Decorative drawing: a three-storey commercial block with shopfronts below and windows above. Not a photograph of this place.

Nomination for Riddle Block

The case file that argued this property on to the National Register: 1,880 words across 18 pages, filed in 1976. Read by 4 independent recognisers, of which at least 3 had to agree before a line was published.

Source document Held by the National Archives in Record Group 79 as reference 76001515, where it exists only as a scan with no text layer. The words below were read off that scan by 4 independent recognisers at two resolutions. Only lines that at least 3 of them returned identically appear below; where they disagreed, the line is withheld rather than guessed, so some of the form's furniture is missing. Spelling is never corrected, so a stray character that all the readers agreed on is the recogniser's and the typewriter's.. Nothing is summarised, corrected or written by this site. See the catalogue record, or return to the property.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Form No. 10-300 (Rev. 10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NOV 5 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM MAR 1 7 1976 SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -- COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS AND/OR COMMON STREET & NUMBER -NOT FOR PUBLICATION CITY, TOWN CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Ravenna . - VICINITY OF PRESENT USE STRUCTURE -WORK IN PROGRESS PRIVATE RESIDENCE XYES: RESTRICTED -IN PROCESS GOVERNMENT BEING CONSIDERED _YES: UNRESTRICTED OWNER OF PROPERTY Box 27 LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC.
REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS 039 133 CODE COUNTY STATE EDUCATIONAL TITLE DATE LOCATION ACCESSIBLE Portage HISTORIC DISTRICT SITE ENTERTAINMENT MILITARY TRANSPORTATION RECEIVED CATEGORY CLASSIFICATION PARK Ohio Main Street RELIGIOUS SCIENTIFIC OWNERSHIP AGRICULTURE PUBLIC INDUSTRIAL NAME Riddle Block STATUS Portage County Courthouse PUBLIC ACQUISITION MUSEUM COURTHOUSE. Hugh W. Riddle DATE ENTERED XBUILDING(S) DATA SHEET XCOMMERCIAL _BOTH - UNOCCUPIED -OTHER: -OBJECT FOR NPS USE ONLY PRIVATE 7 DESCRIPTION _MOVED DATE. DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

almost from the grade level, is the third bay from the north. At the fifth and sixth bays from the north, there is once more a full fourth a public hall. Although deserted and somewhat deteriorated, it is largely unaltered. At the time of a recent inspection, the hall CONDITION DETERIORATED EXCELLENT RUINS FAIR story and round-arched on the third. In the two four-story sections, _UNEXPOSED is subtly unsymmetrical.There is a full fourth story and prominent original ground story fronts are intact, although partly obscured The rest of the fourth story consists of dormers in a mansard roof. CHECK ONE story, with a large round-arched window and a massive gable centered XORIGINAL SITE divisions reflecting the store fronts at ground level.But the design pyramidal roof at the north corner, making a tower.
The main pattern sensitively preserves that of the upper stories.The other the round-arched windows are one level higher.The ground story XGOOD store windows by iron columns. two types:rectangular with prominent drop lintelson the second The main (west) facade faces the public square where the fourth front, it has not been subject to modernization, and thus its structure in the Romanesque style.With the exception of the corner ground-story is intact to a remarkable degree. main divisions.The windows on both elevations are generally of was used for clothes drying lines. The interior is largely unaltered.The main entrance portal XUNALTERED and is topped by a skylight.
Offices line long axial corridors on the by signs.The major bays are separated by masonry piers; the The secondary front (north end)of the block has only three This is a large four-story brick commercial block, predominantly entrance, which consists of a grand semi-circular arch springing over the two bays. The date 1888 is incised in a stone in this gable. front of the corner bank has been refaced with stone, but its window leads to a handsome oak staircase which goes up to all four floors upper floors.The large center section of the fourth floor houses AREAS OF

