Nomination for Broadway Building

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

MB No. 1024-00 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service For NPS use only received OCT 1 7 1985 date entered See instructions in How to Complete National Register Forms Type all entries - complete applicable sections Name 223 Broadway Building and or common street & number southeast corner of W. Erie Avenue and Broadway - not for publication city, town - vicinity of 13th -- Donald J. Pease. -code 039 Present Use _ unoccupied - agriculture X building(s) X private Structure - work in progress - in process X yes: restricted yes: unrestricted Edward Sable and George Thomas Ohio 44052 courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. 226 Middle Avenue has this property been determined eligible? X no depository for survey records 2.

Location Elyria yes museum transportation both Lorain government entertainment Columbus Ownership Category date commercial site county educational Accessible 6. Representation in Existing Surveys National Register of Historic Places state industrial Status object historic park 3. Classification district federal public religious Inventory-Nomination Form other: local Ohio title scientific 5. Location of Legal Description private residence Congressional District Public Acquisition 4. Owner of Property (3-82) July 1976 Ohio Historic Inventory being considered NPS Form 10-900 Lorain County Administration Building Ohio Historical Society military xp. 10-31-8- 7. Description _ deteriorated X original site X altered located at the corner of East Erie Avenue and Broadway in downtown Lorain.

The building measures 200 feet by 100 feet and has an exterior style along classical lines, faced On the ground floor of the building, central arched, decorative sandstone entrances on both the front and side facades of the building open into large vaulted interior and elevator give access to offices on the upper floors. Exterior lightwells provide Building is built on a sloped site near the Black River, the large basement of the building can be entered from the alley at the rear, one floor below the ground-level with aggregate and marble facing, and in 1973 were topped with wooden shingled mansard the time of its construction. The overall integrity of the building is retained through Condition ruins moveddate excellent lobby. facade. The lines of the building clearly show the framing construction method used.

fair unaltered additional windows for offices located above the ground floor.Because the Broadway awnings.Aside from these alterations, the building exterior remains unchanged from corridors with marble walls leading to commercial and office spaces.A central stairway Check one its massiye scale and upper floor details. In 1967 and 1968,most of the ground floor commercial windows were fi1led in The Broadway Building isan imposing rectangular four-story office building with yellow brick and stone trim. The building facade is dominated by rows of windows X good Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance

Description of the property

set between brick pilasters, topped with a crenelated cornice. The pilasters form ten bays on the Broadway (front) facade and twenty bays on the East Erie Avenue (side) unexposed Areas of Significance - Check and justify below X architecture X commerce exploration settlement other (specify) Builder - Drummond-Miller Co., Cleveland Specific dates constructed 1926 Builder Architect Architect - Ernest McGeorge, Cleveland Statement of

Statement of significance

Architect Architect - Ernest McGeorge, Cleveland Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) Criteria A & C The Broadway Building is, and has been since its construction in 1926, the largest Avenue Bascule Bridge with both lake and river views from its office windows. This corner site has always been important in Lorain's history, the center of Lorain's commerce House, an early inn and social center since the beginnings of the community. A later building on the site housed commercial spaces, city offices, and a lodge hall. After this building was destroyed in the Tornado of 1924, work was begun on the Broadway the 1920's and the local furor of rebuilding following the 1924 Tornado which destroyed most of downtown Lorain.

There are only four other large-scale (more than three-story) buildings in downtown Lorain which display the ornate building styles of the 1920's -- and the Broadway Building is the largest of them all and is the only one built specifically to contain storefronts commercial structures in the downtown area are of no more than three stories in height and are generally of plain, vernacular storefront style. . The Broadway Building perhaps best typifies the entrepreneurial spirit which site was leveled by the tornado, it sat piled with debris until Fall, 1924 when the Argyle Company of Cleveland, bought it and began clearance, with plans to develop a Company of Cleveland had, by February, 1925, underwritten the bonds covering the land and a real economic investment opportunity in the reconstruction of downtown Lorain after the the huge National Tube division of the U.S.

Steel Company and the growing American Shipbuilding Yard, both of which prospered in the American economic boom of the 1920's. Until the shopping center and strip-commercial boom of the 1960's, the Broadway Building was fully occupied with professional offices, businesses, government agencies, a popular in the building include City offices, Internal Revenue Service, Veterans Administration, the Draft Board, Social Security, and Unemployment Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce and (continued on attached sheet) 1500-1599 1700-1799 1600-1699 1800-1899 1400-1499 communications humanitarian invention education transportation industry engineering literature Period archeology-historic archeology-prehistoric art theater music social agriculture law 8. Significance .conservation --politics/government --prehistoric .science _economics --philosophy ...communityplanning X_1900- .

sculpture military landscape architecture religion and downtown social life. The Broadway Building is located on the site of the Old Reid The ambitious size of this office building reflects the economic optimism of the ground floor and commercial offices (78) on the upper floors. All other characterized the rebuilding of downtown Lorain after the Tornado of 1924. After this The general contractors Nr the building, John H. Drummond and Granby Miller (The Drummond-Miller Company) were also of Cleveland, was in the employ of Drummond-Miller Company. The Finley-Smith-Gentsch The construction of the Broadway Building symbolized the emergence of a strong, modern, economically-healthy downtown arising out of the wreckage of the 1924 tornado.

Because of its size, location, and varied public uses over the years as a professional office and commercial building, all Lorainites are familiar with the Broadway Building. bowling alley, and at one time a restaurant. Specific offices which have been located most important intersection in downtown Lorain and overlooking the adjacent East Erie both principals in the Argyle Company, and the building's architect, Ernest McGeorge, Building.T 9.

