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Fenn Tower
FennTCSU.jpg
Fenn Tower on Cleveland State's main campus
General information
Type Student Housing
Location 1983 East 24th Street
2401 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Construction started November 3, 1929
Completed 1929
Opening 1930
Cost $1.5 million
Owner Cleveland State University
Height
Roof 81 m (266 ft)
Top floor 21
Technical details
Floor count 22
Lifts/elevators 5
Design and construction
Architect George B. Post & Sons
Main contractor Thompson-Starrett Company
National Town and Country Club
Fenn Tower is located in Cleveland
Fenn Tower
Location in Cleveland
Fenn Tower is located in Ohio
Fenn Tower
Location in Ohio
Fenn Tower is located in the United States
Fenn Tower
Location in the United States
Location 2401 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio
Area less than one acre
Built 1930
Built by Thompson-Starrett Co.
Architect George B. Post and Sons
Architectural style Art Deco
NRHP reference No. 03001102
Added to NRHP October 30, 2003

Fenn Tower is a very tall building, known as a skyscraper, in Cleveland, Ohio. It has 22 floors and is owned by Cleveland State University. Today, it serves as a home for students attending the university.

This building was first built for a group called the National Town and Country Club. However, it was only used for one event before it had to close. It was originally called the National Town and Country Club building. Later, in 1937, Fenn College bought it for $250,000.

Fenn Tower is the second tallest building on the Cleveland State campus, right after Rhodes Tower. The tower is named after Sereno Peck Fenn, who helped start the Sherwin-Williams company. Fenn College was also named after him. Fenn Tower is officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the National Town and Country Club.

Building History

Fenn College started in the 1930s by offering night classes, especially in engineering. Their goal was to provide affordable higher education. Dr. Cecil V. Thomas was the first president of Fenn College. He was a well-known educator in Ohio. In 1932, Fenn College added business classes to its programs.

The National Town and Country Club Building was meant to be a special club for people in Cleveland. They wanted a central place for meetings and events. But then, the stock market crashed in 1929. This big economic problem meant the club no longer had enough money to operate. So, the tall building stayed empty for a while.

Fenn College Takes Over

In 1937, Fenn College bought the building because they needed more space for their growing number of students. This was a big deal! Fenn College became only the third college in the United States to have a skyscraper on its campus. The other two were the University of Pittsburgh and Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Having the building also gave Fenn College a great address on Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland.

In 1940, Fenn College became "accredited." This means it met high standards for education, which is important for colleges. Fenn College always managed its money well and never lost money until 1963. At that time, financial problems led it to join with the new public Cleveland State University.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Fenn Tower para niños

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