Pennsylvania Railway Ore Dock
Also known as: C & P Ore Dock
Why it's listed
The C & P Ore Dock sits on Lake Erie at Whiskey Island in Cleveland, Ohio. Built in 1911-12 for the Pennsylvania Railway, it was the largest ore-unloading dock on the Great Lakes. The complex includes four Hulett ore unloaders, each with a 17-ton bucket, along with a brick powerhouse, machine shop, storage shed, office, shower and lunch building, a one-million-ton ore storage yard, and four narrow-gauge electric locomotives used to shunt rail cars. The Hulett unloader was invented and developed by Clevelander George H. Hulett and built by the Wellman-Seaver-Morgan Company. It reduced the cost of unloading ore from 18 cents to under 5 cents per ton and encouraged the building of larger ore boats. Self-unloading ships later replaced the machines, and the Huletts here stopped work in December 1992. They are the last surviving examples on Lake Erie. The dock remains in use for taconite handling.
Significance in brief: When built in 1911-12 it was the largest ore-unloading dock on the Great Lakes. It is tied to the Hulett unloader, invented by Cleveland's George H. Hulett, which cut unloading costs and times and led to larger lake ore carriers. The four unloaders are the last on Lake Erie and among the last on the Great Lakes, and the complex retains a high degree of integrity.
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 95000492, listed October 15, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | On Lake Erie at Whiskey Island, Cleveland |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | October 15, 1997 |
| Reference number | 95000492 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1912-1945 |
| Architect / builder | Hulett, George H.; Wellman-Seaver-Morgan Company |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Industry, Invention, Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The Hulett unloaders and powerhouse were abandoned in 1992, but the dock continues in use for unloading and storing taconite pellets delivered by self-unloading ships. |
| Acreage | 40 |
| Coordinates | 41.49561, -81.72190 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 95000492.
- 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.