FEATURED HOUSE: 490 St. Leger Avenue

An original and well-preserved Goodyear-built Heights home, this English Cottage-style house constructed in 1920 features 3 bedrooms and 1 bath in a total of 1,282 sq. ft. The stucco exterior exudes lots of charm and much of the interior has been finished in contemporary colors. An updated kitchen includes many gourmet features, including a true professional-level cooktop. Original features like a brick fireplace and handsome staircase hall help this house retain much of its early 20th-century charm, while providing needed modern upgrades.

The home features a spacious and shady backyard with 2 patio areas that are perfect for entertaining – with a brick pizza oven, a smoking pit and a separate firepit. Basement has roughed in plumbing for bath
Notes: 490 Saint Leger Ave. Akron, OH 44305/ 3 bedrooms and 1 baths; ready to move in.  The home has gas forced air heat and includes  Professional Cooktop / Oven & Refrigerator. For more details, click HERE.

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FEATURED HOUSE: 1402 Goodyear Blvd.

An original (1914) and well-preserved Goodyear Heights home, this English Cottage-style house features 3 bedrooms and 1.5 baths. For the most part, the exterior appears little changed from the original (including the windows) and portions of the first floor have been opened-up slightly to allow for a more flowing plan. Original features like a brick fireplace and handsome staircase help this 1,516 sq. ft. house retain much of its early 20th-century charm.

The home features a spacious and shady backyard and a partially finished basement as well, and is right on the bus line. Also includes a detached, single-car garage.

Notes: 1402 Goodyear Blvd. Akron, OH 44305 / 3 bedrooms and 1.5 baths; ready to move in.  The home has Central air, gas forced air heat and includes  Dishwasher, Dryer, Range / Oven & Refrigerator. For more details, click HERE.

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SOME THOUGHTS ON MAINTAINING YOUR HOME’S CHARACTER AND VALUE

One of the most common questions people ask about owning older homes has to do with the best ways to repair them or improve them. One of the things that helps maintain the historic character of Goodyear Heights is the design of the homes—many of which represent excellent examples of residential architecture 100 years ago. The more you can retain some of that original design integrity, the more you home may be worth in the long run, and the more it adds to the neighborhood. In one sense, maintaining and repairing an old house is almost akin to the pledge that doctors take--First, Do No Harm--which is to say, it's best not to rush ahead and remove or destroy a period detail that you might miss later.  Today, we’ll talk a little bit about repairs.

Maintaining that historic look? It’s not always easy. People say, “they don’t build them like that anymore” – and it’s certainly true. When most Goodyear Heights houses were built, hardwood floors, oak woodwork, French doors, fireplaces, wood windows and even slate roofs were the norm. If your house still has them, it’s best to try and repair or restore them, if possible—since brand new replacements aren’t cheap.

The same goes for a home’s exterior. If your home still sports its original stucco, brick or wooden shingle/clapboard exterior, it’s always best to make a good, solid repair than to replace or hide a problem with a newer or cheaper material, like vinyl siding.

But what if repair isn’t possible?  First of all, it’s important to know that there’s nothing that can’t be fixed the right way, if you’re determined to make it happen. There are craftsmen who still know how to correctly point brick, repair stucco and cedar shingle siding, fix a plaster wall or refinish old woodwork. It may cost a little more, but your house will retain more of its value and the chances are, those repairs—if done right—will look better and last far longer than a quick fix or a cheap substitute.

If you can’t find a match for an original material, or you simply don’t have the budget to repair something the way you’d like, you can still help protect your investment by making smart choices. Here’s a few ideas:

Siding – Replacing old, rotted clapboards is still preferable to re-siding with aluminum or vinyl. Correctly prepared, and using today’s better paints, sections of that old siding can still be fixed and remain easier to maintain. A better alternative than vinyl are wood-like substitutes like Hardie-board, or cement-board, which match wood in appearance but don’t rot. Even some of today’s better vinyl siding is improved over cheap varieties—many types are designed to mimic older styles of wooden siding.

Roofs – A lot of houses in the Heights had slate roofs, the cost of which is beyond the reach of most people today. If you can replace some slates, great. If not, many modern substitutes are available that have a similar look to the original.

Windows – windows can be a real issue. The original windows in these houses will always look better than any modern replacement, but it’s also true that they were mostly single-pane, true divided-light windows that really don’t meet today’s standards in terms of energy efficiency. If you’re lucky, you may have some original storm windows—but few people like the idea of taking them off and storing them every summer. There are also new types of storm windows that are designed to fit on the inside of the house—and they are much thinner and lighter, too. If replacements are a must, seek ones that look as close to the original as possible, with true divided-lights (or at least removable window grilles) rather than full plates of sheet glass.

Exterior Details – porch railings, doors and trim: The modern-style railings you see on a new home’s rear deck won’t look right on an old house. Exterior trim—like soffits, verge boards on gables and window surrounds, should be repaired to look as much like the original as possible. Maintain the scale and appearance, and remember it’s OK to use modern, no-rot materials like Azek PVC for these repairs, too. That will cut down on future maintenance. If you must replace an original door, you can almost always find a new one that will match it. The good news is—most of the detailing found on Goodyear Heights houses is attractive but fairly simple in design—so there’s no need for fancy Victorian “gingerbread” trim.

