Broadway Building
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Why it's listed
Rising four stories at the corner of Erie Avenue and Broadway in downtown Lorain, this yellow brick office building measures 200 by 100 feet and was completed in 1926. Brick pilasters frame rows of windows, a crenelated cornice crowns the walls, and arched sandstone entrances lead to vaulted, marble-walled corridors. Cleveland architect Ernest McGeorge designed it for the Drummond-Miller Company, whose principals were also involved in the Argyle Company that bought the cleared site. The lot had been the home of the Old Reid House and later a commercial and lodge building destroyed by the 1924 tornado. The structure was planned with eleven storefronts and 78 offices, making it the largest office building in Lorain and the only downtown building designed for that mix. It symbolized the city's recovery and the optimism of the 1920s. Ground-floor alterations were made in the 1960s and 1970s, but the upper floors and massive scale retain the original character.
Significance in brief: It has been the largest office building in Lorain since 1926 and is a local landmark at the city's most important intersection. It reflects the 1920s economic optimism and the rebuilding of downtown after the 1924 tornado. It is also the only building in the downtown built specifically for ground-floor storefronts with commercial offices above.
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 85002833, listed November 14, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SE corner of W. Erie Ave. and Broadway, Lorain |
|---|---|
| County | Lorain County |
| Listed | November 14, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002833 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Architect Ernest McGeorge, Cleveland; builder Drummond-Miller Co., Cleveland |
| Architectural style | Classical lines, faced with yellow brick and stone trim |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied; occupancy has fallen to about one-half of the leasable space after downtown Lorain declined as a commercial center. Ground-floor windows were altered in 1967-68 and 1973, but the upper exterior is largely unchanged. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Broadway Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.46833, -82.17739 (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 85002833.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138508676
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.