Hillcrest Hotel
Also known as: Hillcrest Arms Apartment Hotel; Luc-441-8
Why it's listed
Completed in 1929 at Madison Avenue and Sixteenth Street in Toledo, this nine-story apartment hotel was designed by local architect Alfred A. Hahn, Sr. Its U-shaped, reinforced concrete frame is faced in brick and terra cotta, with green tile-roofed corner pavilions, bronze torch finials and a roofline balustrade. The design blends Second Renaissance Revival massing with Mediterranean Revival detail, and the form describes it as arguably Toledo's best and largest example of the Mediterranean style. Original steel casement windows, ornamental terra cotta from the Northwestern Terra Cotta Company and a 150-car interior garage survive. The building served both permanent and transient residents with compact wired kitchens, door beds and a large steam heating system. Interiors, including the lobby and dining rooms, were altered over time, and a 1994 fire damaged the main dining room. The property is listed as vacant, and a 1998 city appropriation for renovation is recorded.
Significance in brief: The surviving text emphasizes the building's architecture: a transition between Second Renaissance Revival and Mediterranean/Spanish Revival styles, described as arguably Toledo's best and largest example of the Mediterranean style. It was also a luxurious, fireproof apartment hotel with an integrated 150-car garage and many original materials and fixtures. The truncated text does not include the full Section 8 statement, so the stated criteria and period are not available.
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 98001179, listed September 18, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1603 Madison Ave., Toledo |
|---|---|
| County | Lucas County |
| Listed | September 18, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98001179 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Alfred A. Hahn, Sr. (architect) |
| Architectural style | 20th Century Revival / Mediterranean Revival; 20th Century Revival / Second Renaissance Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed under current function as vacant / not in use; interior heavily altered by renovations and damaged by a 1994 fire; the city appropriated money for renovation in 1998. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Uptown Toledo Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.65528, -83.54723 (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 98001179.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5762832
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.