{"nrhp_refnum":"92000887","name":"Johnson Steel Street Railway Company General Offices Building","other_names":["USS/Kobe Steel Company General Offices Building"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1807 E. 28th St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Lorain","county":"Lorain County","state":"OH","lat":41.44671614600003,"lon":-82.14120186099996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1992-07-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story brick and sandstone office building at 1807 East 28th Street, at the corner of Pearl Avenue in South Lorain, Ohio. It was built in 1894 as the headquarters of the Johnson Steel Street Railway Company steel works and was designed by architect Hamilton E. Ford.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building represents the founding of Lorain's steel industry, which transformed a small port into one of Ohio's leading industrial cities. It is also presented as the best surviving Richardsonian Romanesque building in Lorain, with Queen Anne-influenced features. It has kept a high degree of integrity and has served continuously as the steel mill's offices.","narrative":"Built in 1894 at the corner of East 28th Street and Pearl Avenue in South Lorain, this three-story brick office building was the centerpiece of the first group of structures put up by the Johnson Steel Street Railway Company. Architect Hamilton E. Ford gave it rock-faced sandstone trim, a massive arched entrance portico, three distinct towers and a steep hipped roof with dormers, combining Richardsonian Romanesque and Queen Anne elements. The company's move to Lorain, led by former Cleveland mayor Tom L. Johnson, helped grow the town from about 1,500 people in 1880 to some 20,000 by 1902 and drew other industries. The building continued as headquarters after the mill became part of U.S. Steel, and it has survived without additions or major alterations. Original vault doors and woodwork remain inside, and recent restoration repaired the cornice, masonry, roofing and tower finials. It is regarded as the most outstanding surviving example of its style in Lorain.","period_of_significance":"1894-1941","architect_builder":"Ford, Hamilton E.","architectural_style":"Richardsonian Romanesque","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still serves its original function as the headquarters for the steel plant's operations; its exterior masonry and cornice were recently cleaned and restored.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:14.431125-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/92000887.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/92000887/a0e96f7d99-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/92000887/a0e96f7d99-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Johnson_Steel_Street_Railway_Company_General_Offices_Building.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Johnson_Steel_Street_Railway_Company_General_Offices_Building.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71989881","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138512014"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/lorain-county/johnson-steel-street-railway-company-general-offices-building-92000887/"}