Nomination for Merriman, Wells E., House

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service received AUG 3 I 1993 1. Name 2. Location street & number city, town _ state 3. Classification . district - public - unoccupied _ agriculture * building(s) X private _ structure x work in progress . educational . site _ entertainment . religious . in process X yes: restricted - government - yes: unrestricted _ military 4. Owner of Property Mr. and Mrs. F. Eugene Smith 1103 Courtleigh Drive Ohio 44313 5. Location of Legal Description courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. 175 S. Main Street Ohio 44308 6. Representation in Existing Surveys - yesx no . federal Dept. of Planning, City of Akron 166 S. High St.

1978 139 153 both transportation Accessible museum Category date code county Ownership industrial other: historic Akron object Status park 14th date entered private residence (3-82) Present Use Ohio Inventory-Nomination Form Public Acquisition N/A not for publication Type all entries-complete applicable sections being considered National Register of Historic Places Summit County Recorders Office For NPS use only congressional district (John Seiberling) Akron Historic Landmark Survey depository for survey records NPS Form 10-900 has this property been determined eligible? Xcommercial See instructions in How to Complete National Register Forms Summit N/A vicinity of and/or common scientific 641 West Market Street title county x local House Merriman, Wells E. 7. Description - excellent X original site X altered -moved date _fair Built in 1860, the Wells E.

Merriman house is an "Upright and wing" vernacular house type with Greek Revival elements, constructed of native sandstone, having a l 1/2-story rectang- originally a hipped-roof, one-story wing fronted by an open porch under a common roof with for the small windows under the eave of the west elevation, all of the windows of the main trabeated stone lintels. The stone of the front gable end is smooth-dressed ashlar of fine reticulation, laid in. side walls employ random-size, irregularly coursed stones of rougher surface, as do the and the exposed foundation stones below have a tooled surface like that of the front gable The roof of the main block has a pronounced overhang of slim profile, treated simply at the The porch was later enclosed with glass. At the rear of the main block is a single-story kitchen addition built in/1881.

Its irregu- larly coursed rough stone matches that of the original house, and the windows are of the letter from F. Eugene and Romona Smith dated 12/8/82). As outlined in the letter, their future stoves; removing the glass enclosure from the front porch added after 1914; removing the Centered in its cross gable is an oculus window. The original sliding center door Condition end. Stable deteriorated unaltered Check one type represented by this house and its appearance during the Merriman's occupancy. walls of the wing's first story.A slightly projecting water table surrounds the house;it Describe the present and original (if known)physical appearance

Description of the property

time the square bracketed columns of the porch were replaced with the present round ones. The present owners are concerned with regaining the integrity of the building (see enclosed pair of modern garage doors now on the stable and reinstalling a sliding center door as during The facade of the main block has three bays.At the right is an entry door with side lights plans include:reinstalling the slate roof;replacing the chimney tops removed for the gas _unexposed the wing. has been replaced by a pair of modern garage doors. . ruins ular gable-ended main block that is essentially unaltered. To the right extends what was over wainscot panels. The full-width transom above is surmounted by a trabeated stone lintel. block are of the same size, with their original glass panes. All have stone lug sills and horizontally attenuated blocks extended only a block or two around the corners.

When the wing was given a second story of shingled frame about 1900, its hipped roof was replaced by an end-gabled roof with eaves aligned with those of the main block. At the same About 50 feet behind and slightly northeast of the house is a small, red painted 1 1/2 story struction and saltbox configuration, it has board-and-batten siding and an asphalt shingle building (ca. 1860) that was originally a stable and carriage house. Of post-and-beam con- The remaining its original occupancy.These changes will help to convey the district architectural building The center and left bays each contain a single large double-hung window with six panes over gable ends with no cornice returns;its slates were replaced with asphalt shingles in1942. community planning _ religion . industry - politics/government The Wells E.

Merriman house is one of the very few remaining examples of an "upright and several generations played prominent roles in the city's agricultural, commercial, financial, and civic development. The house is one and a half stories, with a projecting gable-ended main block with a one house form, particularly in New York State, which migrated westward to the upper midwest Reserve, the northeast portion of the Northwest Territory which had been granted to less significant historically than the Merriman house. what was once a fine residential area, it is one of the last survivors. Many of the old houses that were once its neighbors have been razed and replaced with office or apartment - buildings.

Charles Merriman, founder of the family in Akron, came here with his wife in 1835 from their productive farm along what later came to be called Merriman Road and is so named today; his adulthood, when he was gaining prominence as a business leader. In 1870, while residing in his Market Street house, Wells made the models for the rubber commercial ventures, such as the National Laundry and Windsor Land companies, as well as serving in public and civic affairs as a city councilman. 1400-1499 1700-1799 communications invention Period archeology-historic humanitarian engineering transportation education prehistoric military theater archeology-prehistoric music science literature law landscape architecture sculpture 1900- social/ 8.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Significance several owners with the most recent being Mr.and Mrs.F.Eugene Smith. industry machines used by Dr.B.F.Goodrich in starting the rubber industry in Akron.He Areas of Significance-Check and justify below .conservation other (specify) -economics Statement of Significance

Statement of significance

(in one paragraph) of Taplin Rice G Co.,a firm whose Akron factory buildings have long since been demolished. by cultural geographer Pierce Lewis as an"upright and wing."This isa common New England The property left the Merriman family in the late 1940s and has since passed through lived in it for the rest of his life and his son Jesse also lived there in his early -art -X architecture - 1800-1899 X commerce C. 1860 story wing with porch extending to the right. Jesse B. Merriman, son of Wells, organized the Cuyahoga Falls Savings Bank in 1904, beginning wing" housing type in Akron. The Merrimans were a pioneer family in the area and for heavily traveled Market street, the city's principal east-west thoroughfare.

