Weizer Building
Why it's listed
Standing at the northeast corner of East 118th Street and Buckeye Road in Cleveland, this three-story Beaux Arts building was constructed between 1925 and 1926 for John Weizer, a Hungarian immigrant who rose from merchant to real estate entrepreneur. Architect Henry Hradilek's firm designed it with a terracotta front featuring rusticated piers, a Greek Meander cornice, fluted Corinthian pilasters and floral arches. It originally held a bank branch and stores, real estate offices and apartments. The building reflects the eastward movement of Cleveland's Hungarian community during the 1920s, when the Buckeye neighborhood was nicknamed the "American Debrecen." Weizer sold more than 2,000 lots to fellow Hungarians in the area. It is the only surviving terracotta building on Buckeye Road, and its main elevations remain largely unaltered. A one-story brick addition was made around 1945. The building has been vacant since 1999, and rehabilitation was underway when it was listed.
Significance in brief: It is argued to be significant under Criterion A as tangible evidence of the once thriving Hungarian-American Buckeye neighborhood, known as the "American Debrecen." Under Criterion C it is a good local example of Beaux Arts design with excellent terracotta detailing, and the only surviving Beaux Arts terracotta building on Buckeye Road in the old Hungarian neighborhood.
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 02001360, listed November 21, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 11801 Buckeye Rd., Cleveland |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | November 21, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02001360 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1925 - 1952 |
| Architect / builder | Henry Hradilek, Architect (Henry Hradilek Co.); Arthur Thomas, Contractor |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Beaux Arts |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, European |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used commercially and residentially until autumn 1999 and vacant since; being rehabilitated at the time of the form and expected to seek the Rehabilitation Tax Credit. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Buckeye Commercial Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.48125, -81.60028 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 02001360.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7980441
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.