Main Exchange Historic District

This downtown Akron district covers roughly three city blocks and part of a fourth, laid out in 1825 around South Main and Exchange Streets. Its earlier canal-era houses and shops were replaced after the Civil War by commercial buildings, and many were rebuilt or added as the rubber industry drove rapid growth in the early twentieth century. Fifteen contributing buildings remain, mostly low-scale two- and three-story commercial blocks with shops below and rooms above. Styles range from Neo-Classic Revival and Beaux Arts to Chicago Commercial, Arts and Crafts, and mid-century Modern Minimalist. Two taller office buildings from the 1910s and 1920s stand out against the smaller scale. The district was recognized for its links to commerce, banking, entertainment and architecture between 1877 and 1956. Several banks began here and grew with the rubber economy, and firms such as Firestone and Cassidy designed 1950s additions. Present uses include offices, restaurants and a city records office.