Old Akron Post Office
Also known as: United States Post Office
Why it's listed
Built in 1895 at 70 East Market Street in Akron, this former post office is a corner building about 106 feet wide and 68 feet deep, with a low-pitched hip roof and wide overhanging eaves. Its walls are deep red, hard-burned brick laid in Flemish bond, trimmed with limestone base and belt courses, and first-floor windows with brackets, architraves, consoles and pediments. A limestone entrance on the west is topped by a three-arched Tuscan loggia, and the north side has circular-headed openings and marble steps with a wrought iron railing. Inside, the public spaces retain marble wainscoting, terrazzo floors, wood paneling and arched, plaster-decorated ceiling bays. The nomination holds that the building is an unusual example of eclectic design, applying the Italian Renaissance style with restraint and at lower cost than comparable public buildings. It is described as an important architectural landmark for Akron and a visual anchor on a prominent corner. The architect is not named in the document.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is an unusual and important example of turn-of-the-century eclectic architecture. It uses the formal Italian Renaissance idiom economically, with fewer columns, stone carvings and costly details than comparable public buildings of its day. It is considered an important architectural statement for Akron, and possibly Ohio and the United States.
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 72001046, listed June 19, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 70 E. Market St., Akron |
|---|---|
| County | Summit County |
| Listed | June 19, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72001046 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1895 |
| Architectural style | Italian Renaissance idiom within turn-of-the-20th-century eclectic architecture |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied, in good condition, with some deterioration and later alterations; preservation work is in progress. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 41.08444, -81.51498 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 72001046.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138689294
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.