Welcome to the Midtown Historic District Page!
This is the page where you can learn about this proposed district, including its history, effects on property owners, and much more!
Click here for a quick overview of the Historic District, including its effects on property owners.
PLEASE NOTE: The Midtown Historic District was nominated by a third party via an annual and independent nomination process conducted by the State Historical Preservation Office. The information provided on this page is merely for informative purposes.
If you would like to learn more about Midtown's History, please contact Barbara Powers (bpowers@ohiohistory.org).
If you would like to learn more about the history of this area of Midtown, please contact Wendy Hoge Naylor (naylor@naylorwellman.com)
How would this District promote growth and preservation?
The admittance of this area of Midtown onto the National Registry of Historic Places would spur growth, perservation and buzz in an area of Cleveland which is already home to several historic structures and notable planning initiatives, offering advantages such as:
- Adding prestige to the District and any properties within, which can raise the community awareness and pride
- Possibly rendering income-producing properties within the district eligible for 20% federal historic tax credits for certified rehabilitation and up to 25% of Ohio historic tax credits
- Giving property owners special consideration in the planning of federally funded/licensed projects
- Possibly rendering properties eligible for preservation funding via private and non-profit organizations
All of these advantages would be given to property owners without any additional action on their part!
Additionally, this designation would not:
- Prevent property owners from remodeling, repairing, altering, selling or demolishing their properties
- Obligate property owners to make any special repairs or improvements
- Otherwise force property owners to undertake any further action on their properties
What is the MidTown Historic District?
A portion of MidTown was recently nominated to be added to The National Registry of Historic Places as a Historic District, joining other areas of Cleveland such as Public Square and Ohio City on this prestigious list.
The proposed Midtown Historic District includes Prospect, Euclid, and Chester, roughly bounded by E. 55th, E. 30th, Perkins Ave, and Carnegie Ave.
This area of Midtown contains a rich multitude of architectural styles and community planning phases, mirroring the historic development of Cleveland and the Midtown neighborhood and reflecting the substantial history and spirit of the area via initiatives such as the I-90 Innerbelt and areas such as Millionaire's Row.
Why was this area of MidTown nominated?
Under guidelines created by the National Register of Historic Places, a historic district is defined as "a geographically definable area, urban or rural, possessing a significant concentration, linkage, or continuity of sites, buildings, structures, or objects united by past events or aesthetically by plan or physical development.
The district is an excellent collection of representative architecture, spanning within the period of significance of 1850 to 1972 and offering a historical continuity that aesthetically and geographically links the area via architecture and historical development.
The district represents the evolution of Cleveland’s Midtown area, exhibiting the remainder of Millionaire’s Row with Euclid and Prospect Avenue's palatial estates and apartment buildings, the transformation to commercial use during the 1910s-20s, and the decline of the 1930s-40s.
Modifications being done to the Hotel Del Prado, which was originally the resident of famous industrialist George Ely (1913).
Photo Credit: Cleveland Public Library Digital Collection
The Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Co., 4415 Euclid Avenue (1921).
This photo reflects the growing importance of Cleveland as a manufacturing hub and the transition to commercial use on Euclid Avenue during this time.
Photo Credit: Souvenir Book of Cleveland. Cleveland: The Ohio Chapter of Heating and Ventilating Engineers, 1921
The 1950s to 1970s reflect implementation of city planning and advent of commercial re-development with a surge of new mid-century architecture spurred by post-World War II demand for office space and automobile centric designs as a direct result of completion of the I-90 Innerbelt.
The Croxden, 3907-43 Prospect Avenue (1954).
Note the ample street parking meant to accomodate travelers while still allowing space for commuters into the area
Source: Cleveland Public Library Digital Gallery
IBM Building, 2925 Euclid Avenue, (1959).
Companies began to flock to Midtown to accomodate the need for office space amidst the post-war influx of white-collar workers.
Photo Credit: Souvenir Book of Cleveland. Cleveland: The Ohio Chapter of Heating and Ventilating Engineers, 1921
Contact
Follow us on Social Media
Questions? Comments?
Fill out the contact form or contact Richard Barga (VP Of Economic Development)
