Madison Avenue Historic District Superior Street (Boundary Increase)
Also known as: Nr 86003829
No coordinates published for this listing.
Why it's listed
Madison Avenue in downtown Toledo holds a row of early tall commercial buildings put up between 1893 and 1930, creating what the description calls a financial canyon. The district includes the 1893 Gardner Building, an early example of reinforced concrete office construction, the 1896 steel-framed Spitzer Building, the 17-story Nicholas Building of 1906, the terra cotta-clad Ohio Building, the Neo-Classical Toledo Trust Building, and the Art Deco Owens-Illinois Building of 1930, the tallest on the street at 368 feet. All were architect designed and vary in detail. The buildings reflect Toledo's growth as a commercial center, a glass-making capital and a secondary automobile center, and several housed the main offices of glass companies such as Owens-Illinois and Libbey-Owens-Ford. Two buildings, a 1940s Tudor Revival club and a heavily altered bank, do not contribute. The district was listed because it records the city's early skyscraper era before its economy faltered after 1930.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the buildings form Toledo's only significant urban streetscape of early tall commercial buildings. They show several early skyscraper construction methods and elements of the Chicago School and Sullivanesque styles. They are also tied to Toledo's glass and automobile industries, whose companies kept offices there.
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 100006862, listed September 2, 2021. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 311, 315-317, 319-323, 325-327, 329, 331-333, 335 North Superior St., Toledo |
|---|---|
| County | Lucas County |
| Listed | September 2, 2021 |
| Reference number | 100006862 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1890-1930 |
| Architect / builder | Multiple; includes Charles Gardner (Gardner Building), Thomas F. Hubber (Spitzer Building), Bacon and Huber (Nicholas Building), Mills, Rhines, Bellman and Nordhoff, and builder A. Bentley and Sons |
| Architectural style | Early skyscraper commercial architecture, including Chicago School, Sullivanesque, Neo-Classical Revival, Italian Renaissance Revival and Art Deco |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Most buildings are described as in use as offices, banks and stores. Three buildings were demolished for parking, and one property at 421-23 Madison is listed as vacant. |
| Acreage | 0.78 |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 100006862.
- 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.