Huntington Tower
Huntington Tower, earlier known as FirstMerit Tower, First National Bank Building, and the First Central Trust Building, is a skyscraper in Akron, Ohio. The centerpiece of downtown Akron, it sits in the Cascade Plaza at the corner of King James Way and East Mill Street.[4] The 330 ft (100 m) tower[1] has been the city's tallest building since its completion in 1931.[2]
| Huntington Tower | |
|---|---|
Location within Ohio | |
| General information | |
| Location | 106 King James Way, Akron, Ohio, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 41°04′56″N 81°31′06″W / 41.0823°N 81.5184°WCoordinates: 41°04′56″N 81°31′06″W / 41.0823°N 81.5184°W |
| Completed | 1931 |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 137 metres (449 ft)[1] |
| Roof | 101 m (331 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 27 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Walker & Weeks[2] |
First National Bank Building | |
| Architect | Walker & Weeks |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 07000633[3] |
| Added to NRHP | June 27, 2007[3] |
| References | |
| [2][1] | |
The 27-story building is art deco in style and is covered in glazed architectural terra-cotta.[5] Its lobby is built of Tennessee marble, white brick, and terra cotta, and features a large banking hall with arched windows.[2]
The top of the building had a television broadcast tower, formerly used by WAKR-TV (now WVPX-TV) and WAKR-AM.[6] The antenna reached a height of 134.7 metres (442 ft) but was removed in 2019.[1]
History
The tower replaced the neo-gothic Hamilton Building, completed on the site in 1900.[2]
Around 2000, the tower was given a $2.5 million facelift, including a $1.8 million restoration of the tower's terra-cotta, brick, and limestone facade. The painstaking process involved the removal of some 450 blocks weighing up to 75 pounds (34 kg) for cleaning and reassembly. Over 1,100 other pieces of the masonry and tilework were repaired on site.[5] In 2007, the tower underwent another restoration. Completed by Cleveland-based VIP Restorations, it included repointing of all masonry and terra-cotta joints, repairs to the windows, structural restoration, and a restoration of the 13th floor parapet.[7] VIP Restorations also helped to get the building placed on the National Register of Historic Places.[3][7]
The building's name changed after Huntington acquired FirstMerit in 2016.[8]
In 2019, Huntington announced the building was for sale.[9]
References
- ^ a b c d "Huntington Tower". SkyscraperPage.
- ^ a b c d e . Emporis. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016.
- ^ a b c "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ Warsmith, Stephanie (October 7, 2013). "Akron moving ahead with plans to improve Cascade Plaza". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- ^ a b . Western Construction Group. Archived from the original on March 11, 2006.
- ^ Price, Mark J. (March 14, 1999). "Scraping the Sky". Sunday Beacon Magazine. p. 13. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- ^ a b FirstMerit, VIP Restoration 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Warsinskey, Tim (January 11, 2009). "Huntington Bank buys FirstMerit: 12 things to know (photos)". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland.
- ^ Lin-Fisher, Betty. "Huntington Tower, Akron's tallest building, for sale". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
External links
- National Register of Historic Places nomination form for First National Bank Tower
- Media related to Huntington Tower at Wikimedia Commons