The Ojai Arcade was inspired by winter resident Edward Drummond Libbey of Libbey Glass in Ohio, who hired the architectural firm of Mead and Requa to design it and Robert Winfield as contractor. Libbey asked merchants to contribute $10 per frontage foot of their store space to help finance the project, and he paid the remaining costs. Built in 1917, the arcade now belongs to the City of Ojai.