Baker Motor Vehicle Company Building
Also known as: Baker R& L Company; A.L. Englander
Why it's listed
Built in 1910 at Euclid Avenue and East 71st Street in Cleveland, this trapezoidal brick and concrete building was a sales, service and recharging center for Baker electric automobiles. It was placed near the city's "Gold Coast" to serve wealthy women who favored electric cars. The Euclid Avenue front has patterned brickwork, stucco and glazed tile panels bearing a "BE" monogram for Baker Electric. Inside, separate service bays handled electric and gasoline cars, and second-floor apartments housed chauffeurs who brought cars in overnight for recharging. Cleveland architect Frank B. Meade designed it. A.L. Englander Motor Company took over in 1921 and added a one-story wing in 1931, using the site for auto sales until 1941. Storefronts have been altered and many openings infilled, but the building keeps its overall form, decorative masonry and tile. It is recognized for its link to the early electric automobile industry in Cleveland and the nation.
Significance in brief: The building is significant under Criterion A for its association with the early automobile industry in Cleveland, especially the electric car. It served as the main retail and service outlet for the Baker electric car during its peak years of popularity. It was later used by the A.L. Englander Motor Company, which occupied it from 1921 to 1941.
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 07000071, listed February 21, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 7100-7122 Euclid Ave., Cleveland |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | February 21, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000071 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1910-1941 |
| Architect / builder | Frank B. Meade, Cleveland |
| Architectural style | 20th century/commercial |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Invention |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as vacant; storefronts and showroom windows have been replaced or covered, and some openings bricked in, though original forms and decorative brickwork remain. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.50385, -81.63908 (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 07000071.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q30152326
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.