East Side Commercial Block
Why it's listed
Three adjoining commercial buildings on Main Street in East Toledo, Ohio, make up this block between Front and 1st Streets. The Weber Block, dated 1888 on its roofline pediment, is a painted brick, three-story building with a large round arch, bay windows and an ornate cornice of corbeling, dentils and colonnettes. The Friedman Block at Main and 1st has pilasters with foliated capitals, a floral cornice and two corner towers with hipped roofs. A narrow stone store from the early 1900s sits between them. Ground floors have been modernized. The group is listed because it is the only surviving part of what was once East Toledo's vital downtown. Industry along the Maumee River, drawn by cheap land, natural gas, river frontage and railways, fueled commercial growth on Main Street after 1870, and the most ornate buildings appeared there. Most other buildings of the area were lost to decay and urban renewal.
Significance in brief: The block is described as the only remaining commercial structures of the once vital downtown of East Toledo, where most buildings were lost to decay and urban renewal. The Weber and Friedman blocks are cited as very good examples of late 19th century commercial architecture in Ohio. The block marks a high point in the development of Toledo's east side.
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 76001473, listed May 3, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 107--117 Main St., Toledo |
|---|---|
| County | Lucas County |
| Listed | May 3, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76001473 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Eclectic; the Weber Block is described as a commercial adaptation of the Queen Anne style |
| Areas of significance | Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied, privately owned and altered; ground floors have been modernized. The form says the Weber and Friedman blocks were undergoing preservation as part of the Main Street-Starr Avenue redevelopment project. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Within district | East Toledo Main Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.64826, -83.52270 (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 76001473.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138542331
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.