Statement of significance

born in Allegheny, Pa., in 1838 and came to Ravenna in 1860, where amount of property in the city. 1888 1500-1599 1700-1799 ART INVENTION PERIOD ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC SCIENCE EDUCATION BUILDER/ARCHITECT RELIGION AGRICULTURE PREHISTORIC PHILOSOPHY SCULPTURE THEATER 1400-1499 SIGNIFICANCE MILITARY INDUSTRY XARCHITECTURE LITERATURE an individually designed and yet representative structure in the late _EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT 1600-1699 business buildings and blocks, and at one time or another a dozen _POLITICS/GOVERNMENT nineteenth century Romanesque style. structures in Ravenna bore his name.An l892 state business directory the Riddle Coach and Hearse Company. Riddle built a number of The Riddle Block represents and is a product of the commercial _COMMUNICATIONS Later Riddle and his brother-in-law purchased the business, and it he first worked as a woodworker in N.D.Clark's carriage factory.
lists a veterinary surgeon in the Riddle Block who may be assumed -TRANSPORTATION of the Portage County Park Association in 1878,and a main support izers of the Ravenna Gas Light and Coke Company in 1873,a member 1900- to be a typical tenant, as most businessmen ina city of that size did block is owned by the grandson of the builder, who still owns a great -CONSERVATION not bother to list an address. The block was erected by Henry W.Riddle in 1888.Riddle was enterprise and prosperity of a small county seat in the 1880s.It is Henry W.Riddle was also a prominent citizen, one of the organ- _ECONOMICS XCOMMERCE of the Episcopal Church in Ravenna. He died in 1920. At present, the was known for several years as Merts and Riddle.In 189l it became X800-1899 -LAW _COMMUNITY PLANNING ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Williams' Ohio State Directory (Cincinnati, 1892), 472. Portage County Historical Society, Portage Heritage (Ravenna, 1957), 443, 773. 10 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA UTM REFERENCES VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION STATE _ 11 FORM PREPARED BY NAME / TITLE DATE C STREET & NUMBER CITY OR TOWN 12 STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER CERTIFICATION THE EVALUATED SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROPERTY WITHIN THE STATE IS: NATIONAL - hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the E SIGNATURE DATE Oct. 38, 1975 ORGANIZATION CODE COUNTY NORTHING Cleveland 216-721-5722 TELEPHONE LOCAL Ohio April 1975 Eric Johannesen, Preservationist Western Reserve Historical Society ZONE EASTING History of Portage County (Chicago, 1885), 536, 541, 543.
ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY - LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665). I FOR NPS USE ONA) KEEPER OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER Less than one 10825 East Boulevard Photos _ Inventory - IN T:2106- 74 OTHER TECHNICAL KEEPER Entered CONTROL Re-submit Maps ARCHEOLOGIST HAER Send-back Review Portage HISTORIAN Property Federal Register Entry National Register Write-up State BRANCH CHIEF Working Number 11. 5. 75. 1 964 REF. # 7600 1515 MAR 1 7 1978 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service WASO No. 7 Accept 3-15-76 11775- NPS Number PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER Parta Form No. 10-301a (Pev.
10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM MAR 1 7 1976 DATE ENTERED AND/OR COMMON _VICINITY OF PHOTO REFERENCE DATE OF PHOTO NEGATIVE FILED AT DESCRIBE VIEW. DIRECTION, ETC. IF DISTRICT. GIVE BUILDING NAME & STREET PHOTO NO Ohio Riddle Block LOCATION HISTORIC Western Reserve Historical Society IDENTIFICATION STATE West facade, looking east. NAME April 1975 SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS FOR NPS USE ONLY RECEIVED NOV 5 Portage 1975 COUNTY THE COUNTY SAVINGS & LOAN Title: 4 NPS Number PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER Form No. 10-301a (Pev.
10-7%) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FOR NPS USE ONLY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM MAR 17 1976 SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS AND/OR COMMON CITY, TOWN Ravenna VICINITY OF DATE OF PHOTO April 1975 PHOTO NO DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC. IF DISTRICT, GIVE BUILDING NAME & STREET North and west elevations, looking southeast. Ohio Riddle Block LOCATION HISTORIC STATE NAME PHOTO REFERENCE IDENTIFICATION DATE ENTERED RECEIVED NOV 5 NOV 5 NEGATIVE FILED AT COUNTY Portage PHOTO CREDIT Eric Johannesen Western Reserve Historical Society PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER Form No. 10-301a (Pev.
