Cleveland Hotel, The
Why it's listed
Built in 1903 on State Street in downtown Conneaut, Ohio, this three-story brick hotel was designed by Clifford Smith in the Commercial Style. Its front has a cut-stone base, a pressed-metal and stone cornice with a laurel swag motif, and two storefront sample rooms flanking the main lobby. Inside, the lobby retains quarter-sawn oak paneling, mosaic tile floors, an embossed metal ceiling and a split oak grand stairway. A central open-air light well kept the dining rooms away from kitchen heat and fumes. The hotel served travelers on U.S. Route 20 and the Nickel Plate Railroad, and its grand opening was praised as the finest hotel between Buffalo and Cleveland. Its significance in commerce and architecture runs from 1903 to about 1953, when new highways and declining rail service reduced traffic. Later uses included low-income housing and a college dormitory. The building is now vacant, with restoration planned.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it illustrates the early twentieth-century hotel industry and its design innovations under Criterion A, and it is also listed under Criterion C for architecture. It served travelers along U.S. Route 20 and the Nickel Plate Railroad, and retains much of its exterior and interior features. Its period of significance ended around 1953 as highway and rail traffic shifted away.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 07001294, listed December 20, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 230-238 State St., Conneaut |
|---|---|
| County | Ashtabula County |
| Listed | December 20, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07001294 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1903-1953 |
| Architect / builder | Clifford Smith |
| Architectural style | Commercial Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed current function is vacant, not in use; the owner plans restoration and conversion to condominium and retail units. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 41.94621, -80.55523 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 07001294.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137597670
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.