Heights History

Rediscovering a piece of CH's past

Some 20-plus years ago, city of Cleveland Heights employee Carlo Melaragno spotted a large millstone in Dugway Creek near Cumberland Park. The stone was pulled from the creekbed and moved to a Cleveland Heights storage facility, where it remained.

The stone likely was a relic from 19th-century Cleveland Heights (Fairmount) village times. It was determined that the stone was probably from a mill operated by Fred Silsby when Mayfield was a plank road. In early days, sorghum for molasses was pressed there; later primarily apples for cider.

Fast-forwarding to the present day, mention of the stone was made at a Cleveland Heights Historical Society meeting. A newspaper article about Cleveland Heights history was produced, showing an aged Frank Cain with the stone, on display in Cumberland Park in the 1960s.

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Volume 16, Issue 12, Posted 4:41 PM, 11.29.2023

After 50 years, Heights Community Congress closes its doors

On March 2, Heights Community Congress (HCC), announced that it was ceasing operations. In an open letter announcing the closing, Rev. Eric Dillenbeck, HCC's most recent director, wrote the following:

After 50 years of committed service to the Heights Community and northeast Ohio the Board of the Heights Community Congress (HCC) made the difficult decision to close its doors, effective February 28, 2023.  

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Volume 16, Issue 4, Posted 11:36 AM, 03.07.2023

A correction to the July 'The Victorian' condo article—and the hint of a possible future story

In the July Heights Observer article abut The Victorian, "Owners seek landmark status for CH's first condo," this editor got a few things wrong. (And, in looking into things, I learned much more!)

The article stated, "The Victorian was the first building in Cleveland Heights to be constructed as condominiums." It should have clarified that it was the first to be constructed as a single building housing condominiums.

Further, in condensing the information into a short, single-line headline, even more words were dropped that might have clarified that The Victorian was Cleveland Heights' first condo in a particular category of condo development.

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Volume 15, Issue 8, Posted 10:48 AM, 07.29.2022

Owners seek landmark status for CH's first condo

Completed in 1971, The Victorian was the first building in Cleveland Heights to be constructed as condominiums. In May, owners submitted paperwork to have the building designated a Cleveland Heights landmark, significant to the community. And on July 28—after a one-year pandemic delay—its owners will gather to celebrate The Victorian's 50th anniversary.

Properties Development Company broke ground on the building, located at 3701 Mayfield Road, in 1969. Architect Irving Robinson designed the building under the direction of the company's principal partners, Will Sukenik and Irving Fine, who were on-site daily.

At the time, condominiums were a new concept in home ownership.

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Volume 15, Issue 7, Posted 5:45 AM, 06.30.2022

Seminar to cover assassination, songs, and a French film controversy; the falafel's optional

On Thursday, July 14, 2–5 p.m., the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association is sponsoring a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminar that begins inside the Garfield Memorial at Lakeview Cemetery. The seminar is open to the public.

After a quick tour of the memorial, presidential historian James Robenalt will discuss the life of the 20th U.S. president, who was assassinated in 1881, and former U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Greg Truhan will talk about presidential assassinations.

Next up is a performance of songs from Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning musical "Assassins."

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Volume 15, Issue 7, Posted 5:34 AM, 06.30.2022

Jan. 25 program honors MLK and legacy of resistance

Cleveland Heights was not always the inclusive community it is today. From the 1920s through the early 1960s, it was unwelcoming and even hostile to non-whites. Through a variety of tactics, the city was kept almost exclusively white.

On Tuesday, Jan. 25, to commemorate the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, the Black Caucus and the Racial Inequality Repair Committee—both of Forest Hill Church, Presbyterian—will host a Zoom conversation, 7–8:30 p.m., with Susan Kaeser, author of Resisting Segregation.

Her book, available at Mac’s Backs-Books on Coventry, documents the struggle to end segregation and integrate the city of Cleveland Heights. It chronicles the history of ordinary citizens who demonstrated that creativity and like-mindedness can bring about dramatic and substantial change.

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Volume 15, Issue 1, Posted 11:28 AM, 01.01.2022

Ohio historical marker unveiled at Curtis-Preyer house

Cleveland Heights’ Curtis-Preyer Stone House, at 14299 Superior Road, received the city’s first historical marker from the Ohio History Connection.

Constructed of Berea sandstone found on the property, the house was built sometime between 1820 and 1835, making it the earliest existing structure so far identified in Cleveland Heights, and a valuable link to the city’s early history.

The home takes its name from the Curtis and Preyer families who were early residents in the area.

The Curtis family bought property in "Turkey Knob" and harnessed power from Dugway Creek for a cider and grist mill. They sold quarried stone and felled timber. The house was built of 18-inch stone walls, with a roof of ax-hewn tree timbers.

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Volume 15, Issue 1, Posted 10:48 AM, 01.01.2022

Oakwood Club subdivision added to National Register

Earlier this year, Cleveland Heights gained its 15th district on the National Register of Historic Places, when the Oakwood Club Subdivision Historic District was listed for its historic and architectural significance.

