Holmes County Buys Former Law Office Property to Expand Parking

Holmes County commissioners approved the purchase of the former Steimel law office property in downtown Millersburg, acquiring a site long associated with one of the county seat's most recognized legal practices and converting it toward public parking near the Holmes County Court of Common Pleas on East Jackson Street.

The Steimel Law Office was a fixture of downtown Millersburg for nearly four decades. Samuel Mast Steimel opened the practice in 1985 after graduating from the University of Toledo College of Law, and it remained in operation until his death in October 2021 at age 63. His wife, Ronda P. Steimel, continues to serve the county as Clerk of Courts, with her office located at 1 East Jackson Street inside the courthouse the new parking acquisition is meant to serve.

The courthouse block has long faced pressure on its limited supply of spaces. Public lots currently exist along Jackson Street to the east and Monroe Street to the south, but those lots regularly fill on days when court dockets are heavy, the county home is busy, or events draw additional visitors to the downtown square. The Steimel property gives the county a direct foothold to expand that supply rather than rely on street parking or lots several blocks away.

Beyond immediate parking, the acquisition carries potential for longer-term use. The county has acknowledged the site offers future development options as needs evolve, giving commissioners flexibility to determine the property's full configuration once planning work moves forward.

For anyone making a trip to the courthouse for a hearing, a title transfer through the Clerk of Courts, or a visit to any of the county offices clustered along Court and Jackson Streets, the addition of a county-controlled lot nearby represents a tangible change to the downtown parking picture that has frustrated visitors for years.