{"nrhp_refnum":"86001919","name":"Akron Jewish Center","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"220 S. Balch St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Akron","county":"Summit County","state":"OH","lat":41.086510135000026,"lon":-81.53440162899994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-07-24","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-and-a-half-storey brick community center at 220 South Balch Street in Akron, Summit County, Ohio, built in 1929 to designs by the Akron firm Fichter & Brooker, with a large addition in 1951.","why_significant":"The building housed the Akron Jewish Center for nearly forty-five years, serving the Jewish community and the wider public through cultural, educational, recreational and athletic programs. It is also a major work of the Akron architectural firm of J. Adam Fichter and Harry A. Brooker, designed in a restrained Romanesque Revival style with Byzantine detailing.","narrative":"Built in 1929 on South Balch Street in Akron, this brick community building was designed by the local firm of Fichter & Brooker as the home of the Akron Jewish Center. Its long, low facade combines Romanesque Revival forms with Byzantine detail, including a large round-arched entrance, terra-cotta trim and Star-of-David panels. Inside were a thousand-seat auditorium, a gymnasium, a swimming pool, classrooms, lounges and dining rooms. A 1951 addition by Michael Konarski expanded the classroom and athletic space. For almost forty-five years the Center served Akron's Jewish community and offered the general public a theatre guild, a concert series and the Akron Civic Forum, which drew nationally known speakers and artists. It is recognized for this civic role and as a major work of its architects. The Center moved to a new building in 1973, and the property later passed to a church and then to new owners who adapted it for school, theatre and athletic uses.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"Fichter and Brooker","architectural_style":"Romanesque Revival with Byzantine influence","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"After the Center moved out in 1973, the building passed to a Baptist church and then to new owners in 1985. The classroom section was used by a Head Start program, a community theatre group was staging performances in the auditorium, and the athletic facilities were being renovated as an athletic club.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:14.868449-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/86001919.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86001919/88d474eddc-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86001919/88d474eddc-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Akron_Jewish_Center.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Akron_Jewish_Center.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71991527","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akron_Jewish_Center","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4701681"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/summit-county/akron-jewish-center-86001919/"}