Fairhill Road Village Historic District
A 1961 image of Fairhill Road Village Historic District from the Cuyahoga County tax appraisal card. Courtsey Maize Adams.
Designed to emulate an English hamlet, the Fairhill Road Village Historic District is a special grouping of 13 buildings that straddles the cities of Cleveland Heights and Cleveland. These residences along Fairhill Road sit in front of the Ambler Park ravine.
The stucco and stone exteriors, slate roofs, leaded glass windows, large chimneys, and gables of multiple heights reflect the picturesque Tudor Revival style chosen for this development. The combination of architectural integrity and the uninterrupted natural setting that the property occupies made the residences eligible for National Register listing.
Built between 1929 and 1936 (with the exception of one unit, constructed in 1971), Fairhill Road Village was designed as residences for artists, writers, musicians, interior decorators and architects. While these homes ended up attracting a wide variety of owners in and out of the arts, early residents at the village did include one of the early architects, Harold O. Fullerton, and the landscape designer for thevVillage, A. Donald Gray.
Gray had been affiliated with the Olmsted brothers prior to his career in Cleveland. The other subdivision landscapes that he designed are the Forest Hill Historic District and some of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens.
Landmarked in 1990, the Fairhill Road Village Historic District retains its architectural integrity and park-like setting, reflecting the ideals of the architects and designer who first planned the subdivision.
Margaret Lann
Margaret Lann is a member of the Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission, which preserves and protects buildings, works of art and other objects of historical or architectural value to the community. The seven members are appointed to three-year terms by city council.