Portage Hotel
Why it's listed
Rising eight stories at 10 North Main Street in downtown Akron, the Portage Hotel was designed in 1911 by the Buffalo firm of Esenwein and Johnson, with an addition in 1926. Its steel and reinforced concrete frame is clad in dark red brick with limestone and terra-cotta trim. The facade follows a three-part arrangement: a round-arched limestone base, a brick middle section, and a top of Ionic pilasters under a heavy metal cornice. Inside, rows of Ionic columns define the lobby. The hotel cost $700,000 to build and offered 250 rooms. It was built on the site of the older Empire Hotel when Akron's rubber-driven growth left existing hotels seen as shabby and inadequate. Reviewers considered it the city's oldest standing hotel and its only Georgian Revival building downtown, an unusual style for a commercial structure. It was also one of the few early Akron buildings classed as fireproof. The hotel is now vacant, and its interior is deteriorated.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is the only Georgian Revival building in downtown Akron and a fine example of that style in a large commercial structure. Reviewers also found it significant under criterion A as Akron's oldest standing hotel, built by civic leaders during the rubber-industry boom. It was also an early "fire-proof" reinforced concrete building.
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 80004611, listed October 17, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 10 N. Main St., Akron |
|---|---|
| County | Summit County |
| Listed | October 17, 1988 |
| Reference number | 80004611 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Esenwein and Johnson, Architects (Buffalo, NY); Noah and Frank, associated architects for the addition; George Baker Long, contractor; Ferro Concrete Construction Co.; Osborn Engineering Co., consulting engineers |
| Architectural style | Georgian Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The later form lists current function as vacant/not in use, and describes the interior as deteriorated but retaining significant features. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Within district | Main-Market Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.08524, -81.51558 (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 80004611.
- 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.