Founded in 1905, on Warrensville Center Road, the Oakwood Country Club served as a social and recreational center for some of Cleveland’s most prominent Jewish families.

After building a beautiful clubhouse and completing the 18-hole golf course, club leadership turned its attention to developing a private street of grand homes for its members, along the red brick Oakwood Drive.

The families hired prominent Cleveland architects to design their homes.

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Volume 14, Issue 10, Posted 11:12 AM, 10.01.2021

Preservation Month starts early with Heights history programs

In the lead up to National Preservation Month, in May, several Heights institutions are joining together to sponsor a series of local history programs that kick off on April 12, and wrap up on May 26.

The Cleveland Heights Historical Society, Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission, Cleveland Restoration Society, and Heights Libraries are the series’ sponsors.

All programs are free and will be presented remotely, through Heights Libraries, via Zoom. To register for any or all of the programs, sign up on the Heights Library’s events page, at https://heightslibrary.org/events/event-calendar.

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Volume 14, Issue 4, Posted 10:02 AM, 03.31.2021

New book looks back at CH's resistance to segregation

Susan Kaeser’s new book, Resisting Segregation, is out this month. In it, Kaeser, a Heights Observer columnist, provides a book-length account of the transformation of Cleveland Heights, between 1964 and 1976, from an exclusive, insular suburb to a racially inclusive, diverse community resisting segregation.

She dedicates her book to those courageous African American families who, in spite of prevailing racism, moved to Cleveland Heights in the 1960s and early ‘70s.

Resisting Segregation tells its story through the living memory of the community’s elders, whose courage and determination made housing choice for all a reality at a time when the government enabled redlining, blockbusting, steering, and unabashed racism, assuring that residential integration could not succeed. This resistance against segregation was the work of grassroots citizens motivated by religious faith, civic humanity and moral fervor.

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Volume 13, Issue 12, Posted 11:26 AM, 12.02.2020

Old Edwards Street fades away as Top of the Hill rises

At the top of Cedar Glen, in the wedge between Cedar Road and Euclid Heights Boulevard, “The Ascent at Top of the Hill” (TOH), an $80-plus-million complex, is taking shape. This same location, shown in the adjacent 1969 photo, shows Edwards Street, a remnant of the first residential neighborhood in Cleveland Heights.

Edwards Street was created in 1871 at a time when the only access up Cedar Glen was a muddy, horse and buggy trail zigzagging along a rocky creek called Blue Rock Brook (a branch of Doan Brook). The TOH site was once a place where gypsies made their yearly camps and wild turkeys roamed in abundance. By the end of the Civil War, the huge forests that had covered the area had been “harvested.” Broad meadows and farmland remained, stretching out eastward toward Lee Road.

 

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Volume 13, Issue 12, Posted 10:38 AM, 12.01.2020

Forest Hill Home Owners celebrates 70 years

Forest Hill Home Owners Inc. (FHHO) is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. Established on June 13, 1950, the association was created to "promote, safeguard, and improve the property value and general welfare of the community."

Celebrating in this pandemic year has required a different approach and has included Sunday strolls, T-shirts, area clean-ups, and new street signs featuring the signature cast-iron dove—an original symbol of the development. New signage is being planned, and an effort to repair and save the historic blue cottage at the corner of Lee and Monticello boulevards is underway.

Forest Hill is home to 930 residences spanning Cleveland Heights and East Cleveland. Originally the 600-acre country estate of John D. Rockefeller Sr., the land was purchased in 1923 by his son, also named John D., who, with New York architect Andrew J. Thomas, planned an upscale residential and commercial development "that would stand as the finest example of community planning in America."

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Volume 13, Issue 10, Posted 10:52 AM, 09.30.2020

A look back and ahead at the Bradford cinder path

Bradford Road extends from Lee Road in Cleveland Heights to Edgerton Road in University Heights. A unique feature interrupts the street: a pedestrian path that connects two sections of the road. One-third of a mile in length, spanning four blocks, the path extends from South Taylor Road to Canterbury Road.

Four streets  have this path at their midpoints: Queenston, Kingston, Princeton and Canterbury. (Two landmarked farmhouses that belonged to the families who owned the land on which the streets were laid out are still occupied: 3497 and 3585 Fairmount Blvd.)

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Volume 13, Issue 6, Posted 9:35 AM, 06.02.2020

New memoir sheds light on early Heights history

In a new memoir published by her family, Eleanor (Ellie) Hinig Davies vividly describes her experiences growing up in Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights in the early 20th century.

Her father—Benjamin C. Hinig—was a prominent builder who built 26 houses in Cleveland Heights between 1910 and 1928; a dozen of them on prestigious Fairmount Boulevard.

While many of these houses were built for prominent Clevelanders, the family lived in a series of homes that he  built speculatively. The family stayed in each new house until it was sold, then moved on to the next new house, until Hinig's bankruptcy in 1928 brought it all to an abrupt halt.

