The ''Rockefeller Building'' is a historic high-rise office building in downtown

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

that was built in 1903-1905 and sits at the corner of West 6th and

Superior Avenue Superior Avenue is the main wide thoroughfare and part of U.S. Route 6 in Ohio in Downtown Cleveland, the largest and most populated city of Northeast Ohio. Superior runs through the central hub of Cleveland, Public Square. However, the only traff ...

across from the Tower City Center complex. The building stands at a height of 212 ft. (64.62 m), rising 17 stories above the street and is named after the

Standard Oil of Ohio The Standard Oil Company (Ohio) was an American oil company, a successor of the original company established in 1870 by John D. Rockefeller. It was established as "Standard Oil Company of Ohio" as one of the separate entities created after the ...

founder John D. Rockefeller. The massively wide building acts as an entry point into the very popular and populated

Warehouse District, Cleveland The Warehouse District is a nationally recognized historic district located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It is roughly bound by Front Avenue, Superior Avenue, West 3rd Street, and West 10th Street. On September 30, 1982, it was added to the N ...

. In 1973, the building was put on the list of National Register of Historic Places. There can never be any question that Rockefeller was instrumental in helping build Cleveland into the industrial powerhouse it still is today. There are many things in the city named after him including

Rockefeller Park Rockefeller Park is a city park named in honor of oil magnate John D. Rockefeller Sr., located in Cleveland, Ohio. Part of the Cleveland Public Parks District, Rockefeller Park is immediately adjacent Wade Park to the southeast, and across Euclid A ...

, The Rockefeller City Greenhouse, and Rockefeller Avenue, however, his namesake building is the most lasting and most recognizable epitaph to the Cleveland billionaire. Rockefeller was known for his generosity towards his native city, his legacy of giving and spending money on Cleveland projects and parks is still widely felt today.

What's in a name?

As can be seen in the adjacent picture, The ROCKEFELLER name is prominently displayed on the West 6th side of the building. This has been this way since 1905, except for a brief period when fellow Cleveland businessman Josiah Kirby (responsible for starting the gigantic Cleveland Discount Company mortgage firm in 1921 in Cleveland), bought the skyscraper from the Rockefellers in 1920 and subsequently changed the facade to the Kirby Building. However, Josiah Kirby angered the Rockefeller family by doing so, thus the Rockefeller family bought the building back and reverted it to the ROCKEFELLER moniker in 1923. That signage is still very visible today, having changed little in design since 1923.

References

{{coord, 41, 29, 53, N, 81, 41, 51, W, display=title Skyscraper office buildings in Cleveland Buildings and structures in Cleveland Office buildings completed in 1905 Downtown Cleveland 1905 establishments in Ohio

What's in a name?

See also

References