EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was originally published on Richland Source in 2013.
MANSFIELD — For many generations, from the founding of Mansfield, the view out Park Avenue West was entirely residential, with tree-lined sidewalks, stately old homes and no hint of a business or commercial presence.
The first of the dominoes to fall was the Purdy home in the 1920s when it was replaced by a Sinclair filling station. After that, the character of the street made a turn away from private residence that was decidedly in the interest of private enterprise.
