Caxton Building

The Caxton Building sits next to the Ohio Bell Building on Huron Road.
Caxton Building archway

The Caxton Building is a historic building completed in 1903 in Cleveland, Ohio.[1] It was designed by Frank Seymour Barnum's F. S. Barnum & Co architectural firm. The 8-story steel-frame office building was constructed for the Caxton Building Company and its president Ambrose Swasey. It housed graphic arts and printing businesses, and was named after William Caxton, a British printer in the 15th century. [2]

The main entrance to the building is a Romanesque architecture style terra cotta archway. It includes intricate organic cartouches in the style popularized by American architect Louis Sullivan, as well as column capitals accenting its buff colored masonry.[3] Its ground floor retail frontage has included restaurants and cafes.[2]

The building was designed to accommodate heavy printing presses. In 1905 it housed Alfred Cahen's business which became the World Publishing Company. [2]

The Caxton Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in October, 1973. [3] It was declared a Cleveland landmark in 1976. The building underwent restorations in the 1990s. [2]

References

  1. Caxton Building Emporis (includes photos)
  2. 1 2 3 4 Caxton Building Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
  3. 1 2 Ohio Erie Canal National Park Service
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