United Motor Service Building
Also known as: Film Service Lab
Why it's listed
Built in 1919 at 4019 Prospect Avenue in Cleveland, this two-story commercial building was designed by W.A. Borch of Detroit and constructed by the Free Luce Building Company. It was one of several automotive-related buildings put up when Prospect Avenue was known as an automobile row. The street offered heavy passenger traffic and lower rents than the central business district. The facade combines open bays framed by a single band of ornament, separated by fluted columns. Diaper-patterned brickwork and a modillioned cornice add detail, and circular terra cotta patterns frame the large first-floor showroom windows. Classical features such as the columns and cornice sit beside contemporary ones, reflecting a transitional period in architectural styles. The ground story has been sympathetically renovated and the spandrels resided in new brick, but the most important original features remain intact. The building is a major presence at the eastern end of Prospect Avenue.
Significance in brief: It is one of the automotive buildings erected when Prospect Avenue was known as an automobile row, a location with heavy passenger traffic and cheaper rents away from downtown. Its design mixes classical and contemporary elements and reflects a transitional period in architectural style. It is also a major presence at the eastern end of Prospect Avenue.
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 84000240, listed November 1, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 4019 Prospect Ave., Cleveland |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | November 1, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000240 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1919 |
| Architect / builder | W.A. Borch (Detroit), architect; Free Luce Building Company, builder |
| Architectural style | Neo Classic-Contemporary |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Exterior in good condition; ground story sympathetically renovated; spandrels between the first and second floors resided in new brick. Interior condition unknown. Used commercially, with a film service lab occupant. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Midtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.50249, -81.65668 (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 84000240.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137706347
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.