Rhodes and Watters Apartment Buildings, The
Also known as: Nela Manor Apartments
Why it's listed
Two apartment buildings on West Market Street in Akron's West Hill neighborhood document how the city housed its growing population during the rubber boom. The Rhodes, built in 1912 for Edith Hardie, is a three-story brick building with stacked screened front porches, wide eaves, false beams, and stucco and half-timbered gables that blend Craftsman and Tudor Revival features. The Watters, built by Charles Watters in 1925, is a brick building of three to four stories arranged in four blocks around courtyards, with stone accents and ganged casement windows showing 20th Century Commercial and Chicago School influence. Both are called garden apartments because they have front yards, a rare feature for urban multifamily housing of the period. They were presented as respectable middle-class alternatives to tenements, and their styles differ from other West Hill apartment complexes, which were designed in various Revival styles. Both have remained apartments throughout their history.
Significance in brief: The buildings are argued to represent early twentieth-century garden apartments that gave Akron's rubber-boom population a respectable middle-class alternative to tenement housing. The Rhodes is unusual for combining Craftsman and Tudor Revival styles. The Watters is distinguished by its more contemporary 20th Century Commercial style with Chicago School influence, in contrast to the Revival-style apartments nearby.
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 07001296, listed December 20, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 614, 608, 610, 612 W Market St. & 16 Rhodes Ave., Akron |
|---|---|
| County | Summit County |
| Listed | December 20, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07001296 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1910-1938 |
| Architect / builder | Rhodes: UNKNOWN, Watters: Charles Watters (Builder) |
| Architectural style | Craftsman Style; Tudor Revival Style; 20th Century Commercial Style; Chicago School Influence |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Transportation, Social History, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Both buildings have always been apartment buildings and are still used as multiple-dwelling apartments; the rear of the Rhodes has been altered by enclosure of the rear stair. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.09359, -81.53732 (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 07001296.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138687798
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.