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Volume 12, Issue 12, Posted 11:54 AM, 12.03.2019

Fall preservation and history lectures kick off Sept. 24

Geneology, house rehabilitation and house research comprise the themes of this fall’s free historical lecture series. Sponsored by Heights Libraries, Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission and Cleveland Heights Historical Society, all lectures take place at Heights Libraries’ Lee Road Branch (2345 Lee Road).

Tuesday, Sept. 24, 6 p.m.: Cluster Genealogy with Deborah A. Abbott

Cluster Genealogy is a research technique used to learn more about an ancestor by examining records left by the ancestor’s “cluster.” Tracking ancestors as they move from place to place can be a daunting task, but using Cluster Genealogy can help locate an ancestor when your ancestors appear to be lost. An individual’s “cluster” consists of extended family, friends, neighbors and associates.

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Volume 12, Issue 10, Posted 12:33 PM, 09.16.2019

Local programs mark National Preservation Month

May is National Preservation Month, and four Cleveland Heights institutions are joining together to sponsor a series of local history programs that take place in May, and beyond.

The Cleveland Heights Historical Society, Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission, Cleveland Restoration Society (CCRS), and Heights Libraries kick off the first of five programs on April 25, and the series wraps up on June 1. All programs are free, and do not require registration.

Thursday, April 25, 7 p.m., Wood Windows: Repair or Replace?

“Buy 3 new windows get one free!” There are plenty of replacement window models, manufacturers, and deals on the market, but what is the truth about window replacement? If there were an ad about keeping original windows, it might read, “Keep all your windows for free and repair them for 50-percent less than replacement windows!” Margaret Lann, of the Cleveland Restoration Society (CRS), will review window efficiency, available window materials, appropriate architectural style, and provide a cost analysis of repair vs. replacement, with tips on how to tackle window restoration or replacement in an older home. [Noble Neighborhood Library, 2800 Noble Road.]

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Volume 12, Issue 5, Posted 10:44 AM, 04.23.2019

History and preservation series runs Oct. 1 to Nov. 5

The Fall 2018 History and Preservation Lecture Series is co-sponsored by the Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission, Cleveland Heights Historical Society, Heights Bicycle Coalition and Heights Libraries. No reservations are needed for any of the following programs:

Monday, Oct. 1, 7 p.m., “Queue-ration” - How to Manage Personal Collections Like a Pro

Speaker: Jennifer Souers Chevraux, Illumine Creative Solutions LLC

Objects have power! They serve as talismans and touchstones to the past—your past, your family’s past, our community’s past, and even the deepest reaches of humanity’s past. By preserving powerful remnants of the past, and we can learn from them in the future.

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Volume 11, Issue 10, Posted 9:48 AM, 09.25.2018

CH celebrates 16th annual preservation month

The Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission, Cleveland Heights Historical Society and Heights Libraries are collaborating again this May to present a series of programs to celebrate National Preservation Month here in the Heights.

Spanning the month of May, a series of tours and lectures will explore the ways in which preservation is important to this community, and will delve into its history. Programs will explore parks, a secret stream, Cleveland Heights’ connection to the Shakers and Shaker Heights, and will celebrate Cain Park's 80th birthday with a behind-the-scenes tour.

A description of programs is listed below. [Note that reservations are required for the May 12 and June 2 tours.]

Tuesday, May 1, 7 p.m., Cleveland Heights’ Emerald Necklace: Parks, Property, and Politics

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Volume 11, Issue 5, Posted 12:08 PM, 04.30.2018

Then and now: Superior and Lee roads

Shown here are 1909 and 2017 photographs of the same view in Cleveland Heights looking eastward on Superior Road toward Lee Road, with Forest View Drive coming off to the right.

Today, the intersection of Lee and Superior roads is home to a Sunoco gas station, an Uptown Mart, and the main entrance of Cain Park. Off to the right of the 2017 picture are two homes in the historic Grant Deming's Forest Hill neighborhood (not to be confused with the other nearby Forest Hill that the Rockefellers created in the 1920s and 1930s.). Grant Wilson Deming created this "first" Forest Hill neighborhood in 1909, and it was added to the National Register of Historic places in 2010, thanks to the work of local historian J. Mark Souther.

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Volume 10, Issue 12, Posted 10:56 AM, 11.30.2017

Then and now: 2037 Lee Road

The building at 2037 Lee Road, near the intersection of Yorkshire Road, was built in 1928 as the Heights branch of the U.S. Post Office. It is now the location of Heights Mini Storage, Inc.

The post office moved to another location on Lee Road in the 1960s and then later moved to Severance Circle, where it remains today. The building was purchased by two men who ran State Drug and Sundries there until 1984.

It was then purchased by Tim and Joan Evans, who intended to renovate and resell or rent it. Due to zoning restrictions, however, they ended up remodeling it into a mini storage facility and retaining ownership.

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Volume 10, Issue 9, Posted 5:11 PM, 09.03.2017

May is preservation month in CH

May is National Preservation Month and, for the 15th year, the Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission, Cleveland Heights Historical Society and Heights Libraries will be celebrating the rich history and architecture of the Heights through a series of lectures, workshops and tours.