10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FOR NPS USE ONLY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM MAR 1 7 1978 DATE ENTERED SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS AND/OR COMMON _VICINITY OF COUNTY Portage. PHOTO REFERENCE DATE OF PHOTO DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION. ETC. IF DISTRICT. GIVE BUILDING NAME & STREET West and south elevations, looking northeast. Ohio LOCATION HISTORIC IDENTIFICATION STATE Riddle Block NAME April 1975 PHOTO NO. RECEIVED NOV 5 CITY. TOWN NEGATIVE FILED AT PHOTO CREDIT Eric Johannesen Ravenna 1975 Western Reserve Historical Society PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER Loc. Form No. 10-301a (Pev.
10-7%) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FOR NPS USE ONLY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM AND/OR COMMON VICINITY OF COUNTY Portage CITY TOWN PHOTO REFERENCE DATE OF PHOTO NEGATIVE FILED AT DESCRIBE VIEW. DIRECTION, ETC. IF DISTRICT, GIVE BUILDING NAME & STREET PHOTO NO Ohio Ravenna IDENTIFICATION Riddle Block LOCATION STATE HISTORIC Western Reserve Historical Society NAME Staircase at main entrance vestibule. April 1975 SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS DATE ENTERED MAR 17 1976 Form No. 10-301 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FOR NPS USE ONLY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RECEIVED NOV 5 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY MAP FORM MAR 1 7 1976 SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES - ENCLOSE WITH MAP AND/OR COMMON CITY. TOWN _VICINITY OF U. S. G.S.
Ravenna Quadrangle 1:24, 000 TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS 1. PROPERTY BOUNDARIES 2. NORTH ARROW 3. UTM REFERENCES INT: 34 64- 75 1970 COUNTY Portage LOCATION Ravenna HISTORIC DATE Ohio SOURCE STATE SCALE Riddle Block REQUIREMENTS DATE ENTERED NAME MAP REFERENCE (Rev. 10-74) L DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OHIO-PORTAGE CO RECEIVED UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 41 0730 NOV 5 ROAD CLASSIFICATION 4556/030 North Mapped, edited, and published by the Geological Survey RAVENNA QUADRANGLE 17 479/600 East RAVENNA, OHI MAR 1 7 1976 Union Terminal Group Regional Director, Midwest Region INT: 2950-75 Location STATE Name Portage County Warren County ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER Richland County Cuyahoga County Lorain County Also Notified Date Entered Interstate 7l at 17th Avenue Riddle Block State Historic Preservation Officer Director,The Ohio Hiatorical Society Hon.Charles A.
Hosher Bellville Village Hall Cleveland Hon. John M. Ashbrook Columbia Center Jeffereoo Schoolhouse Bellvilla Indian Hill Old Log Post office Bamilton County Dr. Thomas E. Smith Columbus, Ohio 43211. Ravenna Franklin Hon. Robert Tart Colunbla Town Hall NATIONAL REGISTER DATA SHEET 2 OTHER NAMES: 3) date of entry: 4 county code: S LOCATION street & number (12)SOURCE of NOMINATION NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK? D YES.
NAME 1S CONDITION - deteriorated Z2SUBSTANTIALLY INTACT -3 OO NOT INTACT-O - Unknown Ounexcavated EOO NOT APPLICABLE -7 @YES - Restricted [YES -Unrestricted - No Access 2I AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE : -RECREATION-28 @CLAIMS: explain - RELIGION-22 - SETTLEMENT-29 CARCHEOLOGY-historic-1 - COMMUNICATIONS -7 -EXPLORATION -12 - LITERATURE - 17 C SCIENCE- 23 'oldest' O C CONSERVATION - 8 - HEALTH -27 C MILITARY- 18 - ECONOMICS- 9 C INDUSTRY- 13 C MUSIC- 19 - SOCIAL / CULTURAL -30 'only' D - ART-5 - EDUCATION-10 C INVENTION - 14 C PHILOSOPHY - 20 - TRANSPORTATION -25 3 functions *dates of initial construction: 1888 WHEN HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT: COMMERCIaL 3 architectural style(s): @master builder: Dlandscape architect / garden designer: 3artisan: IIF ADDITIONAL SPACE NEEDED, NUMBER & PUT ON REVERSE ASSOCIATION ENGINEERING-11 INSTITUTIONAL: ENTERTAINMENT-26 STATE historic events: artist: FEDERAL EVENTS: major alterations: AGRICULTURE-3 URBAN PLANNING-31 PRIVATE ORGANIZATION ARCHITECTURE-4 vicinity of Boriginal site 3-17-761 ADMINISTRATOR: LOCAL SAVED?YES Cexcellent Dunexposed NAMES give role & date GNPS REGION: Daltered as it appears on federal register: city / town 17 features: 1S ACCESS IS PROPERTY A HISTORIC DISTRICT?
Dyesgao - LAW- 16 1 Interlor decorator: Omoved - LANDSCAPE ARCH.-15 - POLITICS / GOVT.* 21 builder/contractor: if state who prepared form? Baltered CURRENTLY:TTO