When James Allen Brown Sr. and Johnnie Elaine Brown purchased 242 Lake St. in 1966, the married couple didn’t know they were making history as the first Black family to own a house in the Summit Lake neighborhood.

Their daughter, Dr. Lisa Brown, only learned of the home’s significance when she submitted a historic landmark application to the City of Akron. The white, two-story home was built in 1913. Its blue-trimmed windows match the roof, and a large porch adorns the front. It sits on a corner lot, a two-minute walk from Summit Lake.

With the application, Lisa said she wanted to honor her parents’ contributions to the community while acknowledging the impact Black Americans had on Northern cities such as Akron during the Great Migration and the Civil Rights Movement. 

The Brown family children, pictured at the dining table at 242 Lake St. in 1973.
The Brown family children, pictured at the dining table at 242 Lake St. in 1973. They are, clockwise from left: Lisa, Veronica, Keasha, James “Jimmy,” Donna and Darrin. (Courtesy of Lisa Brown)

“There’s so often a stereotype about Black American families, and you don’t see the more positive images being advanced,” she said. “Even in the face of challenges of poverty, racism, discrimination and injustice, Black Americans have always fought to live that dream of what the country was supposed to be about, which was opportunity for everyone.””

In June, Akron City Council unanimously approved the designation of 242 Lake St. as a historic landmark. There are three categories under which a structure can be designated a historical landmark: If it’s historically or culturally significant, architecturally significant or geographically significant. 

“It’s a public proclamation of the importance of the structure,” said Leianne Neff Heppner, president and CEO of the Summit County Historical Society and a member of the city’s Urban Design and Historic Preservation Commission. “And so in the case of 242 Lake St. then, it has been deemed important at the historical and cultural level.”

James Brown Sr. and Johnnie Elaine Brown in 2018.
James Brown Sr. and Johnnie Elaine Brown in 2018. The couple purchased the house at 242 Lake St. in 1966. The couple were the first Black people to own a home in the Summit Lake neighborhood. (Courtesy of Lisa Brown)

Raising future Black leaders at 242 Lake St.

James Allen Brown Sr. and Johnnie Elaine Brown were both born in Akron in 1939, the products of parents who moved to Akron from Oklahoma and Georgia during The Great Migration. 

The couple raised Lisa and her five siblings in Akron: James “Jimmy” Brown Jr., an artist and community leader; Donna Savage-Brown, a retired art teacher based in Columbus; Veronica Sims-Brown, a state representative for District 33, which includes Akron; Darrin Brown, an Army veteran; and Keasha Brown, a procurement officer based in Pittsburgh.

James Sr. and James Jr. died in 2020, and Johnnie died in 2023. 

“I want my parents’ memory to live on and be [an] example for everyone in this neighborhood, that some good things could come out of Summit Lake,” Lisa said, “and what we’ve been able to accomplish through their guidance.”

The Brown family poses for a photo in front of their home at 242 Lake St. in 1988.
The Brown family poses for a photo at their home at 242 Lake St. in 1988. Back row (left to right): James “Jimmy” Brown Jr., Donna Savage, Lisa Brown, Veronica Sims and Darrin Brown; front row (left to right): James Brown Sr., Johnnie Elaine Brown and Keasha Brown (Courtesy of Lisa Brown)

Looking back on her childhood, Lisa recalled big moments — Fourth of July cookouts, Christmas light displays, graduation parties — and small moments — her mother teaching her how to write her name, helping her dad study for a job promotion and countless sporting events that her parents never missed.

During a phone interview with her brother Darrin, the two reminisced about growing up in Summit Lake. Lisa recounted one story from her elementary school years. She was walking home from school with Veronica when a boy started bothering Lisa and tried to get her to kiss him. While Veronica ran home to get their mother, kids formed a circle around Lisa taunting her to kiss the boy.

“And all of a sudden, it was like ‘The Avengers,’” Lisa said. “The circle split, and my little brother came through. Darrin was only in kindergarten. Darrin beat that boy up and said don’t he ever do that to his sister again. And I never had a problem with that boy.”

Darrin Brown on the front porch of 242 Lake St. in 1982.
Darrin Brown on the front porch of 242 Lake St. in 1982. (Courtesy of Lisa Brown)

Growing up in Summit Lake, the siblings spent their free time playing pick-up basketball, riding bikes, roller skating at Lincoln Elementary School and going to Mr. Gene’s Corner Store for 5-cent candies.

“We had everything down there,” Darrin said. “Open M Park, free lunches. Neighborhood was good. When we were young, it was more family-oriented. Everybody was getting along with each other. When somebody’s parents say something, it wasn’t no backtalk. You do what you gotta do.”

‘Glad we get to honor our parents this way’

Lisa said her parents never considered moving or selling the house because they wanted to leave it to their children so they always had a home to go to. Neff Heppner said the family’s longevity in the home and community involvement were significant during the historical landmark application process.

James Brown Sr. holds granddaughter Bridjette Brown on the front porch of 242 Lake St. in 1986.
James Brown Sr. holds granddaughter Bridjette Hairston (Brown) on the front porch of 242 Lake St. in 1986. (Courtesy of Lisa Brown)

With the historical landmark designation, Lisa, who splits her time between Akron and San Antonio where she works as a college professor, wants to continue to honor her parents’ legacy through community programming. Saturday, she will host the second of two reading circles at Summit Lake Community Center. Attendees will discuss the book “The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks.”

“I’m glad we get to honor our parents this way,” she said. “ A lot of times, we used to always talk about how much we thought everybody’s family was like ours until we went to college. My mother and parents never allowed other people to come in between us. That was very important to them that we always looked after each other. I find myself and all of us continuing to do that.”

Culture & Arts Reporter (she/her)
Brittany is an accomplished journalist who’s passionate about the arts, civic engagement and great storytelling. She has more than a decade of experience covering culture and arts, both in Ohio and nationally. She previously served as the associate editor of Columbus Monthly, where she wrote community-focused stories about Central Ohio’s movers and shakers. A lifelong Ohioan, she grew up in Springfield and graduated from Kent State University.