St. Paul's Sunday School and Parish House
Also known as: Firestone Conservatory
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Why it's listed
Built in 1884-1885 on a triangular lot at East Market, Forge and Fir Streets in Akron, this two-story Gothic sandstone building was erected for St. Paul's Episcopal Parish at a cost of $35,000 and dedicated on January 6, 1885. Its coursed sandstone walls, corner buttresses and irregular cross-shaped plan carry Victorian Gothic detail. Inside, a main-floor meeting room with a stage opens through a large folding wooden door to a tall west room ringed by a balcony and small classrooms. That arrangement reflects the 'Akron plan,' devised by Lewis Miller, an inventor and father-in-law of Thomas Edison, for graded Sunday school classes. Miller's original Sunday school of 1868 is gone, which makes this building a rare early example of the type. The University of Akron acquired it in 1952 with Firestone Foundation funds, and it now serves as part of the Firestone Conservatory of Music. The adjoining 1909 sanctuary is excluded.
Significance in brief: It is an early building designed specifically as a Sunday school and parish house, and an excellent, rare surviving example of the 'Akron plan' of religious education, which was developed in Akron by Lewis Miller. Miller's original 1868 Sunday school no longer exists.
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 76001532, listed November 7, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | E. Market and Forge Sts., Akron |
|---|---|
| County | Summit County |
| Listed | November 7, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76001532 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1884-1885 |
| Architectural style | Victorian Gothic (Gothic Revival) |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the University of Akron and used as a music school (Firestone Conservatory); a temporary wooden passageway links it to the later 1909 sanctuary, which is not part of the nomination. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.08087, -81.50674 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
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 76001532.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7591199
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.