VINTAGE STRUCTURES: THE CARLTON BUILDING

Clockwise from top left: The front entrance to the Carlton Building. The facade was completely remodeled in 2008. (Photo: Pritt Entertainment Group) A photo from the late 1930s shows the Carlton Building when it housed Carlton’s Clothes (far left behind the light pole). The front facade was remodeled in metal in 1937. (Photo: Pritt Entertainment Group) The staff kitchen on the second floor. (Photo: Pritt Entertainment Group) The front lounge of Pritt Entertainment Group’s new office space. The front windows have an impressive view of downtown and Lock 3. (Photo: Pritt Entertainment Group)

THE CARLTON BUILDING

BY CHARLOTTE GINTERT FOR TDS PHOTOS COURTESY OF PRITT ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

If you’ve walked down South Main Street by Lock 3 recently you have probably noticed it looks quite different now that the massive construction project is complete. The old main drag is looking much more fresh and vibrant. Another change you may have noticed is that the Carlton Building at 201 S. Main St. is looking more fresh and vibrant too.

When Pritt Entertainment Group outgrew the space it was renting farther south on Main Street, they decided it was time to own their own space. They wanted to be in another historic building downtown, but one that they could renovate to fit their needs. The Carlton Building was the perfect fit.

The building is the oldest structure in the South Main Street Historic District, although you cannot tell thanks to a 2008 facade remodel. Little of the interior remained by the time PEG purchased the property in 2018. This ended up being a blessing because the company wanted to custom build office and studio space. While the historic shell remained, they could basically start from scratch on the inside.

Ryan Pritt, PEG president and cofounder, has a thing for old buildings. He and his team spent countless hours researching the history of the building and looking for historic photographs. Honoring the building’s story was very important to the team and they retained as many historic details in the remodel as possible. At the rear stairwell, old photographs and newspaper ads offer a tour of the Carlton’s history.

The Carlton Building was built in 1900 in the standard brick commercial style of the turn of the century. No photographs of it during its early years could be found, but later images show that a distinct metal facade was added in 1937. Prior to that, it was home to the Motor Supply and Tire Co., Brown’s Furniture House, Sokol’s Furniture Store, Central Hardware, Kahn’s Jewelry Store, the Doll House and Akron Sporting Goods. Carlton Clothes catered to Akron’s executives, especially those in the rubber industry, and carried men’s high end clothing and shoes.

After Carlton’s closed, a few more businesses occupied the building until it was vacated in 2001. Despite the lack of information known about the original design and all the renovations over the years, it was included in the South Main Street Historic District in 2008. However, the building remained vacant until PEG’s acquisition.

During the remodeling project, PEG staff found a box of old Carlton business correspondence and company ephemera. They also found a metal Carlton sign for a service entrance. The sign is now hanging in the stairwell amongst the historic photos. PEG is keeping the letters with the hope of studying them further in the future.

The renovations were completed in spring 2021. PEG’s offices and studio space occupy the second and third floors. The first floor is available to rent. The building’s opening coincided nicely with the completion of the renovations of Main Street. south of Mill Street

Many other historic storefronts on South Main Street are now ready for occupancy and hopefully the new PEG headquarters will welcome several new neighbors soon. Their renovations of the Carlton Building are evidence that these historic structures can be a part of downtown’s next chapter.

Charlotte Gintert is an archaeologist and a photographer.You can check out her photos at www. capturedglimpses.com or follow her on Instagram at @capturedglimpses.