Those are just a few tips that can help in your decision-making. As time goes on, we’ll provide more in-depth information and resources that can help you improve and maintain your home in a way that preserves its value and historic character. We’ll get into some other issues, like modern updates, additions and even garages—in the future.

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THE HEIGHTS’ LIGHTER-THAN-AIR LEGENDS

Most people who walk down Vaniman Street or Preston Avenue don’t give a thought to where they got their names. But those names loom large, not only in the history of Goodyear, but in the early history of flight.

Back when Goodyear was just getting started, Frank Seiberling wasn’t planning to be limited to the tire business. Goodyear was at the forefront of many advanced technologies, and was fully staffed with some of America’s brightest engineers. These were the same men that built the neighborhood’s streets, planned for its water and sewer utilities, and ensured that Warren Manning’s innovative design became a reality. The company’s expertise in rubber made the construction of balloon and blimp envelopes a natural, and Seiberling’s enthusiasm for flight was the impetus needed to make sure Goodyear became a world leader in lighter-than-air flight.

So it was that when Melvin Vaniman, a noted aerial photographer who had taken up piloting airships, needed a new airship to make a second attempt at an Atlantic crossing, Goodyear manufactured the craft’s giant rubber gas bag. Vaniman—who never actually lived in Akron—had attempted a crossing in 1910, but was forced to ditch in the ocean due to an engine failure. Thankfully, he and his feline co-pilot “Kiddo” survived.

For his second attempt, Vaniman was happy to name the airship Akron at Frank Seiberling’s request, and in 1912 he set off from the Jersey shore near Atlantic City, this time, without his furry friend. Sadly, Vaniman would fail once again, but the second attempt cost he and his four crewmen their lives. Filled with over 11,000 cubic meters of hydrogen, the airship burst into flames and exploded — plunging the ship’s gondola over 750 meters to an inlet. Soon thereafter, Vaniman’s brave exploits would be immortalized by having one of the neighborhood’s streets named after him.

Just as Vaniman was attempting his first transatlantic flight, Goodyear engineer P.W. Litchfield was attending an airship meet in Paris, and on his way back to the US, bought new equipment in Scotland for spreading rubber on fabric and brought two Scotsmen back home with him to operate it. Soon, Goodyear was developing advanced balloon and airship designs, and the company was eager to test them out.

Preston and Upson commemorated on a card celebrating their balloon race victory

Onto this scene entered the two Ralphs—R.H. Upson and R.A. Preston—both talented and fearless engineers who worked in Goodyear’s Aeronautical Division. Confident enough to fly the same balloons and airships that came off their drawing boards, they quickly led the company into a leadership position, winning the International Gordon-Bennett Balloon Race in 1913 as well as many competitions across America.

Success breeds success, and in 1917 Goodyear became involved in the effort to build an all- new airship for the U.S. Navy, designated the B-Class. The contract was large enough that four other firms—including B.F. Goodrich and U.S. Rubber Co. (Later Uniroyal)—teamed up to get the job done. With its immense experience in lighter-than-air craft, Goodyear led the project, and engineers Preston and Upson played major roles in designing a brand new generation of advanced airships.

The two men were among the company’s most notable and respected employees. As there was already an Upson Street in the northern part of Middlebury, Preston was honored with having a street named after him in the new Goodyear Heights development. Ralph Upson soon made his home on the Heights, having his own house built on Shawnee Path using a company-approved design.

Just as young boys of the early 1960’s loved to follow space heroes named Shepard, Glenn and Grissom—boys of the early 1900’s closely followed the daring exploits of airship pioneers like Vaniman, Upson and Preston, which were highlighted in newspapers around the world. It’s nice to know they’ll always be remembered in Goodyear Heights.

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FEATURED HOUSE: 1555 Hillside Terrace

This large shingle-style colonial at the corner of Brittain Road and Hillside Terrace was custom-built for its first owner in 1923, and is one of the larger homes built within the historic district. Though not an original Goodyear-built house plan, it is a unique-to-the-neighborhood design, like many of the houses on this stretch of Hillside. It fits in perfectly with the surrounding homes and has been solidly maintained. Inside, the home still retains most of its original charm, including a rustic Craftsman-style fireplace, French doors, beautiful hardwood floors and solid oak woodwork—all of which appear to be in excellent shape.

It’s possible that the house may have been originally constructed as a duplex, which could account for its generous size (3,336 sq. ft.). Currently there are two entrances; one on Brittain Rd. facing west and the other on Hillside facing south. At $92,000, it represents a lot of space for the money and could probably be converted to a spacious single family if desired. The views from the top of the hill here are very fine.

Notes: 1555 Hillside Ter. Akron, OH 44305 / Deluxe Duplex: Unit 1 (facing Brittain Rd) Rent $1,000 per month features 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, living room, dinning room and huge kitchen. Additional bonus room on 3rd floor. Some hardwood floors, basement with laundry hookup. Unit 2 (facing Hillside Rd) Rent $800 has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, living room, dining room and kitchen. Basement also has laundry hookup. 2 car attached garage. Tenants pay all utilities except water/sewer.
More info available HERE.

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