Gothic Building, The
Also known as: The Gothic
Why it's listed
Built in 1902 at the corner of South High and East Mill Streets in downtown Akron, the Gothic Building is a four-story brick apartment and commercial block designed by local architect Frank O. Weary. Its walls are two-color tapestry brick in yellow and orange, with a ground-floor arcade of Tudor arches, sandstone keystones, Chicago-style windows and Gothic-arched windows on the fourth floor. Inside, an atrium and wood staircase serve six suites, and original layouts largely survive. The building mixes Renaissance Revival massing with Tudor Revival and Arts and Crafts details. It was listed for its architecture and for its role as an early example of the city apartment building in Akron as the rubber industry drove rapid growth. Later tenants included shops, doctors' offices, a newspaper and the Akron Music School, which stayed until 1969. The ground floor was vacant at the time of nomination, and a rehabilitation project with a new southern addition was under way.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant under Criterion C for architecture, as a distinctive example of Italian Renaissance and Tudor Revival styles with Arts and Crafts touches. It represents the new city apartment building type in Akron's growing rubber-industry era, and the form states there is no other building in Akron like it.
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 10000280, listed May 21, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 102 S. High St. & 52-58 E. Mill St., Akron |
|---|---|
| County | Summit County |
| Listed | May 21, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000280 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1902 |
| Architect / builder | Frank O. Weary, Architect/Crisp & Son/Hankey Lumber Company |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Italian Renaissance / Tudor Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Ground floor vacant and the building listed as vacant/not in use with work in progress; it is part of a federal and state tax rehabilitation project, with a new addition built to the south. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 41.08379, -81.51569 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 10000280.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85807301
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.