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Youngstown Historic Buildings Tour
Item 7 of 16
Youngstown's Wells Building was constructed in 1917 with funding from the estate of Thomas H. Wells, a prominent land developer in Youngstown who was elected mayor in 1863. The building was initially designed to house retail stores on the main floor, and offices on the floors above. The building was originally home to a ladies' clothing store. In later years, the building was home to an armed forces recruitment station. In 2016 the Strollo Architecture firm remodeled the building into a modern apartment complex.

The modern Wells Building

The modern Wells Building

The Wells Building was constructed in 1917 in order to satisfy the commercial needs of downtown Youngstown. Constructed on the site of the Hotel Sherman, the original purpose of the Wells Building was to house retail stores and offices. The original inhabitants were a ladies' clothing store, while the upper story housed various offices. Later in its life the building also housed a recruitment station for the armed forces.

The building was transformed into an apartment complex through the efforts of the Strollo Architecture Firm. The firm received $1.8 million in State and Federal tax credits to fund the $5.3 million budget for restoring the vacant building. The apartments opened in 2016, and prices range from $1,050 for a studio to $1,600 for the penthouse suite.

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The building was constructed with funding from the estate of Thomas H. Wells, a notable businessman and land developer in the early years of Youngstown. Wells was one of the largest owners of the Youngstown Rolling Mill Company, as well as having ties to the coal industry in the area. Thomas H. Wells was elected mayor of Youngstown in 1863 and was known for his charitable donations. Wells passed away in 1905, twelve years before the completion of this building that was named in his honor.

Hall, Kalea . "Strollo Architects takes over Wells Building downtown." The Vindicator (Youngstown ) January 8th 2016. .

Sanderson, Thomas W. 20th century history of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Ohio, and representative citizens. Chicago, Illinois . Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co., 1897.

Williams , Judy . Wells Building . Ohio Historic Inventory . Published July 23rd 1986. Ohio Historic Preservation Office .

Image Sources(Click to expand)

https://www.strolloarchitects.com/project/wells-building/