Bingham Company Warehouse
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Rising eight stories on West 9th Street in Cleveland, this L-shaped wholesale warehouse was built in 1914-1915 of steel, concrete and brick. The east facade is about 100 feet wide and the building runs more than 400 feet deep. Vertical brick piers, recessed spandrels and grouped windows give the elevations a Sullivanesque look, while the ground-floor entrance has a rectangular patterned frame described as somewhat Wrightian. Inside are open storage floors with supporting posts, built to carry up to 600 pounds per square foot. Cleveland architects Walker and Weeks designed it, the firm also responsible for the Cleveland Public Library, the Federal Reserve Bank and Severance Hall. Rather than relying on ornament, the design uses the color and texture of brick and careful proportion. The Bingham Company, a hardware business founded in 1841 by William Bingham, built it. It is regarded as one of the best Commercial Style buildings in the city and a utilitarian structure of unusual design quality.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues its primary significance is architectural: it is one of the finest examples of the Commercial Style in Cleveland and an unusually refined design for a utilitarian warehouse. It also represents the Bingham Company, a pioneer Cleveland hardware firm founded in 1841 by William Bingham.
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 73001406, listed November 2, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1278 W. 9th St., Cleveland |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | November 2, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001406 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 20th Century; specific date 1915 |
| Architect / builder | Walker and Weeks (architects); built by the Bingham Company |
| Architectural style | Commercial Style, with Sullivanesque and Wrightian elements |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied, in excellent condition and unaltered, on its original site; the company offices are in the ground floor section. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Within district | Cleveland Warehouse District |
| Coordinates | 41.49889, -81.70121 (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.
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 73001406.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q30152345
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.