The Reeves Apartments stood as a landmark on the banks of the Mahoning River in Warren just beyond the West Market Street bridge.

When it opened its doors on Feb. 24, 1927, it represented the height of modern urban living in the growing industrial city. As Warren’s second luxury apartment building following the Packard Flats, the Reeves Apartments embodied both the city’s prosperity and the ambitions of the prominent family whose name it bore.

The story of this distinctive building begins with the Reeves family’s industrial roots in the Mahoning Valley. Jeremiah E. Reeves, born in Dorsetshire, England, in 1845, learned the boiler-making trade in Wales before immigrating to America in 1867. By 1872, he and his brother George had established the Reeves Brothers Boiler Works in nearby Niles. The business expanded significantly when their brothers, Jonathan and Jabez, joined the operation, eventually leading to their acquisition of the Dover Rolling Mill in Dover. This industrial success laid the foundation for the family’s later ventures in Warren.

James Alvin Reeves, born in Niles in 1874, would become the driving force behind the apartment project. As the son of Albert George Reeves (another of Jeremiah’s brothers), James grew up immersed in the family’s business culture. After establishing himself in Warren’s theater business through a partnership with Daniel Robins, James turned his attention to real estate development. His marriage to Jennie Clark Kinsman in 1898 connected him to another of Warren’s prominent families.

Construction on the Reeves Apartments began in earnest on May 1, 1926, with James taking a proactive, hands-on approach to the project. Contemporary accounts note that he personally supervised nearly every detail of the building’s construction. The design work fell to Press C. Dowler, a respected Pittsburgh architect whose portfolio included several notable buildings in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Dowler’s design combined Kentucky limestone, buff brick and structural steel to create a building that was both substantial and elegant.

The completed structure stood five stories tall with 55 apartment units — 11 on each residential floor. These weren’t modest dwellings; the building offered spacious four- and five-bedroom units featuring the latest in 1920s conveniences. Each apartment included hardwood floors, Murphy beds (a space-saving innovation popular at the time), multiple closets, dressing rooms and modern bathrooms. The kitchens came equipped with built-in cabinetry and a remarkable luxury for the era — Kelvinator electric refrigerators supplied by Warren’s own Izant-Lattimer Company.

The building’s common spaces reflected the same attention to quality and comfort. The main lobby featured telephone booths for residents’ use and was furnished with walnut pieces upholstered in rich crimson velour. The location at what was essentially the gateway to West Market Street ensured the building had maximum visibility in one of Warren’s most important commercial corridors.

The site itself held layers of local history before the apartments were ever constructed. In the early 19th century, around 1804, the property had been home to Warren’s second grist mill. At that time, the area looked dramatically different — the Market Street bridge didn’t exist, and the river’s course may have varied slightly from its modern path. More recently, the location had housed Thumm’s tire shop until the devastating 1913 flood pushed the building out into Market Street, leading to its relocation across the street the following year.

For nearly a century, the Reeves Apartments stood as both a residence and a mark of Warren’s growth during the Roaring Twenties, reflecting the urban development that characterized much of the Mahoning Valley’s 20th century history.

The building was torn down earlier this summer.