Cleveland Heights’ preservation month activites kicked off on May 1 with a Cleveland Heights House History Workshop that taught particlpants how to research their home's history.

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Volume 10, Issue 5, Posted 1:38 PM, 05.01.2017

A preview of May Preservation Month events

May is National Preservation Month and, for the 15th year, the Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission, Cleveland Heights Historical Society and Heights Libraries will be celebrating the rich history and architecture of the Heights through a series of lectures, workshops and tours.

A complete listing of events will appear in the May issue of the Heights Observer. Highlighted below are two programs—one scheduled for early May, and a May 20 tour that requires advance registration, and is sure to fill up:

Monday, May 1, 7 p.m., Cleveland Heights House History Workshop

Using local research tools and online sites, this workshop will teach participants how to research their home’s history, including when it was built and by whom, past owners and historic photos. Learn how to use Plain Dealer indexes to find out what may have happened at a property—home sales, lost pets, society events and more.

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Volume 10, Issue 4, Posted 6:45 PM, 03.30.2017

CH celebrates Preservation Month in May

May is National Preservation Month. In Cleveland Heights, as in communities across the country, this month celebrates our rich architectural and natural history. Since 2002, the City of Cleveland Heights and its partners have observed Preservation Month with lectures and tours, and this year holds special significance as Heights Libraries celebrates its centennial.

Preservation Month programs provide residents with the opportunity to learn the nuts-and-bolts of porches; the history of our library, city and school buildings; and explore Cleveland Heights’s neighborhoods and natural features.

CH Preservation Month 2016 co-sponsors are the Cleveland Heights Historical Society, the Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission and Heights Libraries.

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Volume 9, Issue 5, Posted 9:21 AM, 04.26.2016

May 21 walking tour explores 'deep history' of Quilliams Creek

How does a neighborhood landscape come to be? What does nature provide? Can humans live in ways that honor the gift?

Rocks and Waters walking tours seek to answer such questions by visiting local stream courses. This year, the series explores the people and places of Quilliams Creek, in Cleveland Heights’s Noble Neighborhood. A May 21 Nine Mile Creek tour is part of Cleveland Heights’s Preservation Month activities. [For more information and to register, see article "CH celebrates Preservation Month in May." 

How does the Quilliams Creek walking tour relate to issues of environmental health and preservation?

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Volume 9, Issue 5, Posted 7:05 PM, 04.29.2016

Historic John Hartness Brown home hosts historical society fundraiser

The 1896 John Hartness Brown House was filled to capacity on Nov. 8 for the Cleveland Heights Historical Society's fundraiser, Mysteries of the Overlook.

The principal speaker, Cynthia Lundeen, mesmerized the audience with her colorful perspective on the locally famous murder of William Lowe Rice in 1910. Her talk included much information regarding how criminal investigations, along with the related media publicity, were conducted in that era.

Attendees were encouraged to come in period costume—particularly hats—as Lundeen is a locally prominent maker of vintage-style millinery.

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Volume 9, Issue 1, Posted 9:59 AM, 12.31.2015

Mayfield Heights becomes 12th national historic district in Cleveland Heights

On Sept. 17, the National Park Service added the Mayfield Heights Historic District in Cleveland Heights as one of the newest historic resources listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Not to be confused with the suburb of the same name farther east, this much older Mayfield Heights covers an irregular area mostly bounded by Mayfield Road on the north, Euclid Heights Boulevard on the south, Cumberland Park on the east, and Coventry Road on the west. It includes a wide range of architectural styles, notably Queen Anne, Neoclassical, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Spanish Revival, Craftsman and Prairie.

Mayfield Heights is the 12th National Register district in Cleveland Heights, which has more such districts than any other city in Ohio, outside of Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo and Dayton. Mayfield Heights has 324 major buildings, comprising mostly single-family houses, but also a number of two-family houses and apartment buildings.

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Volume 8, Issue 11, Posted 11:12 AM, 10.12.2015

CH historical lectures and tours planned for fall season

This fall, the Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission, the Cleveland Heights Historical Society, Heights Libraries, and Cleveland State University Center for Public History + Digital Humanities are partnering to present a series of historical lectures and tours centered in and around Cleveland Heights.

All events will take place rain or shine, and registration is required for some events. To register, call 216-291-4878.

Sept. 5, 10 a.m. to noon, Cleveland Heights Rocks and Waters 2015: Dugway Brook west branch walking tour and lecture

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Volume 8, Issue 9, Posted 8:37 PM, 08.31.2015

Heights historical photo of the month

It wasn't just swimming that drew crowds to Cumberland Pool early in its history; there were also special events. One such event took place in August 1945, when Stubby Kruger put on his famous "water comedy" show. Kruger, an Olympic swimmer and diver in the 1920s, went on to work in Hollywood as an actor and stuntman. His traveling production featured diving and synchronized swimming stunts set to music in a variety-show format.

