Riddle Block #5
Why it's listed
Built in 1870 at the northeast corner of East Main and Prospect streets in Ravenna, this three-story brick building began as a carriage manufacturing plant and now serves as an office building. It has a flat composition roof, sandstone foundation, wood and stone trim, and long rectangular windows with stone lintels and sills. Rows of corbelled brick arches form an ornate cornice across the top. The storefront is covered with modern aluminum siding, though the original material beneath is reported undamaged. The building was the main structure of the Mertz and Riddle Carriage Works, later the Riddle Coach and Hearse Works, which Henry Warner Riddle acquired after two years. He built the firm into a business with a national reputation and used its proceeds to construct prominent commercial buildings in Ravenna. His employment of European immigrant craftsmen changed the community's ethnic makeup. This was the first of his ten downtown buildings and the site of the firm's work until 1926.
Significance in brief: The building housed the Mertz and Riddle Carriage Works, later the Riddle Coach and Hearse Works, which had a national reputation in the hearse business. It was the first of ten buildings H.W. Riddle built in downtown Ravenna, and it best represents the firm that operated there from 1870 to 1926. Riddle's employment of European immigrant craftsmen altered the ethnic character of the community.
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 85001642, listed July 25, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 141--145 E. Main St., Ravenna |
|---|---|
| County | Portage County |
| Listed | July 25, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001642 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as an office building; interior and exterior condition both listed as good. The storefront has modern aluminum siding that is said not to have damaged the original fabric beneath. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.15776, -81.24153 (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 85001642.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138654721
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.