Century Block
Why it's listed
Century Block is a three-story commercial building at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Washington Avenue in Elyria, Ohio. Dated to about 1900 and credited to H. E. Ford, it is designed in the Romanesque style and built of brick, stone and terra cotta on a stone foundation, with a flat roof and a rectangular plan. The building is divided into two units by the neighboring Mussey's Block. Its style suggests construction well after an 1873 fire that destroyed this side of Broad Street. Pilasters, cornices and terra cotta trim give it rich ornamentation, and the side facade facing Washington Avenue receives elaborate treatment because of the corner position, while the rear facades are plain. An open rectangular light well makes it one of the most distinctive commercial structures in the city. The ground floor was badly altered in a remodeling, but the exterior remains in very good condition and the building is still in commercial use.
Significance in brief: The inventory form praises the building's rich ornamentation, including pilasters, cornices and terra cotta trim. It calls the open rectangular light well one of the most distinctive features among commercial structures in the city. The corner location gives the side facade elaborate treatment.
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 79002718, listed August 13, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NE corner of Broad St. and Washington Ave. and N side of Broad St., Elyria |
|---|---|
| County | Lorain County |
| Listed | August 13, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79002718 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | H. E. Ford |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a commercial building; exterior condition very good, interior fair. The ground floor was altered in a remodeling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Elyria Downtown-West Avenue Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.36789, -82.10610 (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 79002718.
- 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.