Ford Motor Company Cleveland Plant
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Why it's listed
Built in 1913-1914 on Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, this four-story reinforced concrete factory served as a Ford Motor Company branch assembly plant for the Model T. Architect Albert Kahn designed it with a red brick and white terra cotta street front, vertical piers and recessed spandrels that reveal the concrete skeleton beneath. The east side drops any decorative style and exposes the frame, allowing large windows for daylight. Inside, octagonal posts, mushroom capitals and continuous slabs form an open floor plan suited to mass production, and a spur track from the Norfolk and Western line enters at the second level. Construction began the same year Ford introduced the moving assembly line at Highland Park, Michigan. Kahn later remodeled the building during Ford's 1923-1925 expansion, and the plant operated until 1932. It is recognized as part of Ford's early expansion and as an early example of reinforced concrete industrial construction. Many interior areas are now vacant, and no original machinery survives.
Significance in brief: The plant is one of many branch assembly plants built during Ford's first great expansion to produce the Model T, at the time mass production was emerging. It is also a noteworthy example of early reinforced concrete industrial construction. It was designed by Albert Kahn, the architect of most of Ford's plants.
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 76001393, listed March 17, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 11610 Euclid Ave., Cleveland |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | March 17, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76001393 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1913-1914 |
| Architect / builder | Albert Kahn |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Portions of the factory space have been temporarily partitioned, and many areas are vacant and unused. No original machinery remains. The plant operated for Ford until 1932. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.51053, -81.60259 (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 76001393.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137698260
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.