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Hotel Matthews
The story of an Akron Ohio legacy and monument
The monument to Hotel Matthews caught my attention as a new resident of the city of Akron, Ohio. From the street, it looks like the remains of the front entrance of a hotel. At first glance, I guessed the building had burned some time ago and the entrance door had somehow been preserved.
For weeks I passed the monument on the way to work telling myself I would research its history, then life would happen and I would forget. Finally, the monument came up in conversation with my husband, who had also noticed it, and I decided to research it then and there.
When I started researching, I found way more than I had bargained for. The Matthew’s Hotel was located on Howard Street which, according to Remarkable Ohio, was the hub of African-American culture in the mid-twentieth century.
In fact, Round About Akron reported Hotel Matthew as being only one of three hotels in Akron listed in the Negro Motorists Green Book. If you are unfamiliar with the Negro Motorists Green Book, it was a document compiled to let African American travelers know where they could safely stop for services during the Jim Crow era. For an in-depth look at how the Green Book was used, I recommend watching the 2018 movie Green Book.
The Howard District and Jazz Culture
From around the 1930s to 1960s, Howard Street served as the hub of African American culture in Akron. At the time, the economy in Akron, nicknamed “The Rubber City,” was going strong. According to an Ohio state historical marker, Howard Street provided an atmosphere where minority-owned businesses could thrive.
Hotel Matthews was the anchor of Howard Street and the first African American-owned hotel in the city of Akron. Due to prejudicial practices in other parts of Akron, popular African American musicians of the day stayed at Hotel Matthews after performing at local clubs in the area. The cost of a stay was $1 per night or $2.50 for the week.
According to Round About Akron, notable guests of Hotel Matthews included Dizzie Gillespie, Count Basie, Duke…
