{"nrhp_refnum":"83002060","name":"Akron Public Library","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"69 E. Market St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Akron","county":"Summit County","state":"OH","lat":41.08497990600006,"lon":-81.51438709699994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-01-19","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A former public library building at 69 East Market Street in downtown Akron, Summit County, Ohio, designed by architect Frank O. Weary and built in 1903-04.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is the best example in downtown Akron of Beaux Arts Classicism in the French Renaissance mode and one of the most highly regarded works of architect Frank O. Weary. It is also educationally significant as the first permanent home of the city's first general circulation library (1904-1942) and of the Akron Art Institute (1948-1981).","narrative":"Built in 1903-04 at 69 East Market Street in Akron, this former library is a single-story block of buff sandstone with a projecting central pavilion and a mansard-roofed attic behind a blind parapet. Architect Frank O. Weary designed it in Beaux Arts style with French Renaissance elements, including the mansard roof, central pavilion and a grotesque mask above the entry. The entrance is framed by fluted Ionic columns, and the motto \"Open to All\" is cut into the frieze. Weary intended it to complement the 1899 post office across the street. It served as the city's first permanent library home from 1904 to 1942 and then housed the Akron Art Institute from 1948 to 1981. Exterior changes include altered entry stairs after Market Street was widened, stucco on the staircase, and removal of large side windows for the art institute. At the time of listing the building was vacant, and a rehabilitation planned to restore its original appearance.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"Frank O. Weary, Architect","architectural_style":"Beaux Arts Classicism / French Renaissance","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as vacant at the time of nomination; rehabilitation was planned, including reinstalling the removed tabernacle windows and resurfacing the side-entry staircase in sandstone.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:15.204198-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/83002060.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83002060/87e826cbf0-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83002060/87e826cbf0-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Robbie Schneider","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Akron_Public_Library_(Akron,_Ohio).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Robbie Schneider</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Akron_Public_Library_(Akron,_Ohio).jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"03000719","name":"Main-Market Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/ohio/main-market-historic-district-03000719/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71991571","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akron_Public_Library","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4701690"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/summit-county/akron-public-library-83002060/"}