Rocky River, a couple of blocks from Blount Street.

In 1899/1900, Archer and Anna bought a meat market from her brother John Saunderson on Blount Street, opposite the Silverthorn, and they lived upstairs in the back. They owned the building and rented the land. In addition to selling meat from the meat market, they also made deliveries by wagon. The horses were kept in a stable behind the building, which included a pigeon loft where Archer raised squabs to sell. The beef came from the Webb Beef Company, Herbert Primett, John William Saunderson (They all were related), and other slaughterhouses in Cleveland. Archer also sold vegetables from his garden, and avocadoes and macadamia nuts were shipped in from his relative (Albon) in California. Seafood came from the Brandt Company.

In 1909, Archer built the masonry Primett Building (two stores downstairs with apartments above each) at what is now 19064 – 19070 Old Detroit Road. Before that, buildings were built of wood. The family lived in the apartment upstairs on the east side and the meat market was underneath. They rented out the other apartment and the other street-level space to grocers. One of the grocers was Clarence Mercer. Tom Woods bought the old building on Blount Street and used it for his barbershop. Later, he moved the building around the corner to Detroit Road.

At various times the meat market was called Oakwood Market or Primett Market. Customers came to the meat market every day because they did not have a good way to keep meat in their homes.

In 1921, Archer and Anna built a home on Lake Road in Sheffield Lake. Archer continued in the meat business for a few more years until they moved to Sheffield Lake permanently in 1924. They sold the business to employee Charlie Thomson, who worked in the meat business for over 58 years.

Archwood Drive in Rocky River is named after Archer Primett and his grandson George Archer Christensen. Archer was also one of the organizers of the Lakewood Yacht Club, now the Cleveland Yacht Club, in Rocky River.

The Rocky River Public Library, as part of their artwork collection, has three tin ceiling tiles from the Primett Building displayed on the wall of their Auditorium.

Written by Gay A. Christensen-Dean