07/20/2026
The Building That Started an Empire
Most people think the old Firestone building at the corner of Miller and Switzer Avenues is the company's original factory. It isn't. It sits on the same site, but the first Firestone factory is actually long gone.
When Harvey S. Firestone came to Akron in January 1900, he believed the city offered the greatest opportunity to build his new company. According to Firestone's own Twenty-Fifth Anniversary book, the business started with just 12 employees making solid rubber carriage tires in a small factory on this property.
The company grew almost overnight. By 1903, the original factory had already been expanded. Then, in 1905, it was torn down and replaced with the larger brick building that still stands today. Around 1907 or 1908, another floor was added as production continued to grow.
This building also marked an important milestone in Firestone's history. It was here that the company began producing pneumatic (air-filled) tires, moving beyond the solid rubber tires it had started with.
Around 1912, Firestone opened Plant One at 1200 Firestone Parkway, shifting much of its manufacturing to the new complex. The Miller and Switzer building became the company's rim plant before eventually being used for storage after a dedicated rim plant was built around 1922.
One of my favorite details is how different the building originally looked. Early photographs show rows of large windows covering the exterior, bringing natural light into the factory. Over the years, many of those windows were bricked in, completely changing its appearance.
It's amazing to think that one of the world's largest tire companies started here with a small building, a dozen employees, and one man's belief that Akron was the right place to build something special. The original factory may be gone, but the site where it stood helped shape Akron into the Rubber Capital of the World.
Have you ever noticed this building while driving through Akron?
