HUNTINGTON BUILDING - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

The HUNTINGTON BUILDING, when it was built in the early 1920s, was the 2nd-largest office building in the world. Originally known as the Union Trust Bldg., it later became the Union Commerce Bldg. Designed by the Chicago firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, the Huntington Bldg. was erected between 1923-24 at a cost of $17 million. The Union Trust Co. owned the building until 1933, when the bank became insolvent. The State Banking Dept. took over the bank's affairs until 1939, when Union Properties, Inc., was organized to liquidate the assets of Union Trust. In 1949 the Union Bank of Commerce acquired the building at public auction, and the building was again sold in 1961 to the First Union Real Estate Investments Trust.

The 21-story building has frontage on Euclid Ave., E. 9th St., and Chester, and contains over 30 acres of floor space. Its only major addition since 1924 was 7 stories added in 1961 to a part of the building that had been topped off at the 14th floor. The building's chief architectural feature is the L-shaped 3-story banking room, the largest in the country in 1924. Also notable are the 4 large murals by Jules Guerin that fill the pediments at the ends of each hall. In 1973 the banking room underwent a $6 million restoration. In 1983 the building was sold to a multipartnership that included Clevelander Carl D. Glickman. The name was changed when Huntington Natl. Bank of Columbus took over the Union Commerce Corp. and engaged the entire building under a master lease from its owner, Chester Union Associates and First Union Realty. A $20 million restoration of the building was completed in 1991. At the time of this writing, the fate of 925 Euclid Avenue was still unclear. In 2011, Huntington National Bank?s leased expired and the organization moved to 200 Public Square, known formerly as the BP America Tower. As of 2014, the owners of the building were still struggling to find a viable anchor tenant.

Related Article(s)

• ARCHITECTURE

Related Link(s)

• Hines - The Huntington Building Renovation