Hotels & Tourist Homes

The Mecca

The Mecca sits near the corner of E. Furnace and N. High Streets. This building is something of a mystery. An advertisement appearing in 1925 indicates that this space was a storage facility with rooms available to rent, but the space could have served as a hotel. There is some indication that in 1931 this building served as a grocery store. Rum raids during Prohibition were also frequent at this site. A victim of these raids was John Nicholas, who was charged with possession of $1,500 of liquor that was stashed at The Mecca. In 1925, William Wilson and Tony Mardel, who were described as keepers of the place, were also charged with the sale of liquor. While this site does not appear to have much activity surrounding African American activism, it certainly was a hotspot for illegal activity during Prohibition. It is unknown what happened to this site after its sale in 1941.

Location of The Mecca (circled in red) | Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Akron, 1930-1940 : Vol. 1, 1940

Green Book Details

The Mecca appeared in the Green Book in 1938-1939 at Furnace & High Sts. in Akron under the category Hotels.

Resources

  • “Akron Police Seize Bonded Rum in Raid.” Akron Beacon Journal. March 19, 1931.
  • Classified ad: “Business Places.” Akron Beacon Journal. May 18, 1925.
  • Classified ad: “Commercial Properties for Sale.” Akron Beacon Journal. February 27, 1941.
  • “Prohibition Men, Deputy Sheriffs, Seize Big Still.” Akron Beacon Journal. October 21, 1927.
76 Furnace St, Akron, OH

Tell us about The Mecca

Many of the locations documented on Green Book Cleveland are not well-documented in the historical record. If you have additional information about The Mecca, please let us know by sharing a memory, correction, or suggestion using the comment form below.

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