April 2 Urban Design and Historic Preservation Commission meeting
Notes and story by Documenter Jess Fijalkovich (see their notes here)
The first Black-owned house in Akron’s Summit Lake neighborhood could be designated a historically significant structure, making it the first historic landmark in the neighborhood.
At an April 2 public hearing, the City of Akron’s Urban Design and Historic Preservation Commission approved, with conditions, the application for the designation of the Brown Family Home at 242 Lake St. as an historic landmark. The Akron City Planning Commission will meet to review the application on May 10.
Brown family members submitted an application for the historic designation following the death of their parents, James and Johnnie Elaine Brown. Kurt Mulhauser from the Planning and Urban Development Department provided the historical context of the neighborhood and property at the April hearing.
Through the 1950s, the Summit Lake neighborhood extended north to Bartges Street and the B.F. Goodrich plant. Summit Beach Amusement Park opened along the east edge of Summit Lake in 1917 and closed in 1958. In 1965, Summit Lake Apartments were built along the eastern edge of the lake by the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority. In the 1960s, the construction of Interstate 76 split the neighborhood in half from north to south.
Family moves into Summit Lake home in the ’60s
In 1966, James Allen Brown Sr. and his wife, Johnnie Elaine Brown, purchased the house and moved in with their five children. A sixth child was born later. The two-story, single-family house, constructed in 1913 in the “Akron Vernacular II style,” is an example of a predominant house type in Summit Lake, according to a memo from the Akron Department of Planning and Urban Development included with the application.
James and Johnnie Elaine were born in Akron in February 1939 after their families had moved to Akron as part of the Great Migration. Johnnie Elaine recalled the fun she had at Summit Beach Amusement Park in the 1950s, according to the Planning Department memo. She remembered riding the Ferris wheel and playing at the segregated beach – some days were “whites only days.”
James worked for Chrysler and the Babcock & Wilcox Company. Johnnie Elaine was initially a stay-at-home mom and PTA president for Lincoln School. She eventually took a part-time job at Swensons, where she became a manager, and later worked as a paraprofessional at the Akron Public Schools. She attended classes at the University of Akron, following her children, who also attended college.
With six children, the Brown residence was a focal point of the block, and Johnnie Elaine was the “Mom of the Neighborhood.” The home became known for its annual Christmas show of lights, and every year there were July 4 celebrations and cookouts, the memo said.
“The Brown family history in this home and neighborhood exemplifies the story of many Black families in Akron and across the United States in the 1960s,” according to the memo.
Home may meet multiple historic criteria
The application contends, according to the city, that this property meets the following criteria from among listed criteria in the City of Akron Urban Design and Historic Preservation Ordinance (Ord. 388-1997):
- Has significant character, interest or value, as part of the development, heritage or cultural characteristics of the city, state or nation.
- Is associated with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the culture and development of the city, state or nation.
- Is the site of an historic event with a significant effect on society.
- Exemplifies the area, property or site of the cultural, political, economic, social or historic heritage of the city, state or nation
- Is a portrayal of the environment of a group of people in an era of history characterized by a distinctive architectural style.
- Embodies the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural type or specimen.
- Contains elements of design, detail, materials or craftsmanship that represent a significant architectural or structural innovation.
At the April 2 commission meeting, Dr. Lisa R. Brown, James and Johnnie Elaine’s daughter, explained the historical significance of her family home.
Dr. Brown is an assistant professor at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. She splits her time between San Antonio and Akron, as she “insist[s] on continuing to maintain our ties to the community.” Dr. Brown’s sister, Veronica Sims, is the District 33 Ohio House representative, and her brother is a military veteran.
“The Summit Lake neighborhood is a historic neighborhood,” Dr. Brown told the commissioners. “The home where [my parents] raised their children has led to them being a model family. We desire them to be honored by this designation.”
James and Johhnie Elaine had six children, they are:
- James Allen Brown, Jr. (1959-2020) – Artist and Community Leader attended Robinson & Lincoln Elementary Schools, Thornton Jr. High, Akron South High School, and Shawnee State University.
- Donna L. Savage-Brown, B.A. – is a Retired Columbus City Schools Art Teacher who attended Lincoln Elementary, Thornton Jr. High, Akron South High School, and Kent State University.
- Lisa R. Brown, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas, attended Lincoln Elementary, Thorton Jr. High, Central-Hower & Akron South High School, the University of Akron, and the University of Georgia.
- Veronica R. Sims-Brown, MPA – State Representative – OH District 33 attended Lincoln Elementary, Thornton Jr. High, Garfield High School, and the University of Akron.
- Darrin D. Brown – U.S. Army Veteran attended Lincoln Elementary School, Roswell-Kent Middle School, Buchtel High School & Garfield High Schools, University of Akron.
- Keasha L. Brown, B.A.– Procurement Officer, Pittsburgh, PA, attended Lincoln Elementary, Roswell-Kent Middle School, and Buchtel High School, University of Akron
Commissioners debate application, approve with conditions
After some debate, commissioners voted unanimously to approve this application with conditions.
Commissioner Elizabeth Corbin Murphy, who sits on the Ohio Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board, said, “In looking at the details of this application, I think that we need some more clarification to put it into the format of generally accepted nominations.”
Murphy asked for the inclusion of Sanborn Maps and the background information provided by Mulhauser in the application for additional context. She also said that not all of the seven criteria presented by Mulhauser apply to Brown’s house and that it should be narrowed down to around two criteria.
“It seems to me that one of the big intentions, and Dr. Brown you can correct me if I’m wrong,” Murphy said, “was to initiate this type of landmark application so that other members of the African American community, especially from the Great Migration, might also participate in honoring the historic site.”
Murphy noted at the meeting that the site wasn’t yet designated historic the application could serve as a model for others.
While commission members debated the architectural aesthetics of the house, Brown remarked on the importance of the front porch, as it is “such a part of the cultural dynamic of African American families.”
Murphy said the focus should be on the life that existed inside the house, as “most of the significant historic properties that are associated with African American activities are in their second life.”
Board Members Leianne Heppner and Murphy, along with the city’s Mulhauser all agreed to update the application before it goes to the Akron Planning Commission at 9 a.m. on May 10.
