The executive address of the rubber years
Merriman Hills is a new name for an old place. The city created it in its 2017 map, carving out about 2,700 residents between the east side of North Portage Path and the Little Cuyahoga River, north of Highland Square and south of Merriman Valley.
The housing goes back much further. Akron’s bicentennial magazine called it “the most desired address among the upper-class executives of rubber companies” in the early 1900s. Federal appraisers agreed in their own way. In a 1939 analysis, the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation gave Merriman Hills an “A” rating and praised its “highly restricted” status and “large estates,” part of the government-backed segregation that still shapes Akron. Nearly a quarter of residents today aren’t white.
Wikipedia’s description of the older Merriman Heights section, which overlaps this area, says most of its homes went up between 1911 and 1930 in French Norman, Colonial, Georgian, Tudor, Spanish and Renaissance Revival styles, many on wooded lots.
Published detail on Merriman Hills itself is limited. We’ve stuck to what Signal Akron and the city’s map record.
What it’s like to live there now
A resident who wrote about art and architecture for the Akron Beacon Journal for more than 37 years has lived here since 1990. She called the neighborhood an “idealized slice of Americana,” with walkways running from front doors to public sidewalks. A church pastor on North Portage Path called it clean and safe.
She was also frank about the infrastructure:
- Power. Electric lines run on poles between the homes, and she said blackouts happen frequently.
- Sewers. Brown water comes up each season. The city has invested in sewer work, and Merriman Hills was among the first neighborhoods to get it.
- Roads. Well maintained, in her view.
The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail crosses the northern part of the neighborhood, with the Big Bend Trailhead at 1337 Merriman Road. A residents’ park collective runs events at its pocket park, and one young parent called the area “a hidden little gem.”
Selling a century-old Merriman Hills house
These are houses buyers seek out, and a well-kept one will usually net more with an agent than with us. Tell us if that’s your situation and we’ll give you an honest read either way.
A direct sale is worth considering when:
- you’re settling an estate and the heirs don’t want to manage repairs, showings and carrying costs
- the house needs a roof, boiler, wiring or drainage work that runs into big numbers on a large older home
- you need a fixed closing date
Before you list or sell, gather the sewer history and any backflow or drain work you’ve done. Ohio’s residential property disclosure form asks about it. If water has caused damage, see selling a fire or water damaged house. Heirs can start with selling an inherited house.