Situated in Wells Merriman learned both the jeweler's and machinist's trades, the latter as an employee 1600-1699 1500-1599 philosophy exploration/settlement Specific dates a long association with financial interests in Akron.He was also involved with many This particular house type has been identified farm in Berkshire County; Massachusetts.He bought nearly 3o0 acres and established a agriculture The Merriman house is widely recognized as an Akron landmark.It is the oldest residence on also invented and patented a cotton stalk puller used in the cotton fields. Acreage of nominated property - Quadrangle name - Quadrangle scale - UT M References Parcels I and II of Lot 30 of the Ely Subdivision lot, with 98' frontage on N. side of W. Market St. and 216' deep, is midway between Marshall - state 11.

The rest of the file

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

Form Prepared By December 10, 1982 street & number 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification X local _ national As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89- code county organization Easting date Attest: Northing Zone name/title Verbal boundary description and justification Akron West 1:24,000 Chief of Registration State Historic Preservation Officer signature National Register and Rhodes Avenues. List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or county boundaries The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: city or town 282 Somerset Road 9. Major Bibliographical References 10. Geographical Data 665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certity that it has been evaluated GPO 894-785 For NPs use only 1928 p. 142-144 William V.

Wallace, Jr. and James A. Pahlau, Consultants according to the criteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service, W. H. Perrin, History of Summit County, Ohio Chicago 0.48 The rectangular P.741 in Tract recorded in Plat Book 1,p.26,Summit County Board of Plats. 8/16 SAPO WASO Form - 177 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ("R" June 1984) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Merriman, Wells E., House Fed. Reg. Date: Action nomination by person or local government owner objection Federal Agency: - -sample Jrequest L NR decision _ see continuation sheet Nomination returned for: - _ technical corrections cited below - _ substantive reasons discussed below 1. Name 2. Location 3. Classification Public Acquisition 4. Owner of Property 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Representation in Existing Surveys 7.

Description - excellent -unaltered - original site summary paragraph resubmission Category completeness Accessible Condition dates REJECT yes alterations/integrity Status ruins appeal Ownership moved Reviewer fair RETURN Discipline Recom./Criteria unexposed ACCEPT deteriorated Substantive Review: boundary selection good Present Use Has this property been determined eligible? Reviewer's comments: Summit County Working No. Date Due: Describe the present and original (if known)physical appearance clarity 27-84 Check one National Register 8. Significance Areas of Significance-Check and justify below Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) summary paragraph justification of exception - Other 9. Major Bibliographical References 10. Geographical Data 11.

Form Prepared By State Historic Preservation Officer signature Signed - - Phone: Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet context Date Builder/Architect Period title national state completeness local clarity applicable criteria Maps Photographs relating significance to the resource 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification Specific dates Quadrangle name relationship of integrity to significance Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to UTM References Acreage of nominated property justification of areas checked Verbal boundary description and justification The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: Akron, Summit County, Ohio Akron, Ohio 44313 282 Somerset Road 1.Front,looking north Wells E. Merriman House Wm.V.Wa1lace, Jr., 1982 Akron, Summit County, Ohio wm. V. Wallace, Jr., 1982 1ooking NE 282 Somerset Road 2.

Front and west side, Wells E. Merriman House Akron, Ohio 44313 Akron, Summit County, Ohio Wm. V. Wallace, Jr., 1982 282 Somerset Road 3. Front and east side, Wells E. Merriman House .looking Nw Akron, Summit County, Ohio 4. Rear, looking south 282 Somerset Road Wells E. Merriman House Wm.V. Wa1lace, Jr.,1982 Akron, Ohio 44313 Akron, Summit County, Ohio Wm. V. Wallace, Jr., 1982 1ooking NE 282 Somerset Road Outbuilding Wells E. Merriman House 5. Former Stable, 4549/140 AKRON WEST, OHIO GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Akron,Summit County AKRON WEST QUADRANGLE OHIO-SUMMIT CO House ROAD CLASSIFICATION 7.5 MINUTE SERIES (TOPOGRAPHIC) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR N4100W8130/7.5 F. EUGENE SMITH DESIGN MANAGEMENT Dear Mr. Simmons: E.

Merriman house on West Market in appreciative of your advise and/or - Reinstalling the slate roof - Replacing the chimney tops re- - Removing the glass enclosure from the front porch added after 1914 - Removing the pair of modern .garage doors now on the stable F. Eugene and Ramona Smith information. restore and preserve this property original occupancy At this time we deem it necessary to assure the Preservation Advisory Akron should be in your possession. as close to original as possible. moved for the gas stoves center door as during its If you have considerations for our Our revised nomination for the Wells Board of our sincere intention to 8 December 1982 We trust this will meet with approval. Our future plans include: achieving this goal, we would be 3653 YELLOW CREEK ROAD - AKRON, OHIO 44313 - (216) 666-3796 Most sincerely and reinstalling a sliding Stone Gr.

Revirals Akron area - SUM -337-14 (1835)