Largest CH historic district in the works

The proposed district encompasses more than 650 homes between Coventry and Lee Rds. Photo courtesy of Mark Souther.

In recent years local citizens have nominated many Cleveland Heights homes for a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, an official listing of historic sites in the United States that are architecturally and historically significant and worthy of preservation.

The latest local effort was undertaken 18 months ago to rename the Forest Hill Allotment—the Grant W. Deming Forest Hill Allotment Historic District. With more than 650 homes, this would become the city’s largest historic district. The district comprises most of the area east of Coventry Road, west of Lee Road, north of Cedar Road, and south of Euclid Heights Boulevard and Superior Road.

The district was conceived nearly 20 years earlier than Rockefeller’s Forest Hill development in the northern part of the city, but the two share the Forest Hill name. Developed 100 years ago by Grant W. Deming, whose brother Barton developed the Euclid Golf neighborhood, Forest Hill retains much of its historic character as a planned garden suburb with gently curving streets and diverse period architectural styles.

The nomination is pending approval by the Ohio Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board, the state agency that screens nominations before consideration by the National Register, a division of the National Park Service.

National Register status recognizes a place’s historic integrity and does not constrain property owners’ actions with regard to their homes, unless federal funds are used. The designation raises awareness and appreciation for the neighborhood’s historical legacy and may make property owners eligible for rehabilitation tax credits that may become available for restoration.

The City of Cleveland Heights and the Ohio Historic Preservation Office will hold a public meeting on Monday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. to explain the meaning of historic district designation and answer questions. The meeting will be at the Superior Schoolhouse, 14391 Superior Road.

For more information, contact Kara Hamley O’Donnell, Historic Preservation Planner, Cleveland Heights Department of Planning & Development at 216-291-4885 or kodonnell@clvhts.com. Learn more about the National Register at http://www.ohiohistory.org/resource/histpres/toolbox/nr/index.html.

Mark Souther is an associate professor of history at Cleveland State University. He lives on Lincoln Boulevard in the Forest Hill Allotment.

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Volume 2, Issue 10, Posted 4:49 PM, 09.11.2009