Herold Building
Also known as: Kurtz Furniture
Why it's listed
Four stories tall, this commercial block at 310 Prospect Avenue sits on a historic retail corridor southeast of Cleveland's Public Square. It went up in 1906 for the Herold Brothers, who ran a barber supply business, and was first faced in brick. Later owners and tenants, including Kurtz Furniture from about 1920, changed its look more than once. Around 1948 the upper façade was covered in black structural glass panels that form vertical pilasters, set between older metal spandrel panels. A matching addition built next door about 1908 was separated from it around 1920 and is now a separate property. The building was listed as an intact example of a small commercial building of lower Prospect Avenue and as the only known surviving downtown Cleveland example of a whole façade modernized with structural glass. Structural glass products such as Vitrolite were widely promoted in the 1930s and 1940s for updating older storefronts in the Art Moderne spirit.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an intact example of the small commercial building subtype on lower Prospect Avenue. It is also believed to be the only surviving example in downtown Cleveland of structural glass used to modernize an entire commercial façade in the 1930s and 1940s.
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 12001245, listed January 29, 2013. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 310 Prospect Ave., Cleveland |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | January 29, 2013 |
| Reference number | 12001245 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1906-1948 |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement: Moderne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The ground-floor storefront and canopy are non-historic and the canopy is in poor condition. The upper three floors remain relatively unaltered. The form lists the current function as work in progress. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Within district | Euclid Avenue Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.49809, -81.69027 (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 12001245.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137682415
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.