The rest of the file

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

Major Bibliographical References 3. "Broadway Building on Block", The Lorain Journal, May 23, 1943. Acreage of nominated property - Quadrangle name - Lorain, Ohio. Quadrangle scale7.5 minute scale UTM References The Broadway Building is located on permanent parcel no. 02-01-004-101-011, measuring List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or county boundaries . state Charles R. Undrisky, AICP, Chief Planner Dept. of Community Development 200 W. Erie Avenue/5th Floor street & number Ohio 44052 city or town The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: State Historic Preservation Officer signature For NPS use only I hereby certify that this property is included in the National Register Chief of Registration U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1983 0 - 419-311 11.

Form Prepared By code date county Northing organization Attest: national Zone name/title Easting "City Seeks to Buy Broadway Building" The Lorain Journal. December 30. 1975. 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification Ohio Historic Preservation Office, Ohio Historic Inventory, Columbus, Ohio,1976 Verbal boundary description and justification "Here's New Building to Go Up at Loop",Lorain Times-Herald, February 13,1925. less than one date 5/10/85 (216) 245-1010 As the designated State Histöric Préservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89- according to the criteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service. National Register 665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated telephone 10. Geographical Data local Entered in tha OMB NO.

1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service For NPS use only occupancy has diminished to approximately one-half the leasable space available in the In 1943, the City considered buying the Broadway Building for use as a city hall, but the building, perhaps to demolish it and clear the site for urban renewal plans. The sale did not proceed and the building still stands, the only survivor of a renewal project which Page National Register of Historic Places (3-82) received building. Inventory-Nomination Form date entered NPS Form 10-900-a a host of doctors and lawyers. Since the decline of downtown Lorain as a commercial center, demolished all the buildings which once surrounded it.

Expires 10-31-87 GUL Broadway Building, Lorain, Lorain County, Ohio WASO Form - 177 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ("R" June 1984) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Working No. _ LACCEPT - nomination by person or local government Federal Agency: - Lappeal -sample Jrequest -NR decision Reviewer - Date Due: _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 7.

Description - excellent - unaltered - original site - moved ruins Accessible Ownership Status Condition resubmission Category clarity REJECT Discipline completeness RETURN Lorain County good deteriorated Recom./Criteria unexposed boundary selection Substantive Review: fair Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance Broadway Building alterations/integrity owner objection summary paragraph Reviewer's comments: Has this property been determined eligible? Present Use Check one Fed. Reg. Date: Entered in tagtion: National Register 85002833 Public Acquisition yes 11-14-85 - summary paragraph - completeness - clarity J applicable criteria J relating significance to the resource J context J relationship of integrity to significance - justification of exception 13. Other 9. Major Bibliographical References 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property 11.

Form Prepared By 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: _local State Historic Preservation Officer signature - Photographs Signed - Date - - Phone: - Builder/Architect Maps title Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet Quadrangle name justification of areas checked UTM References Verbal boundary description and justification Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) Specific dates _national Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to 8. Significance _state Areas of Significance-Check and justify below Period Lorain, Ohio Date: May 20, 1985 Photograph negative at: Dept. of Photo No. 1 Broadway Building 3/4 view of main facades looking East Community Development, 5th Floor Charles R. Undrisky, AICP, Photographer City Hall, 200 W.

Erie Ave., Lorain, OH 44052 Lorain, Ohio Charles R. Undrisky, AICP, Photographer Date: May 20, 1985 Community Development, 5th Floor Photo No. 2 Broadway Building View of front facade looking northeast City Hall, 200 W. Erie Ave., Photograph negative at: Dept. of Lorain, Ohio Charles R. Undrisky, AICP, Photographer Date: May 20, 1985 Photograph negative at: Dept. of Community Development, Sth Floor Lorain, OH 44052 Photo No. 3 Broadway Building View of side facade looking southeast City Hall, 200 W. Erie Ave., BOWLING BDWY.RECREATION Lorain, Ohio Charles R. Undrisky, AICP, Photographer Date: May 20, 1985 Photograph negative at: Dept. of City Hall, 200 West Erie Ave. Photo No. 4 View of rear of building looking southwest Broadway Building Community Development, 5th Floor, Lorain, OH 44052 BOWLING Lorain, Ohio Charles R.

Undrisky, AICP, Photographer Date: May 20, 1985 Community Development, 5th Floor, Lorain, OH 44052 1ooking west -- Photo No. 5 Broadway Building 3/4 view of side and rear of building City Hall, 200 West Erie Ave. Photograph negative at: Dept. of Lorain, Ohio Charles R. Undrisky, AICP, Photographer Date: May 20, 1985 Photograph negative at: Dept. of Lorain, OH 44052 Photo No. 6 View of side of building looking northwest Broadway Building Community Development, 5th Floor, City Hall, 200 West Erie Ave. BROADWAY BUILDING LORAIN, OHIO TIM REFERENCE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Ohio Historic Preservation Office 1985 Velma Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43211 SINCE 1885 October 7, 1985 Ms. Carol Shull, Chief National Register of Historic Places Department of the Interior 1100 L Street, N.W. Enclosed are five new National Register nominations and one resubmission.

Cincinnati, Hamilton County nomination which was listed 3/3/80. New Submiss ions Krause Building-Otto Moser's Cafe (Hannaford, Samuel and Sons Thematic Resources) Peeble's Corner Historic District Resubmiss ion Wheel ing Avenue Historic District Please contact me if you have any questions. W. Ray Luce State Historic Preservation Office OCT 1 7 1985 SOCIETY 614/466-1500 HISTORICAL Guernsey Cuyahoga Lorain County Enclosures WRL:bp County is an addition to the Hannaford, Samuel and Sons Thematic Resources, Broadway Building Bostwick-Braun Building Cummins School Dear Carol: National Park Service Luc.. Washington, D.C. 20240 All of the appropriate notification procedures have been followed for these