Nomination for Miller Block

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

JUN 2 0 1984 1. Name 2. Location street & number - not for publication city, town - vicinity of _ state - county Xdistrict - unoccupied _ agriculture _ museum - private _ commercial - park _ structure work in progress - private residence .site .entertainment _ religious . object - in process - yes: restricted _ scientific X yes: unrestricted _ transportation 4. Owner of Property (commercial/residential pro- Robert Pollack, Executive Director Ohio 44113 5. Location of Legal Description has this property been determined elegible? - yes -federal _ local 035 Accessible Category both government date code educational industrial Ownership Cuyahoga historic being considered Status received posed) Cleveland Public Acquisition Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service Inventory-Nomination Form Ohio 3. Classification Present Use Type all entries-complete applicable sections 3000 Bridge Ave.

Near West Housing Corp. Miller Block depository for survey records 6. Representation in Existing Surveys 1219 Ontario Street See instructions in How to Complete National Register Forms and/or common United States Department of the Interior National Register of Historic Places For HCRS use only title 3202-3214 Lorain military FHR-8-300 (11-78) date entered JUL | 9 1984 -building(s) . other: vacant courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. - yes Cuyahoga County Recorder pro- congressional district 20th 7. Description _ excellent . unaltered X original site _moved undercourse featuring brick stretchers in a triple, dentil-like pattern, underscored by height;here a band of brick diapering breaks into the arcaded fringe, both emphasizing and terior features.

Condition ruins deteriorated fair The middle portion of this structure is distinguished from the ornamented attic story a two-story rounded-arched element with stone voissiors that surmounts the left-of-center broken pediment and arched entry which is surrounded with painted stone voissoirs. The south facade features a parapet with stone-faced coping accented by yellow brick brick punctuated by irregularly spaced second story windows, some of dissimilar widths.

red brick with plaster accents featuring an exuberant array of facade elements, some of which The anterior portion of the west facade is unadorned, having once abutted and shared a The Miller Block is an eclectic three-story polychromatic residential structure of dark Check one panels, and framed by narrow brick piers whose ribbing is continued around the structure contradicting the only regular feature of this otherwide whimsically adorned facade. recall, some of which anticipate the architectural themes of other periods.

segmental brick arches of the third story windows which alternate asymmetrically with 1) The mid portion is framed on the top by a rusticated stone belt course and on the bottom of six slender brick faced piers each of which rises above the side entries to cornice- and the textured or ribbed ground story by a broad, relative unadorned skin of smooth red main entry, and 2) a band of ribbon windows under which is a stone balcony braced by consoles. structure contains the original (and severely deteriorating) wooden fire escapes and by a smooth-faced course, painted buff brown, which strays to surround and outline the of the structure that is broken by an asymmetrical pattern of window openings.The arcaded band or fringe of red corbelled briok elements against a buff plaster skin.This where, on the 32nd St.

facade, it becomes elongated creating a corduroy texturing to the base party wall with an adjacent building (now demolished). good unexposed The landings of its residential period.The interior has undergone numerous remodelings and, in recent years, has been vandalized, processes that have obliterated any significant in- strongly horizontal quality of the ribbed base is emphasized in counterpoint by two bays Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance

Description of the property

plaster band enclosing the attic story extends to the shoulders of the"straight-sided" The rear facade of the l-shaped - prehistoric - archeology-historic .agriculture . economics _architecture - military - social/ -art - music _ commerce - philosophy . industry - politics/government . invention 1800-1899 1906-8 1500-1599 1400-1499 communications engineering Builder/Architect Period education transportation theater 1700-1799 literature humanitarian 1900- exploration/settlement 1600-1699 offices for the medical staff of nearby Lutheran hospital).

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Significance The Miller Block is a type of multi-use apartment/commercial structure that was built at Specific dates ing city, a crowded section which included some small industrial structures and much vern= The immigrant character of the neighborhood has continued throughout the century (His- for well-to-do German immigrants is plausible if unsubstantiated.

houses further west along the area's major outreaching arteries, Lorain and Detroit Avenues Unlike elsewhere where large clusters of three-story 6- and 12-flats constructed just fenestration and its long, low silhouette, the building displays features identified in their Given the early demographic history of the area, the rumor that the Miller Block was built law elopments of worker housing on Cleveland's periphery, blocks like the Miller Block were never erected in great numbers on the near west side.Whether the area's immigrants were con- the work of George Steffens, demonstrating his ability to work in several architectural idioms. a building designed for more mundane pur poses, provided Steffens with an opportunity to play son John as designer.

lots, cottage industries, markets and dairies, meant that large multi-purpose blocks were a acular frame and brick Italianate residential material,a significant percentage of which dated from the antebellum period when Ohio City was a separate municipality before its union the turn of the century on scattered sites in the near west side section (or "ohio City") come an entry point where successive waves of immigrant workers after 1840, Germans number of cultural, residential and municipal projects at the turn of the century, some in after 1870, Hungarians and Slavs after 1910) established themselves before moving to larger with Cleveland in 1853.By the time the Miller Block was erected, the near west side had be- Areas of Significance-Check and justify below prior to and after World War I were built along rail lines extending into the spreading dev- George H.

