Chuckery Race
Also known as: Gorge Metropolitan Park
Why it's listed
Chuckery Race is a water-power raceway in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, begun in the 1830s to feed a planned manufacturing town called Summit City. Its northern section is a wall of hand-cut sandstone eight to ten feet high and about 1,300 yards long, quarried from the adjacent gorge wall and set about 30 feet from the rock face to form a channel eight feet deep. A dam and gate at the north end diverted river water into it. The southern section, about three miles long, was built by excavation and fill and has since eroded. Water was released through the full four miles on May 27, 1844, but the work was never finished because of disputes among stockholders, legal problems and lack of funds. The location of the county seat in Akron also contributed to Summit City's collapse. In 1882 the wall and bed became the Grande Promenade of High Glens Park. Highway drainage and road salt now threaten the remains.
Significance in brief: The race was an ambitious engineering project meant to supply water power to the planned industrial town of Summit City, and it required overcoming severe topography. The project was never fully completed because of stockholder disputes, legal problems and lack of funds. The raceway later served as the main walkway of High Glens Park, opened in 1882.
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 72001047, listed December 15, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S of and in Cuyahoga Falls, Cuyahoga Falls |
|---|---|
| County | Summit County |
| Listed | December 15, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72001047 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date May 27, 1844) |
| Architect / builder | Portage Canal and Manufacturing Company (chartered 1837 to build the dam and canal) |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Conservation, Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rated good condition. The northern stone wall section is largely intact, while the southern section has filled in and eroded, and part of it is used as a power line right-of-way. It is threatened by drainage and salt from a nearby highway under construction. |
| Acreage | 45 |
| Coordinates | 41.12076, -81.49349 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 72001047.
- 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.