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Volume 8, Issue 7, Posted 3:05 PM, 06.29.2015

Heights historical photo of the month

Warm weather means it's time for ice cream! In the past, Cleveland Heights residents seeking a cold treat would head to their nearest corner drug store and have a seat at the soda fountain that served up ice cream sodas, egg creams, sundaes and cones.

The photograph above, taken in the late 1930s, shows Marshall's Drugs in the Douglas Building, which still stands on the northwest corner of Cedar and Lee roads.

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Volume 8, Issue 6, Posted 1:37 PM, 05.29.2015

May is CH Preservation Month

For more than 20 years, the city of Cleveland Heights has celebrated preservation month, recognizing its rich history through a series of tours and lectures.

“Cleveland Heights is a community that values its history, historic architecture and stunning natural features,” said Kara Hamley O’Donnell, city planner and historic preservation planner. “Taking a month to celebrate all our community has to offer forces us to step back and reflect on how special Cleveland Heights really is.”

Mary Dunbar, CH City Council Member, and a co-leader of one of this month’s tours, commented, "Historic homes and business districts are among our greatest assets in Cleveland Heights, but not enough appreciate that. People who have lived here, across the nation and around the world, say that our homes, neighborhoods and business districts are unique and of exceptional quality—world class, in fact. The number of historic districts we have listed on the National Register of Historic Places recognizes and testifies to the amazing legacy Heights residents have inherited—and we have more historic districts coming!"

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Volume 8, Issue 5, Posted 1:35 PM, 05.01.2015

Heights historical photo of the month

The Demington Drive Memorial Day Parade is a Cleveland Heights tradition that goes back decades. This photo is from the 1967 parade and was taken by Richard Pierce, who lived on the street.

This photo was selected by the Cleveland Heights Historical Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the heritage of Cleveland Heights. For more information, and to view additional historical images, visit www.chhistory.org or www.facebook.com/clevelandheightshistorical.

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Volume 8, Issue 5, Posted 8:45 AM, 05.01.2015

Heights historical photo of the month

It's almost time for tennis again at Cain Park! The park's tennis courts were installed in the mid-1930s as Cain Park was transformed from a "wild" ravine into a place for public recreation. In the lower right corner of this photograph, from the 1940s, is a backstop for use in sandlot baseball games. 

This photo was selected by the Cleveland Heights Historical Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the heritage of Cleveland Heights. For more information, and to view additional historical images, visit www.chhistory.org or www.facebook.com/clevelandheightshistorical.

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Volume 8, Issue 4, Posted 1:12 PM, 03.30.2015

Heights historical photo of the month

Don't fret—it will soon be time to get back in the pool! Indeed, whether in the midst of a deep winter freeze or merely waiting for the end of rest period, as the children are in this photograph from around 1930, Cumberland Pool has beckoned city residents ever since it first opened in 1927.

This photo was selected by the Cleveland Heights Historical Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to discovering, preserving and promoting the heritage of Cleveland Heights, Ohio. For more information, and to view additional historical images, visit www.chhistory.org or www.facebook.com/clevelandheightshistorical.

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Volume 8, Issue 3, Posted 2:47 PM, 02.26.2015

Heights historical photo of the month

This photograph from 1935 shows men working in the street in front of two small food markets. The shops are long gone, but the building shown is still standing somewhere in Cleveland Heights today. Do you know what store is there now? 

E-mail your guess to heightshistory@gmail.com, and we'll randomly select a correct answer to win a free one-year membership to the Cleveland Heights Historical Society. Be sure to check out our Facebook page later this month, when we'll announce the winner.

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Volume 8, Issue 2, Posted 3:15 PM, 01.29.2015

Heights historical photo of the month

The original Cleveland Heights City Hall, located on Mayfield Road near Superior Road, was built in 1924 and torn down in 1986 when a new building opened near Severance Town Center. Motorcars Honda—built on the site of the original City Hall—has incorporated the building's ornate doorway and front facade into its entrance. 

This photo was selected by the Cleveland Heights Historical Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to discovering, preserving and promoting the heritage of Cleveland Heights, Ohio. For more information, and to view additional historical images, visit www.chhistory.org or www.facebook.com/clevelandheightshistorical.

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Volume 8, Issue 1, Posted 12:01 PM, 01.03.2015

Heights historical photo of the month

It's getting cold out there! In the past, Heights residents could ice skate on the parking lot of Cumberland Pool, which the city flooded for that purpose. In this image from around 1945, a man swings a child by the hands as a crowd of skaters looks on. Ice or no ice—don't try this at home!

This photo was selected by the Cleveland Heights Historical Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to discovering, preserving and promoting the diverse character and traditions of Cleveland Heights. For more information, and to view additional historical images, visit www.chhistory.org or www.facebook.com/clevelandheightshistorical.

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Volume 7, Issue 12, Posted 1:58 PM, 12.01.2014

Lee Road Library hosts October Heights history talks

This October, the Cleveland Heights Historical Society and Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission partner with Heights Libraries to offer presentations that delve into Heights neighborhoods, architecture and more, to highlight the Heights’s storied past, current issues and future direction. All programs take place at the Lee Road Library, 2345 Lee Road.