Steffens The building was designed by George H. Steffens, a Cleveland architect who worked on a _sculpture -conservation -science - archeology-prehistoric - landscape architecture - religion tent to stay put or less able to travel more likely, the land was too dear, remain, only one other of a similar architectural quality (recently adapted to house doctors' community planning panic immigrants now live there in large numbers).The building stands today at the outermost with contemporary themes. sition from a walking to a an example of a multi-purpose building type built on Thus, in its emphatic horizontal lines, its asymmetry, its antic ings demonstrate the eclectic character of Steffen's work.

The first building is designed rariety.At most.there were probably fewer than six such in the area, of which perhaps four the pedestrian character of the areaas structural fabric with its modest little houses, small partnership Searles,1896;with Searles and Hirsh, 1897-1905), some alone or with his The building dem- 9. Major Bibliographical References , Catalogue of the special 10. Geographical Data Quadrangle name - Quadrangle scale 1:24,000 Parcel # 003-36-047, City of Cleveland _ state 11. Form Prepared By January, 1984 street & number 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification X local 665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the criteria and procedures set forth by the Heritage Conservationand Recreation Service.

State Historic Preservation Officer signature I hereby certify that this property is included in the National Register code county Easting organization date Northing national Zone name/title Attest: Cleveland South Verbal boundary description and justification Keeper of the National Register National Register Entered in the Chief of Registration List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or county boundaries The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: UMT References telephone 216/932-9794 Carol Poh Miller,"Ohio City:A Proposal for Area Conservation in Cleveland,"Unpublished Catalogue of the Cleveland Architecture Club, Cleveland: F.W.Roberts Co.,1897 For HCRS use only 2353 Woodmere Drive A17 city or town Mary L.

Reeb, Consultant As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89 GPO 938 835 Robert A. Wheeler, Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44106 NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 National Park Service Miller Block, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio Page Continuation sheet Inventory-Nomination Form received (3-82) National Register of Historic Places of the indiginous poor has not been the problem here that it has been in other communitfes.

date entered United States Department of the Interior Item number For NPS use only only part of Cleveland that has seen any significant gentrification.The displacement edge of what is called the Ohio City Redevelopment Area.At the same time, this is the WASO Form - 177 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ("R" June 1984) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Fed. Reg. Date: _ Date Due: _ nomination by person or local government owner objection Federal Agency: - -appeal J request - NR decision _ see continuation sheet Nomination returned for: _technical corrections cited below _substantive reasons discussed below 1. Name 2. Location 3. Classification 4. Owner of Property 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Representation in Existing Surveys Has this property been determined eligible? 7.

Description - unaltered -original site _ moved summary paragraph Category ruins resubmission Condition dates Status deteriorated yes REJECT completeness unexposed Reviewer Discipline fair Ownership Entered in the Recom./Criteria alterations/integrity RETURN Accessible Cuyahoga County Action: OHIO clarity Substantive Review: Public Acquisition boundary selection National Register Reviewer's comments: Miller Block Present Use Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance sample Check one 7-19-84/8-4-84 excellent ACCEPT good 8. Significance relating significance to the resource Other 9. Major Bibliographical References 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property 11.

Form Prepared By The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: State Historic Preservation Officer signature - Date - - Phone: Builder/Architect completeness context Signed state title UTM References national Maps local clarity Quadrangle name 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification Photographs applicable criteria relationship of integrity to significance justification of exception Verbal boundary description and justification Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Statement of Significance

Statement of significance

(in one paragraph) Ijustification of areas checked Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet Specific dates Areas of Significance-Check and justify below Period Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH SE corner, Lorain facade Miller Block 3204-12 Lorain Ave. Date: 32nd and Lorain) CHICO Date: rear facade Miller Block Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH 3204-12 Lorain Ave. Photos: M. Reeb Date: 1984 3204-12 Miller Block Lorain facade, former party Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH Photos: M. Reeb Éleveland, Cuyahoga, OH Date: 1984 Miller Block 32nd St.. Facade 3204-12 Lorain Ave. Photos: M. Reeb 1963 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 7.5 MINUTE SERIES (TOPOGRAPHIC) N4122.5 - W8137.5/7.5 CLEVELAND SOUTH QUADRANGLE CLEVELAND SOUTH, OHIO OHIO-CUYAHOGA CO