Tiffin Art Metal Company
Why it's listed
Tiffin Art Metal is a sprawling complex of one- and two-story brick factory buildings at 450 Wall Street in Tiffin, Ohio. Its oldest building dates to 1903, was burned about 1942, and was rebuilt as two stories with part of the old walls retained. Neighboring buildings came from the American Clay Company, which left for Texas and whose buildings the metal firm then took over. By 1978 the complex totaled 175,000 square feet. The company was founded in 1903 by Fred W. Conradt, Albert V. Conradt, and George Kalbfleisch. Early products included stamped metal ceilings, skylights, barn ventilators, and canopies and cornices for theatres and hotels; many of the ceilings survive in downtown Tiffin stores. The firm moved to Wall Street in 1914 and in 1927 developed an all-steel prefabricated poster panel. Later owners included Springfield-Green Industries and Mid-Continent Manufacturing, and it now operates as Tiffin Metal Products. It was listed as part of a group of Tiffin industrial buildings.
Significance in brief: The complex was nominated as one of thirteen early industrial properties in Tiffin. It represents a firm founded in 1903 that made stamped metal ceilings, architectural sheet metal, and in 1927 developed an all-steel prefabricated billboard panel. The company grew through later purchases and mergers and continued as a major local manufacturer.
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 80003228, listed January 7, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 450 Wall St., Tiffin |
|---|---|
| County | Seneca County |
| Listed | January 7, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003228 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in industrial use; the company operated as Tiffin Metal Products and totaled 175,000 square feet in 1978. |
| Acreage | 9 |
| Coordinates | 41.12796, -83.18757 (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 80003228.
- 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.