The Pearl Street Bank & Trust Co.
One of the images on the home page is of the Johnson House Hotel which stood on the northeast corner of Broadview and Pearl roads. It was built in 1890 and housed a branch office of the Pearl St. Savings and Trust. It was demolished and made way for construction of a new bank building, built in 1923, opened in 1924—the iconic structure that we all know today. Most of us probably best remember the building as Cleveland Trust which eventually became Ameritrust. It's most recent use as a bank was as a U.S. Bank branch until 2011. Now, after years of vacancy, the building has been purchased by Ariel Ventures which has a mixed-use development plan that will restore the building to a dignified presence in the community.
The building was designed by the notable architectural office Hubbell & Benes, designer Antonio DiNardo. The firm is known for such prominent projects as the Cleveland Museum of Art, the West Side Market, Wade Memorial Chapel in Lake View Cemetery, the downtown YMCA, the Ohio Bell 750 Huron Building, Cleveland Masonic Temple, and the Illuminating Building. When completed, the bank building was named " Best Small Commercial Building Erected in Cleveland" that year. The building is a designated Cleveland City Landmark. During its years vacant, water from burst pipes severely damaged the upper range of the building but spared the main floor banking area.
