Adams Bag Company Paper Mill and Sack Factory
Also known as: Chase Bag Company. Ivex Paper Mill and Bag Factory
Why it's listed
Along the Chagrin River in Chagrin Falls, a cluster of stone and brick industrial structures records more than a century of water-powered manufacturing. The site first held a flouring mill and dam built in 1842, later a woolen mill, and then a paper mill that burned in 1858. William T. Upham rebuilt it in 1859, and the Adams Bag Company later turned it into a major paper and paper bag producer. The surviving complex includes the sandstone Paper Mill Building with its 1910 concrete chimney, a 1923 brick office building, the dam, the mill pond, a 1913 aqueduct, a tunnel and a retaining wall. The mill's rubble sandstone walls most closely resemble the Romanesque style, while the office building is Commercial in style. The company held patents on bag-making machines and was central to an 1887 bag trust. Its significance period ends in 1932, when it was sold to the Chase Bag Company. The property is now vacant.
Significance in brief: The complex is tied to more than a century of water-powered industry on the Chagrin River, from an 1842 flouring mill to the Adams Bag Company's paper and paper bag manufacturing. The Adams company controlled patented bag-making machinery and was central to a paper bag trust formed in 1887. The period of significance runs from the 1859 mill reconstruction to the 1932 sale to the Chase Bag Company.
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 12000391, listed July 3, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 218 Cleveland St., Chagrin Falls |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | July 3, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12000391 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1859-1932 |
| Architect / builder | William T. Upham (1859 mill reconstruction); 1923 office building architect unknown, possibly a company engineer; Hecker-Moon Company of Cleveland (1931 dam); Cleveland Construction Company (1913 aqueduct) |
| Architectural style | Romanesque (paper mill); Commercial (1923 office building) |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function listed as vacant; the office building interior has suffered neglect and vandalism, and the plaster has fallen from walls and ceilings. |
| Acreage | 7.7 |
| Coordinates | 41.43530, -81.38560 (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 12000391.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.