Huntington Tower

{{Short description|Office building in Akron, Ohio, United States}}

{{About|the Akron skyscraper|the Detroit|Huntington Bank Tower}}

{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox building

|name = Huntington Tower

|image = File:Corner view of Huntington Tower.jpg

|location = 106 S Main St, Akron, Ohio, U.S.

|coordinates = {{coord|41.0823|-81.5184|region:US-OH|display=inline,title}}

|map_type = Ohio

|floor_count = 27

|elevator_count =

|completion_date = 1931

|references =

|roof = {{convert|101|m|ft|abbr=on}}

|antenna_spire = {{convert|137|m|ft}}

|architect = Walker & Weeks

|module =

{{Infobox NRHP

| embed = yes

| name = First National Bank Building

| nrhp_type = nrhp

| architect = Walker & Weeks

| architecture = Art Deco

| added = June 27, 2007{{NRISref|2010a}}

| refnum = 07000633

}}

}}

Huntington Tower, earlier known as FirstMerit Tower, First National Bank Building, the First Central Tower 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 S Main St and East Mill Street.{{cite news| last=Warsmith| first=Stephanie| date=October 7, 2013| title=Akron moving ahead with plans to improve Cascade Plaza| url=https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/local/2013/10/07/akron-moving-ahead-with-plans/10722689007/| newspaper=Akron Beacon Journal| access-date=March 23, 2022}} The {{convert|330|ft|m|abbr=on|adj=on}} tower{{skyscraperpage|1207}} has been the city's tallest building since its completion in 1931.{{Cite web |url=https://www.emporis.com/buildings/125771 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302171012/https://www.emporis.com/buildings/125771 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=March 2, 2016 |title=Emporis building ID 125771 |work=Emporis}}

The 27-story building is art deco in style and is covered in glazed architectural terra-cotta.{{cite web| url=http://www.westerngroup.com/servicesAndProjects/structures/officeCommercial.jspx?fileName=1120493926173-106-04-01.jpg&id=245| title=FirstMerit Restoration| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060311053532/http://www.westerngroup.com/servicesAndProjects/structures/officeCommercial.jspx?fileName=1120493926173-106-04-01.jpg&id=245| archive-date=March 11, 2006| website=Western Construction Group}} Its lobby is built of Tennessee marble, white brick, and terra cotta, and features a large banking hall with arched windows.

The tower is also noted for its role in local broadcasting. Studios for WAKR radio were originally housed in the ground level from 1940 until 1953. The top of the building also held a television mast originally used by WAKR's TV adjacent, WAKR-TV (now WVPX-TV) and WAKR-FM.{{cite news| first=Mark J.| last=Price| title= Scraping the Sky| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98238977/the-akron-beacon-journal/| newspaper=Sunday Beacon Magazine| page=13| date=March 14, 1999| access-date=March 23, 2022}} Erected in 1953 for WAKR-TV's sign-on{{Cite news |date=June 7, 1953 |title=Bird? Plane? Nope, TV Show 487 Feet in Air |page=2 |newspaper=Akron Beacon Journal |location=Akron, Ohio |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66163721/bird-plane-nope-tv-show-487-feet-in/ |url-status=live |access-date=December 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121204922/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66163721/bird-plane-nope-tv-show-487-feet-in/ |archive-date=January 21, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{unbulleted list citebundle|{{Cite news|date=June 7, 1953|title='Way Up Here---|page=1|newspaper=Akron Beacon Journal|location=Akron, Ohio|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66163232/way-up-here/|access-date=December 27, 2020|via=Newspapers.com|archive-date=January 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121204918/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66163232/way-up-here/|url-status=live}}|{{Cite news|date=June 7, 1953|title=---He Snaps A Picture From WAKR-TV Tower|page=1|newspaper=Akron Beacon Journal|location=Akron, Ohio|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66163354/-he-snaps-a-picture-from-wakr-tv-tower/|access-date=December 27, 2020|via=Newspapers.com|archive-date=January 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121204923/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66163354/-he-snaps-a-picture-from-wakr-tv-tower/|url-status=live}}}} and later donated to PBS member station WEAO, the antenna reached a height of {{convert|134.7|m|ft}} but was removed in 2019.{{Cite news |last=Mackinnon |first=Jim |date=July 11, 2019 |title=Something's missing on downtown skyline |language=en |pages=B1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51906136/somethings-missing-on-downtown/ B10] |newspaper=Akron Beacon Journal |location=Akron, Ohio |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51905915/somethings-missing-on-downtown/ |url-status=live |access-date=February 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121204937/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51905915/somethings-missing-on-downtown/ |archive-date=January 21, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}