INSIDE AKRON: Akron Documenters are fanning out across the city’s 24 neighborhoods to elevate places, faces, voices and vibes — as shared by the people who live there. Expect a new profile every day through October.
Originally developed as housing for its white factory workers in the early 1900s, the Goodyear Heights neighborhood maintains its namesake from the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Developed — and underwritten — by F.A. Seiberling, one of the tire company’s cofounders, the subdivision was designed by Warren Manning, who also designed the grounds of Stan Hywet, Seiberling’s home.
Construction in the neighborhood started in 1912, and while most of the homes were built by the company, others were built by employees using pre-approved plans. Black families lived in neighborhoods that cropped up on the outskirts of historic Goodyear Heights.
The area was part of the Garden City movement, where green space is integrated into neighborhoods. Now, the neighborhood of about 15,000 people is nearly 60% white and 27% Black — 56% of homes are owner-occupied…