Cleveland Worsted Mills Redfern Mill
Why it's listed
This brick industrial complex in southern Ravenna, Ohio, includes a four-story main mill, an older three-story mill and a modern storage building. The oldest section dates from about 1890, the main mill from about 1905 with a north wing added around 1920. The mill was the dyeing and finishing department of Cleveland Worsted Mills, an eleven-mill company, and for years it was Ravenna's largest employer. Its growth helped move the town from a small rural trading center toward industry. The main mill is notable for mill construction, with masonry bearing walls and heavy timber floors meant to resist fire. Tall windows set in segmental arches are grouped into four-story arcades, and stepped gable ends carry sandstone nameplates. Designed by the George S. Rider Company of Cleveland, the buildings show how factory design changed over three decades. Some windows have been blocked in, but the open floor plans largely survive. The Oak Rubber Company now operates the site, and a modern storage building does not contribute to its significance.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the mill is significant under Criterion A for its role in turning Ravenna from a small rural trading center into an industrial town, as the town's largest employer. It is also significant under Criterion C as a good example of industrial architecture, with successive buildings showing changing factory design from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century.
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 88003065, listed December 29, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | S. Chestnut St., Ravenna |
|---|---|
| County | Portage County |
| Listed | December 29, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88003065 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | George S. Rider Company, Cleveland |
| Architectural style | No Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in industrial use by the Oak Rubber Company; some windows on the west and south sides of the main mill have been blocked and replaced with smaller metal sash. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 41.14960, -81.24353 (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 88003065.
- 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.