Rockefeller's Forest Hill Neighborhood

Thursday, Oct. 2, 7 p.m.

Learn about the Forest Hill development, its connection to the Rockefeller family, its unique and varied architecture, and plans to list the entire neighborhood on the National Register of Historic Places. Presented by Sharon Gregor, Jeff Dross and  Christopher Hubbert.

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Volume 7, Issue 11, Posted 9:21 AM, 09.30.2014

Fairmount Presbyterian's Women's Guild celebrates a century of service

The Women’s Guild of Fairmount Presbyterian Church is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. For the last century, guild members have been meeting for fellowship, study, charitable giving and service.

To honor this milestone, the guild has invited the Rev. Larissa Kwong Abazia, vice-moderator of the General Assembly—the ruling body of the Presbyterian denomination—to lead the church’s worship services at 8:30 and 11 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 9. The services will “lift up” the gifts of women to the church.

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Volume 7, Issue 11, Posted 4:45 PM, 10.30.2014

Heights historical photo of the month

Some things never change! Kids having fun on the playground at Canterbury Elementary School in 1933.

This photo was selected by the Cleveland Heights Historical Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to discovering, preserving and promoting the diverse character and traditions of Cleveland Heights. For more information, and to view additional historical images, visit www.chhistory.org or www.facebook.com/clevelandheightshistorical.

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Volume 7, Issue 11, Posted 10:43 AM, 10.30.2014

Heights historical photo of the month

In 1941, the Heights Theater on Euclid Heights Boulevard, in the Coventry neighborhood, advertised Humphrey Bogart's movie "The Wagons Roll at Night" on its marquee. The theater opened in 1919 and showed films up until the 2000s.  

This photo was selected by the Cleveland Heights Historical Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the diverse character and traditions of Cleveland Heights. For more information, and to view additional historical images, visit www.chhistory.org or www.facebook.com/clevelandheightshistorical.

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Volume 7, Issue 10, Posted 2:52 PM, 09.29.2014

Heights historical photo of the month

"Give me an H!" The Cleveland Heights High School band performs on its home field during a 1936 football game. East Derbyshire Road can be seen in the background.  

This photo was selected by the Cleveland Heights Historical Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the diverse character and traditions of Cleveland Heights. For more information, and to view additional historical images, visit www.chhistory.org or www.facebook.com/clevelandheightshistorical.

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Volume 7, Issue 9, Posted 1:32 PM, 08.28.2014

Heights historical photo of the month

Built in 1923, the Alcazar (Spanish for "Home in a Fortress") Hotel was the first suburban hotel in the Greater Cleveland metropolitan area, with its 175 apartments primarily serving a residential and family clientele. In addition to its residential role, the Alcazar provided space for a wide variety of entertainment. In the 1920s and '30s, the hotel advertised Saturday night dining and dancing, tea dances, musicals and dance school recitals. 

Architect H.T. Jefferey chose a design that reflects Moorish buildings in Spain, and was directly inspired by the Alcazar and Ponce de Leon hotels in St. Augustine, Fla.

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Volume 7, Issue 8, Posted 11:18 AM, 07.31.2014

Heights historical photo of the month

A Fourth of July parade makes its way down Sycamore Road (then paved with bricks) in the 1920s. 

This photo was selected by the Cleveland Heights Historical Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the diverse character and traditions of Cleveland Heights. For more information, and to view additional historical images, visit www.chhistory.org or www.facebook.com/clevelandheightshistorical.

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Volume 7, Issue 7, Posted 9:24 AM, 07.02.2014

Heights historical photo of the month

This is what the southwest corner of Cedar and Taylor roads looked like during the 1930s. The building is the same but the tenants, of course, have changed since then. In the photo, Miller's Pharmacy and soda fountain is on the corner, next to the Boulevard Fruit and Vegetable Market. Before the advent of the supermarket, residents did their produce shopping in small neighborhood shops such as this one.

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Volume 7, Issue 6, Posted 11:21 AM, 05.30.2014

Heights historical photo of the month

Summer fun in Cleveland Heights is by no means a new phenomenon. In this photograph from the 1950s, several Cleveland Heights High School students pose during a picnic at Cumberland Pool, which has been a summertime destination for the city's youth since it first opened in 1927.  

This photo was selected by the Cleveland Heights Historical Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the diverse character and traditions of Cleveland Heights. For more information, and to view additional historical images, visit www.chhistory.org or www.facebook.com/clevelandheightshistorical.

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Volume 7, Issue 5, Posted 2:02 PM, 05.05.2014

Register in April for May preservation month events

May is National Preservation Month and this year’s theme, chosen by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is “New Age of Preservation: Embark, Inspire, Engage.”

The annual May event is observed by small towns and big cities across the country, and the 2014 theme, according to the National Trust, “is meant to excite current supporters and introduce new audiences” to the work being done to enrich and preserve what makes a community special.

In Cleveland Heights, the Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission, the Cleveland Heights Historical Society and the Heights Libraries partner to present the city’s preservation month. This year, five programs are designed to inform attendees about the history of this community and Greater Cleveland, and provide information on how to protect and preserve the architecture and homes that make the Heights special.

The events are free, but space is limited, and advance registration is required for all events.

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Volume 7, Issue 4, Posted 9:01 AM, 04.01.2014

Heights historical photo of the month

The view looking up the hill to Fairmount Boulevard from Cedar Road hasn't changed much since this photo was taken on a snowy day in 1919. The house, built by real estate developer Barton R. Deming in 1914, still stands today, though some adjoining structures are now gone. Also gone are the streetcar tracks running through the median. Bus service replaced the Fairmount Boulevard streetcar line in the late 1940s. 

This photo was selected by the Cleveland Heights Historical Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the diverse character and traditions of Cleveland Heights. For more information, and to view additional historical images, visit www.chhistory.org or www.facebook.com/clevelandheightshistorical.

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Volume 7, Issue 4, Posted 3:18 PM, 03.31.2014

Michael Rotman is CH Historical Society's first director

The Cleveland Heights Historical Society (CHHS) has appointed Michael Rotman as its new executive director. A resident of the city’s Cedar Fairmount neighborhood, Rotman previously worked at the Center for Public History and Digital Humanities at Cleveland State University, where he developed content for the Cleveland Historical mobile app and collaborated with teachers to use technology to integrate the region’s history into classroom curricula.  

Rotman plans to further the CHHS mission of preserving and promoting the diverse history of Cleveland Heights by enhancing its website (www.chhistory.org) to showcase the society’s resources and collections for audiences from around the world, through ongoing collaborations with community members and organizations to stage periodic local history presentations; and through publication of the quarterly CHHS newsletter.

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Volume 6, Issue 11, Posted 12:06 PM, 10.31.2013

Christ Our Redeemer to hold jazz benefit

Christ Our Redeemer Church, located at 14284 Superior Road in Cleveland Heights, will be holding a "Raise the Roof" benefit featuring live jazz at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, to raise funds for badly needed building repairs.  

The church, designated as a Cleveland Heights Landmark, has stood on the corner of Superior and Hampshire roads for more than 100 years. The main structure was built in 1904 by the Church of the Saviour congregation (which later moved to its current location on Lee Road), and is currently home to Christ Our Reedmer AME Church, led by Pastor Melvin Blackwell. Unfortunately, the building's roof and tower are in need of repairs. Rev. Blackwell has even had to contend with pigeons in his office.

Tickets to the event are $8 at the door. For further information, contact Rev. Blackwell at 216-280-6156.

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Volume 6, Issue 10, Posted 11:43 AM, 09.18.2013

Presentation about mid-century houses at the Lee Road Library

Mary Ogle of the Cleveland Restoration Society will present Recently Historic: Houses of the 1950s and 1960s at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at the Lee Road Library, 2345 Lee Road. Ogle will discuss character-defining features and rehabilitation of these unique dwellings.

Registration begins Sept. 11. Register by phone by calling 216-932-3600, or register online at www.heightslibrary.org

The lecture is presented by the Heights Libraries in partnership with Cleveland Heights Historical Society and the Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission.

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Volume 6, Issue 10, Posted 9:33 AM, 09.05.2013

Heights Civil Rights History Bicycle Tour Aug. 28

Heights residents are invited to join the Cleveland Heights Civil Rights History Bicycle Tour, departing from the Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Arch (at the corner of Coventry Road and Euclid Heights Boulevard) at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 28—the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The tour is sponsored by the Heights Bicycle Coalition.

The tour will celebrate this significant anniversary by honoring five Cleveland Heights citizen-led groups that brought the struggle for full citizenship to their own community by challenging housing segregation and discrimination. The three-mile tour will stop at sites significant to the groups that formed between 1964 and 1973 to work for social justice.

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Volume 6, Issue 9, Posted 9:03 AM, 08.27.2013

May events celebrate Historic Preservation Month

“The City of Cleveland Heights recognizes and promotes our aesthetically diverse neighborhoods,” said Kara Hamley O’Donnell, historic preservation planner for the city. It is one of the reasons why the city has participated in National Preservation Month for more than 20 years.

“We are particularly proud of the fact that Cleveland Heights is home to 11 historic districts listed in the National Register of Historic Places,” she said. “That puts us sixth in the state, behind only Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo and Dayton.” 

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Volume 6, Issue 5, Posted 11:14 AM, 04.30.2013

New signs mark Euclid Golf and Shaker Farm National Register historic districts

In November, the Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission installed historic district signs at key entrance points to two of the city’s 11 National Register historic districts: Euclid Golf, which was listed in 2002, and Shaker Farm, which was listed in 2012. New signs for the Shaker Farm district were installed at Fairmount Boulevard and Shelburne Road, West St. James Parkway at the Roxboro schools, and Lee and Fairfax roads. The Shaker Farm district was added to the Fairmount Boulevard Historic District signs at Coventry Road and Fairmount Boulevard and at Wellington Road and Fairmount. New signs for Euclid Golf were erected at Ardleigh Drive and Fairmount Boulevard, Scarborough Road and Demington Drive, Coventry and Clarkson roads, and Demington Drive and Cedar Road. Euclid Golf was added to the existing Fairmount Boulevard Historic District sign at Coventry Road and Fairmount. The base of the sign at Fairmount Boulevard and Cedar Road was found to have rusted through, causing the sign to fall over. The city plans to replace the sign in the spring when it installs signs for the soon-to-be listed Euclid Heights Historic District.

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Volume 5, Issue 12, Posted 3:28 PM, 11.30.2012

Historic Cedar Fairmount walking tour Nov. 3

FutureHeights hosts its final 2012 neighborhood tour on Saturday, Nov. 3 in historic Cedar Fairmount.

The tour is the last of four mobile phone app-enhanced tours created by FutureHeights, with help from the Cleveland Heights Historical Society, the Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission, and the Center for Public History and Digital Humanities at Cleveland State University (CSU).

On Nov. 3, Deanna Bremer Fisher and Hugh Fisher, authors of Euclid Golf Neighborhood, an Arcadia Images of America-series book, and of the National Register application for the neighborhood, will lead the tour which includes landmarks such as Nighttown and the Alcazar.

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Volume 5, Issue 11, Posted 1:06 PM, 10.30.2012

Historic tours of Heights neighborhoods scheduled for this fall

FutureHeights will host the last installments of its app-enhanced neighborhood tours on Oct. 20 and Nov. 3. They are part of four neighborhood tours created by FutureHeights, with help from the Cleveland Heights Historical Society, the Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission, and the Center for Public History and Digital Humanities at Cleveland State University.

On Saturday, Oct. 20, Mark Souther, associate professor of history at Cleveland State University (CSU) and member of the Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission, will lead an app-enhanced bicycle tour of Cleveland Heights's historic Noble-Monticello neighborhood. The free tour will start at Oxford Elementary School at 9:30 a.m., and end at the same location at 11:30 a.m., with a tour of the school and its WPA-era artwork. The tour will take place rain or shine.

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Volume 5, Issue 10, Posted 9:52 AM, 10.03.2012

September walks at The Lake View Cemetery

Lake View Cemetery announces three walking tours in late September.

Saturday, Sept. 22, 10 a.m. to noon: Veterans of the Civil War Walking Tour

The Lake View Cemetery remembers the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War, with this tour. Many of the brave soldiers who fought in America’s Civil War are buried at Lake View, including President James A. Garfield, who commanded the 42nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI), and Major General Mortimer D. Leggett. Other veterans’ burial sites included in the tour are James Walker, who perished as a result of the First Battle of Bull Run; Oliver Hazard Payne, who led the 124th OVI and was seriously injured at Chickamauga; and the frail 61-year-old woman who organized the Northeast Ohio Soldier’s Aid Society. Marjorie Wilson, local historian and active member of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable will lead this tour. 

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Volume 5, Issue 10, Posted 3:12 PM, 09.14.2012

Historic Dugway Brook tour to be held Sept. 22

On Saturday, Sept. 22, Mark Souther, associate professor of history at Cleveland State University and member of the Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission, will lead an app-enhanced biking tour of the historic Dugway Brook watershed of Cleveland Heights. The tour will start at the main entrance to Cain Park at Lee and Superior roads, at 9 a.m.

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Volume 5, Issue 10, Posted 12:59 PM, 09.11.2012

Walking tour of historic Coventry Village scheduled for Aug. 25

This Saturday, Aug. 25, Mark Souther, associate professor of history at Cleveland State University and member of the Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission, will lead an app-enhanced walking tour of historic Coventry Village. The tour will start at the Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Arch by Coventry Village Library at 9 a.m.

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Volume 5, Issue 9, Posted 11:04 PM, 08.19.2012

New historic district would be 11 for Cleveland Heights

The Alcazar, located on Derbyshire Road in Cleveland Heights, was the perfect venue for the June 18 presentation on Euclid Heights Historic District’s bid to be added to the National Register of Historic Places.

If approved by the National Park Service, Euclid Heights would become the 11th National Register Historic District in the City of Cleveland Heights.

Like many buildings in the district—which centers on Euclid Heights Boulevard and extends north to Mayfield Road, east to Coventry Road, south to Cedar Road, and west to Overlook Road—the Alcazar is a storied building with distinctive architecture.

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Volume 5, Issue 7, Posted 12:16 PM, 07.01.2012

Walking Tour of Coventry? There's an app for that

On Saturday, May 19, from 10 a.m. to noon, FutureHeights, along with the Cleveland Heights Historical Society and Cleveland State University’s Digital Humanities Department, will host An App-Enhanced Walking Tour of the Coventry Village Neighborhood. The tour will start at Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Arch by Coventry Village Library, and will occur rain or shine.

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Volume 5, Issue 6, Posted 9:00 AM, 05.15.2012