The John Brown House in Akron, Ohio, is closely tied to the life of the famed abolitionist. Built around 1830, it was purchased by Colonel Simon Perkins in 1844 and rented to Brown and his family while Brown entered a wool-growing partnership with Perkins after financial hardship. The Browns used the house from 1844 to…
Residences along East Market Street.
Opened in 1899 as Akron’s main post office, today this building is part of the Akron Art Museum. Pairs of carved eagle medallions and bronze lanterns decorate the building’s façade. A mosaic depicting a Pony Express rider is embedded in the lobby floor.
The Union Cafe was located on Market street across the tracks from Union Depot.
This park was wildly popular and drew huge crowds to the nascent town. “High Bridge Glens attracted up to 10,000 visitors a day during the summer season,” says McClure. “Not bad considering the entire population of Cuyahoga Falls was only about 2,500 people at that time.” High Bridge Glens closed in 1895, but that was…
Silver Lake was a popular Akron area amusement park. The site featured animal exhibits, a dance hall, steamboat rides, carnival rides, a miniature railway and a hotel. Silver Lake was one of the biggest attractions in all of Ohio. In its prime, the park received over 10,000 visitors per day.
A testament to just how fast automobiles has grown in popularity, this massive parking garage was constructed in 1919.During the Cold War, the Central Garage was designated as one of 32 downtown air-raid shelters.
Constructed at a cost of $2 million, Firestone’s research laboratory sat on a hill overlooking the vast factory complex of the Firestone empire. At the time, this three-story brick structure was one of the world’s largest and most complete laboratories for rubber and plastics research.
The dam was built in 1911-1912 by the Northern Ohio Traction & Light Co. as part of a hydroelectric plant that generated electricity for its Akron trolley cars. Use of the Hydroelectric generation plant was discontinued in 1958.
The founding of the Akron Fire Department dates all the way back to 1839 when Akron Council provided for the creation of volunteer companies to replace the Fire Warden. The “North Akron Fire Company” was formed on December 11, 1839. The first fire engine house was erected in 1841.
The North Hill Viaduct was an impressive structure. At 2810 feet long, 72 feet wide and 135 feet high at the river, it made a lasting impression on anyone viewing it. This longtime iconic symbol of Akron was destroyed and replaced by the All American Y Bridge.