Once dubbed the "Crystal Palace," The Arcade in Cleveland, Ohio, was an architectural tour-de-force when the massive skylit structure first opened in 1890. Modeled after the Galleria Vittorio Emanuell II in Milan, Italy, this shopping mall is visually breathtaking in any century.

John D. Rockefeller was one of the oringinal investors in this early American indoor mall. The Arcade, designed by John M. Eisenmann and George H. Smith, epitomized the elegant, modern shopping experience. Thanks to a $60 million restoration begun in 1999, visitors can enjoy The Arcade more than a century after it was built.

Below is a personal recollection of this architectural gem written by ARTFIXdaily contributor Hannah Richards Carlson:

It's a picture-perfect summer's day in Cleveland, a historic Ohio city on the edge of Lake Erie. Couples and families head to the upcoming Indians' game at the ball field. But I'm taking a lunch break during a day-long meeting and cross Euclid Avenue to a favorite spot in my native city, a place called The Arcade.

Despite the connotations of its name, this gorgeous building is not filled with video games, slot machines, and flashing lights. Built in the Romanesque Revival style, The Arcade opened in 1890 as one of America's first indoor shopping mall.

My attraction to this spot stems from family roots and a love of history. The personal tie comes from my mother's Swedish maternal side, the Malms. Two Malm brothers, both engineers working on oil drilling in Titusville, Pennsylvania, moved to Cleveland to help build the big city's mercantile center.

They helped construct the mall's five-story galleries connected to ten-story towers facing Cleveland's two main thoroughfares. The now-restored Arcade is brilliantly lit with 1,600 individual panels of glass that are 3 inches thick, shatterproof and strong enough to walk on, reportedly.

A small display case with a brief history, artifacts, and original architectural pen and ink drawings, included a placque reading:

The palatial architectural and grandeur of the Arcade have attracted out-of-town visitors and Clevelanders alike to the stunning concourse since opening...The Arcade was built for $875,000. and was known as the Crystal Palace. Original investors included John D. Rockefeller, Charles Brush, and Louis Severance. The Arcade was the 1st building in Cleveland and 9th in the U.S. to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Today, I picture my sweet grandmother, Alma Malm Hill, as a teenager in the 1890's strolling about the palatial arcade in search of hat pins and gifts. If only she had kept a journal or blog!

Although the shops have changed, the polished brass, beautiful marble, wide stairways, and slender lanterns, are still bathed in warm sunshine from the tremendous skylight 100 feet above.

I picked up a salad at Charley's and relaxed at a table under a market umbrella on the lower floor. Before returning to my meeting, I checked out the upper floor which includes a large salon, interesting coin shop, and empty store fronts waiting for new occupants. A large portion of the Arcade is filled by the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Next time I'll try the "modern" 1890 Restaurant with large windows looking out on the street.

Now my leisure time is up and I'm back to my busy 21st century schedule. I'll take away memories of the 19th century when my relatives joined a daring building project. I'd love to see the ball fans stop by to cheer this amazing architectural triumph!

The Arcade, 1401 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio