WESTERN RESERVE ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIANS
CLEVELAND, OHIO
A Chapter of the SOCIETY of ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIANS
CLEVELAND, OHIO
A Chapter of the SOCIETY of ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIANS
Date: Saturday, November 12, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.
Subject: Tour of Glenwillow Village Center, 29555 Pettibone Road, Glenwillow, OH
Speakers: Mark A. Cegelka, Mayor and Peggy Spraggins, Grant Consultant
Place: Meet at the Village Center Park Gazebo
The Village of Glenwillow is one of the last "company towns" in Northeast Ohio. It was founded in the late 1890's when the Austin Powder Company moved their operations from Cleveland to what was then Solon Township. Soon after, the Village was incorporated - enabling Austin to get around the regulations of the Township. All the members of the Village Council and the Mayor were company employees, so their decisions benefited the company. The Austin Powder Company built homes, a school, an orphanage, a general store, post office and later a gas station to house their employees and take care of their family needs. In 2005 the Village began a restoration/renovation project to restore the homes - in order to sell them to individuals dedicated to maintaining historical amenities such as the design, roof line, and style of trim. Some of the homes were converted to commercial use while retaining original features. The original General Store is now home to the Glenwillow Grille, an upscale contemporary restaurant. The wood used in the bar area is original to the site and the windows have been restored.
Date: Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 10 am to 12 noon
Subject: Squire Valleevue Farm and the Valley Ridge Farm
Speaker: Dr. Ana Locci, Director of the CWRU University Farm
Place: 37125 Fairmount Blvd, Hunting Valley, just east of SOM Center Rd, (Ohio Route 91)
Dr. Ana Locci will describe the history and significance of these two working farms comprising almost 400 acres donated to the university in 1938. Andrew Squire hired Walker and Weeks to design the Cotswold style manor house in the late 1920's and landscape architect, Ethelwyn Harrison to plan the medicinal gardens and arboretum. The lower farm, Valley Ridge Farm, formerly the summer home of Jeptha Wade II, incorporates the repurposing of a complex of buildings and features a magnificent U shaped horse barn. Wade hired architects Hubbel and Benes and landscape designer Warren Manning to help realize his dream of the perfect country retreat. CWRU acquired the farm in 1977. Come enjoy the fall foliage in this pastoral setting and bring a picnic lunch to enjoy after the tour with the group. Should you be so inclined, easy walking trails are available to complete your day in the country.
Date: Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 1:30 pm
Subject: Tour of the new Bertram & Judith Kohl Building, Oberlin College
Speaker: Michael Lynn, Associate Dean of Technology & Facilities, Professor of Recorder &
Baroque Flute, Curator of Musical Instruments
Place: 77 West College St., the Conservatory of Music, three attached buildings including the
Kohl. The entrance to the Kohl is off-street, east of the main entrance.
Subject: Tour of Brownwood Farm & Zachariah Norton House
Speakers: Judi & Terry Sheridan, Al & Deborah Imhoff
Places: North Bloomfield & North Bristol, OH
A potluck picnic in the country is planned for a special visit to two early Trumbull County homes. We will meet at Brownwood (1819, 1823, 1840) at 2:00 p.m. and carpool the short distance to the Norton House (1811, 1824) in North Bristol. The Imhoffs have been researching and restoring this home for the past 11 years. After the tour, we will return to Brownwood for a picnic and open house to view the Sheridan's many collections. The main course, beverages, and tableware will be provided and the guests need only bring a salad, vegetable, or dessert and a lawn chair.
: Sunday May 15, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.
Subject: Tour of the Strongsville Historical Society Village
Speaker(s): Historical Society Docents
Place: 13305 Pearl Road, Strongsville, OH 44136
The Strongsville Historical Village is a collection of homes and buildings that reflect significant events and activities during the development of the community of Strongsville. The Historical Village is owned and operated by the Strongsville Historical Society. The visit will include the Baldwin House built in 1823 by the second town doctor and was one of the first frame buildings in the center of Strongsville. The 1832 Bradley House was moved to the site from Albion, a nearby community. The Lathrop House, circa 1870, was also moved from Albion and is an Italianate structure. The 1904 Roe-Chapman House is a Dutch Colonial Revival. It was the home of the Roe family from 1907 to 1957. It was sold to the Chapmans who were founders of the historical society and donated the house and property to the society to create the village. Other buildings include a barn, general store, academy and bicentennial log cabin.
Please RSVP with your reservation to Barbara Flinn at (216) 371 5917 by Saturday, May 7, 2011. Lunch information will be available when you call in your reservation.
: Saturday, April 16, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.
Subject: Walking tour of the Gordon Square District
Speaker: Variety of Speakers
Place: Intersection of Detroit Ave. and West 65th Street Cleveland, OH
The Gordon Square Arts District in the Detroit/Shoreway neighborhood is in the midst of major renovation projects encompassing housing, businesses, arts venues, and streetscaping to create a vibrant environment. We will meet on the northwest corner at the intersection of Detroit Ave. and West 65th Street to take a look at historic buildings on three of the four corners. Next we'll visit the Gordon Square Arcade and newly renovated Capitol Theater on that same corner. The Capitol Theater, built in 1921, reopened in 2009 as a three screen movie complex showing a combination of Hollywood and art films.
On a short walk down the street to see some of the historic residential architecture, we will enjoy the wider sidewalks, new trees, and public art that were part of the Detroit Ave. streetscaping renovation. To finish our visit we will take a short drive to the Fir Street cemetery, Cleveland's second oldest Jewish cemetery, which was renovated in 2009 by a neighborhood block group.
Date: Sunday, March 20, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.
Subject: "Beyond Cuyahoga County: Architectural marvels from Cadiz to Casablanca."
Speaker: Marc Vincent
Place: Dunham Tavern Museum
Website: www.duhamtavern.org
"Beyond Cuyahoga County: Architectural marvels from Cadiz to Casablanca." In this program, jointly sponsored by WRAH and The Dunham Tavern, we will travel beyond the confines of Northeast Ohio to explore the architectural wonders of the Mediterranean. Marc Vincent, Professor of Art History at Baldwin-Wallace College and WRAH trustee, taught on the Semester-at-Sea Summer 2009 voyage and visited Spain, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Egypt and Morocco. He will be discussing the various sites visited as well as life at sea among 800 students! Refreshments will follow.
Date: Saturday, November 20, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
Subject: Graduate and Undergraduate Programs in Historic Preservation at Ursuline College
Speaker: Bari Oyler Stith, Ph.D plus Faculty and Students
Place: Ursuline College, 2550 Lander Rd, Pepper Pike, OH 44124 Pilla Center Room 101
Website: www.ursuline.edu
Founded in 1871 as the first chartered college for women in Ohio, Ursuline College continued its innovative curriculum when it established a degree program in Historic Preservation. Both a Bachelors and a Masters degree are offered. This is one of a few programs in this field in the USA and unique in Ohio. The students at Ursuline are able to utilize the rich and diverse architectural heritage of Northeastern Ohio for study, research, and field experience. Members of the faculty and graduate students will present an overview of the Historic Preservation program, with the students doing specific presentations about their on-site projects.
Date: Saturday, October 23, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
Subject: Rose Iron Works: A Heritage of Metalworking Arts
Speaker: Melvin Rose
Place: Rose Iron Works/Rose Metal Industries, 1536 East 43rd Street (near Superior), Cleveland Ohio
Website: www.roseironworks.com
Rose Iron Works is an art blacksmith shop-the oldest decorative metalworking company in the United States. Martin Rose founded the company in 1904 to produce ornamental metalwork based on the old world traditions he acquired in Vienna and Budapest. His company is still family-owned and in its original location on Cleveland's East Side. Melvin, son of Martin and former head of the firm, will host our tour of the studio, forge shop, and museum. He received the Cleveland Arts Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Design in 2008. Throughout its history Rose Iron Works has upheld standards of excellence in design, fabrication, and quality materials. Currently on display at the Cleveland Museum of Art is an Art Deco screen, Muse With Violin, designed by Rose Iron Works staff member Paul Fehér and produced by the company. Rose Iron Works remains preeminent in production of items such as sconces, lamps and chandeliers, gates and railings, fireplace screens and hearth accessories, fountains, tables and chairs, signage, and sculptural works. The company museum of medieval European metalwork and company decorative arts will be included in this tour.
Date: Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
Subject: Tour of Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument
Speaker, Guide: Neal Evans
Place: Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, 3 Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio
Website: www.soldiersandsailors.com
The Soldier's and Sailor's Monument was conceived in the early 1890's by local Civil War Veterans. Using county and state funds, Cleveland war hero and engineer, Levi Scofield, was chosen to design the entire project - even the sculptures. "One brain, one talent did it all", says Peter van Dijk, the restoration architect for the firm of Westlake, Reed, Leskosky. Granite and sandstone rise over 125 feet above Public Square as a stage for the four exterior bronze sculpture groups depicting naval and land battles. The interior designated as "a place of repose and remembrance", holds 38 marble tablets listing the county's 9,000 veterans, four bronze panels, and bronze busts of local heroes. There are stained glass windows, bronze door grilles, and patterned floors.
Restoration began in 2006, thanks to the efforts of Anthony Celebreeze, then Ohio Attorney General. He appointed our tour guide Neil Evans, a retired lawyer, and 15 year Trustee of Cuyahoga County's Civil War Memorial, to be in charge of the rehabilitation of the interior spaces. Neil got involved in a big way. He researched the ancient art of marble bending and decorating, 19th c. iron/steel construction, and modern lighting that simulates the original gaslight. He will share his hands-on experiences overseeing the rebirth of this grand tribute to our Civil War veterans. It has just been featured in Preservation Magazine May/June 2010. To read it online go to www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2010/may-june . The monument opens at 9 a.m. We will gather inside and begin our guided tour at 10 a.m.
Saturday, May 8, 2010 at 1:00 p.m.
Subject: Francis Drury: Patronage and Legacy at the Cleveland Play House
Speaker: Dan Ruminski, Former Professor of History, Gilmour Academy
and Borromeo Seminary High School; president, Martinson-Nicholls, Inc.
Tour Guide: Kathy Hughes, Audience Services Manager, Cleveland Play House
Place: The Cleveland Play House, 8500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio.
Dan Ruminski studies Cleveland families of 1885-1929 who contributed to the prominence of the city at that time. He looks for models to inspire efforts to return the city to its past glory. His program will highlight the life of Francis Drury for whom the Drury Theatre at the Cleveland Play House is named. Early in 1900 Francis Drury recognized the need for a new, improved kerosene stove. His stove became the best in the world. Executives from The Standard Oil Company, which had an excess of kerosene production at the time, approached Drury with an offer: "We will buy all your production of stoves and market them worldwide. We also will supply capital to expand your production facilities." Enormous wealth ensued for Rockefeller and for Drury. Drury was able to build a Millionaires' Row residence (now owned by the Cleveland Clinic), and a country home, Cedar Hill Farm, (now Gilmour Academy). Drury and his wife became major patrons of theatre arts providing performance facilities on their property and generous funding in the early decades of the Cleveland Play House. Drury was the first president of the Play House Board Foundation in the mid-1920s. It was at this time that a permanent home for the Play House was built. Architects Small and Rowley's work can be seen in the Romanesque/Tudor design of the complex housing the Drury and Brooks Theatres. Philip Johnson regarded this architecture so highly that he incorporated it into his work for the Play House in 1984. Kathy Hughes will lead us on a tour of the Play House following Dan Ruminski's program.
Date: Saturday, June 12, 2010 at 2:00 p.m.
Subject: Schweinfurth Collections at the Cleveland Public Library and WRAH Annual Meeting
Speaker: Anthony W. Hiti, AIA, principal, Herman Gibans Fodor, Inc. Architects (HGF)
Place: The Treasure Room, John G. White Special Collections Department, The Cleveland Public Library, 3 Floor, Main Building, 325 Superior Avenue NE, downtown Cleveland, Ohio
Charles Friedrich Schweinfurth (1856-1919) ranks as one of the most prominent architects in Cleveland history. His work included 18 Millionaires' Row mansions, Trinity Cathedral and its Parish House, and four stone bridges crossing Martin Luther King Boulevard in Rockefeller Park. He also designed and built his residence at 1951 East 75 Street. The Cleveland Public Library Special Collections Department was given to the Schweinfurth House Collection by former home owner and architect Richard Van Petten. Included are blueprints, drawings and photographs produced by Schweinfurth from 1872-1919, as well as various materials related to the residence. The Cleveland Public Library is also the beneficiary of the Anna M. Schweinfurth Trust which provides revenues for the acquisition of materials related to architecture including rare and out of print publications.
Anthony Hiti, Chair of the Anna M. Schweinfurth Trust at the Cleveland Public Library, will discuss the collection with a special focus on material related to Charles F. Schweinfurth and the Schweinfurth House Collection, some of which will be available for viewing during this program. We will hold a brief Annual Meeting following the program.
Date: Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 11:00 a.m.
Subject: Baldwin Reservoir, Filtration Plant and Grounds
Speaker: Tom Loren, Plant Manager
Place: 11216 Fairhill Road, Cleveland, Ohio
The history of any city is closely entwined with water; its sources, quality, distribution possibilities, and ever-increasing demands for residential, public and commercial usage. Many private and city-owned water plants preceded the Baldwin Reservoir. However by the early 20 century a new facility was deemed necessary. Built between 1914 and 1925, The Baldwin Reservoir is a testament to the talents of architect Herman Kregelius and landscape architect Albert D. Taylor. The Baldwin Reservoir houses a massive water filtering and purifying system and an underground water storage facility. Carved out of solid rock, the reservoir holds up to 135 million gallons of water. It was the largest reservoir in the world at the time of constr uction. The 3 story main building and flanking wings have Palladian style architecture, with stone and brick exterior and hipped roofs of slate. Mr. Loren will share original construction drawings and photographs with us.
Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2009, 10:00 a.m. Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland;
Time: (Optional Brunch at Pickwick & Frolic at 11:45 a.m.)
1:30 p.m. U.S. Bankruptcy Court/Howard M. Metzenbaum U.S. Courthouse
Subject: United States Government Buildings amidst a Trendy Urban Scene
Speaker: Staff, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, & Ken Muhlbach, Clerk of Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court
Place: The Federal Reserve Bank, corner of East 6 and Superior; U.S. Bankruptcy Court, 201 Superior.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings, is a masterpiece by Walker and Weeks. The design process took several years and included over 1,000 sketches and 1,924 construction drawings. Groundbreaking was in March, 1921, and the building was completed in 1923. This 13-story "fortress-palace" is modeled after Michelozzo's Medici-Riccardi palace in Florence. Pink granite and Georgia marble face the building's exterior. The great banking hall is an Italian Renaissance style tour de force. Our tour will include the main bank vault which has a 100-ton weight, 5-foot thick door. The U.S. Courthouse, designed by noted architect Arnold Brunner and built between 1905 and 1910, is one of several buildings in the style of Beaux-Arts classicism comprising Cleveland's Group Plan. The five-story granite structure has a rusticated first story, colossal Corinthian colonnades scaling three upper stories, and huge sculptures of eagles on each roof corner. Extensive restoration was finished in 1998. We will meet at Pickwick & Frolic at 11:45 a.m. for Brunch. Call Pickwick & Frolic at 216 241-7425 to make a reservation to join Barbara Flinn's party.
Subject: Tour of Glenwillow Village Center, 29555 Pettibone Road, Glenwillow, OH
Speakers: Mark A. Cegelka, Mayor and Peggy Spraggins, Grant Consultant
Place: Meet at the Village Center Park Gazebo
The Village of Glenwillow is one of the last "company towns" in Northeast Ohio. It was founded in the late 1890's when the Austin Powder Company moved their operations from Cleveland to what was then Solon Township. Soon after, the Village was incorporated - enabling Austin to get around the regulations of the Township. All the members of the Village Council and the Mayor were company employees, so their decisions benefited the company. The Austin Powder Company built homes, a school, an orphanage, a general store, post office and later a gas station to house their employees and take care of their family needs. In 2005 the Village began a restoration/renovation project to restore the homes - in order to sell them to individuals dedicated to maintaining historical amenities such as the design, roof line, and style of trim. Some of the homes were converted to commercial use while retaining original features. The original General Store is now home to the Glenwillow Grille, an upscale contemporary restaurant. The wood used in the bar area is original to the site and the windows have been restored.
Date: Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 10 am to 12 noon
Subject: Squire Valleevue Farm and the Valley Ridge Farm
Speaker: Dr. Ana Locci, Director of the CWRU University Farm
Place: 37125 Fairmount Blvd, Hunting Valley, just east of SOM Center Rd, (Ohio Route 91)
Dr. Ana Locci will describe the history and significance of these two working farms comprising almost 400 acres donated to the university in 1938. Andrew Squire hired Walker and Weeks to design the Cotswold style manor house in the late 1920's and landscape architect, Ethelwyn Harrison to plan the medicinal gardens and arboretum. The lower farm, Valley Ridge Farm, formerly the summer home of Jeptha Wade II, incorporates the repurposing of a complex of buildings and features a magnificent U shaped horse barn. Wade hired architects Hubbel and Benes and landscape designer Warren Manning to help realize his dream of the perfect country retreat. CWRU acquired the farm in 1977. Come enjoy the fall foliage in this pastoral setting and bring a picnic lunch to enjoy after the tour with the group. Should you be so inclined, easy walking trails are available to complete your day in the country.
Date: Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 1:30 pm
Subject: Tour of the new Bertram & Judith Kohl Building, Oberlin College
Speaker: Michael Lynn, Associate Dean of Technology & Facilities, Professor of Recorder &
Baroque Flute, Curator of Musical Instruments
Place: 77 West College St., the Conservatory of Music, three attached buildings including the
Kohl. The entrance to the Kohl is off-street, east of the main entrance.
"A building should broadcast its purpose to the world" is the philosophy behind the new Bertram & Judith Kohl Building, the new home for jazz studies, music history, and music theory at Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. The building dedicated on May 1, 2011 features a state-of-the-art recording studio and the largest privately held jazz recording collection in the United States. The James Neumann Collection consists of more than 100,000 recordings and an array of posters, ephemera and iconography. The building was designed with the highest environmental building standards in mind and intends to be the first music facility in the world to attain a Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating following standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council. We will also visit the rare instrument storage/workroom that is not usually open to the public.
: Sunday, June 26, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.Subject: Tour of Brownwood Farm & Zachariah Norton House
Speakers: Judi & Terry Sheridan, Al & Deborah Imhoff
Places: North Bloomfield & North Bristol, OH
A potluck picnic in the country is planned for a special visit to two early Trumbull County homes. We will meet at Brownwood (1819, 1823, 1840) at 2:00 p.m. and carpool the short distance to the Norton House (1811, 1824) in North Bristol. The Imhoffs have been researching and restoring this home for the past 11 years. After the tour, we will return to Brownwood for a picnic and open house to view the Sheridan's many collections. The main course, beverages, and tableware will be provided and the guests need only bring a salad, vegetable, or dessert and a lawn chair.
: Sunday May 15, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.
Subject: Tour of the Strongsville Historical Society Village
Speaker(s): Historical Society Docents
Place: 13305 Pearl Road, Strongsville, OH 44136
The Strongsville Historical Village is a collection of homes and buildings that reflect significant events and activities during the development of the community of Strongsville. The Historical Village is owned and operated by the Strongsville Historical Society. The visit will include the Baldwin House built in 1823 by the second town doctor and was one of the first frame buildings in the center of Strongsville. The 1832 Bradley House was moved to the site from Albion, a nearby community. The Lathrop House, circa 1870, was also moved from Albion and is an Italianate structure. The 1904 Roe-Chapman House is a Dutch Colonial Revival. It was the home of the Roe family from 1907 to 1957. It was sold to the Chapmans who were founders of the historical society and donated the house and property to the society to create the village. Other buildings include a barn, general store, academy and bicentennial log cabin.
Please RSVP with your reservation to Barbara Flinn at (216) 371 5917 by Saturday, May 7, 2011. Lunch information will be available when you call in your reservation.
: Saturday, April 16, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.
Subject: Walking tour of the Gordon Square District
Speaker: Variety of Speakers
Place: Intersection of Detroit Ave. and West 65th Street Cleveland, OH
The Gordon Square Arts District in the Detroit/Shoreway neighborhood is in the midst of major renovation projects encompassing housing, businesses, arts venues, and streetscaping to create a vibrant environment. We will meet on the northwest corner at the intersection of Detroit Ave. and West 65th Street to take a look at historic buildings on three of the four corners. Next we'll visit the Gordon Square Arcade and newly renovated Capitol Theater on that same corner. The Capitol Theater, built in 1921, reopened in 2009 as a three screen movie complex showing a combination of Hollywood and art films.
On a short walk down the street to see some of the historic residential architecture, we will enjoy the wider sidewalks, new trees, and public art that were part of the Detroit Ave. streetscaping renovation. To finish our visit we will take a short drive to the Fir Street cemetery, Cleveland's second oldest Jewish cemetery, which was renovated in 2009 by a neighborhood block group.
Date: Sunday, March 20, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.
Subject: "Beyond Cuyahoga County: Architectural marvels from Cadiz to Casablanca."
Speaker: Marc Vincent
Place: Dunham Tavern Museum
Website: www.duhamtavern.org
"Beyond Cuyahoga County: Architectural marvels from Cadiz to Casablanca." In this program, jointly sponsored by WRAH and The Dunham Tavern, we will travel beyond the confines of Northeast Ohio to explore the architectural wonders of the Mediterranean. Marc Vincent, Professor of Art History at Baldwin-Wallace College and WRAH trustee, taught on the Semester-at-Sea Summer 2009 voyage and visited Spain, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Egypt and Morocco. He will be discussing the various sites visited as well as life at sea among 800 students! Refreshments will follow.
Date: Saturday, November 20, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
Subject: Graduate and Undergraduate Programs in Historic Preservation at Ursuline College
Speaker: Bari Oyler Stith, Ph.D plus Faculty and Students
Place: Ursuline College, 2550 Lander Rd, Pepper Pike, OH 44124 Pilla Center Room 101
Website: www.ursuline.edu
Founded in 1871 as the first chartered college for women in Ohio, Ursuline College continued its innovative curriculum when it established a degree program in Historic Preservation. Both a Bachelors and a Masters degree are offered. This is one of a few programs in this field in the USA and unique in Ohio. The students at Ursuline are able to utilize the rich and diverse architectural heritage of Northeastern Ohio for study, research, and field experience. Members of the faculty and graduate students will present an overview of the Historic Preservation program, with the students doing specific presentations about their on-site projects.
Date: Saturday, October 23, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
Subject: Rose Iron Works: A Heritage of Metalworking Arts
Speaker: Melvin Rose
Place: Rose Iron Works/Rose Metal Industries, 1536 East 43rd Street (near Superior), Cleveland Ohio
Website: www.roseironworks.com
Rose Iron Works is an art blacksmith shop-the oldest decorative metalworking company in the United States. Martin Rose founded the company in 1904 to produce ornamental metalwork based on the old world traditions he acquired in Vienna and Budapest. His company is still family-owned and in its original location on Cleveland's East Side. Melvin, son of Martin and former head of the firm, will host our tour of the studio, forge shop, and museum. He received the Cleveland Arts Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Design in 2008. Throughout its history Rose Iron Works has upheld standards of excellence in design, fabrication, and quality materials. Currently on display at the Cleveland Museum of Art is an Art Deco screen, Muse With Violin, designed by Rose Iron Works staff member Paul Fehér and produced by the company. Rose Iron Works remains preeminent in production of items such as sconces, lamps and chandeliers, gates and railings, fireplace screens and hearth accessories, fountains, tables and chairs, signage, and sculptural works. The company museum of medieval European metalwork and company decorative arts will be included in this tour.
Date: Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
Subject: Tour of Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument
Speaker, Guide: Neal Evans
Place: Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, 3 Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio
Website: www.soldiersandsailors.com
The Soldier's and Sailor's Monument was conceived in the early 1890's by local Civil War Veterans. Using county and state funds, Cleveland war hero and engineer, Levi Scofield, was chosen to design the entire project - even the sculptures. "One brain, one talent did it all", says Peter van Dijk, the restoration architect for the firm of Westlake, Reed, Leskosky. Granite and sandstone rise over 125 feet above Public Square as a stage for the four exterior bronze sculpture groups depicting naval and land battles. The interior designated as "a place of repose and remembrance", holds 38 marble tablets listing the county's 9,000 veterans, four bronze panels, and bronze busts of local heroes. There are stained glass windows, bronze door grilles, and patterned floors.
Restoration began in 2006, thanks to the efforts of Anthony Celebreeze, then Ohio Attorney General. He appointed our tour guide Neil Evans, a retired lawyer, and 15 year Trustee of Cuyahoga County's Civil War Memorial, to be in charge of the rehabilitation of the interior spaces. Neil got involved in a big way. He researched the ancient art of marble bending and decorating, 19th c. iron/steel construction, and modern lighting that simulates the original gaslight. He will share his hands-on experiences overseeing the rebirth of this grand tribute to our Civil War veterans. It has just been featured in Preservation Magazine May/June 2010. To read it online go to www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2010/may-june . The monument opens at 9 a.m. We will gather inside and begin our guided tour at 10 a.m.
Saturday, May 8, 2010 at 1:00 p.m.
Subject: Francis Drury: Patronage and Legacy at the Cleveland Play House
Speaker: Dan Ruminski, Former Professor of History, Gilmour Academy
and Borromeo Seminary High School; president, Martinson-Nicholls, Inc.
Tour Guide: Kathy Hughes, Audience Services Manager, Cleveland Play House
Place: The Cleveland Play House, 8500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio.
Dan Ruminski studies Cleveland families of 1885-1929 who contributed to the prominence of the city at that time. He looks for models to inspire efforts to return the city to its past glory. His program will highlight the life of Francis Drury for whom the Drury Theatre at the Cleveland Play House is named. Early in 1900 Francis Drury recognized the need for a new, improved kerosene stove. His stove became the best in the world. Executives from The Standard Oil Company, which had an excess of kerosene production at the time, approached Drury with an offer: "We will buy all your production of stoves and market them worldwide. We also will supply capital to expand your production facilities." Enormous wealth ensued for Rockefeller and for Drury. Drury was able to build a Millionaires' Row residence (now owned by the Cleveland Clinic), and a country home, Cedar Hill Farm, (now Gilmour Academy). Drury and his wife became major patrons of theatre arts providing performance facilities on their property and generous funding in the early decades of the Cleveland Play House. Drury was the first president of the Play House Board Foundation in the mid-1920s. It was at this time that a permanent home for the Play House was built. Architects Small and Rowley's work can be seen in the Romanesque/Tudor design of the complex housing the Drury and Brooks Theatres. Philip Johnson regarded this architecture so highly that he incorporated it into his work for the Play House in 1984. Kathy Hughes will lead us on a tour of the Play House following Dan Ruminski's program.
Date: Saturday, June 12, 2010 at 2:00 p.m.
Subject: Schweinfurth Collections at the Cleveland Public Library and WRAH Annual Meeting
Speaker: Anthony W. Hiti, AIA, principal, Herman Gibans Fodor, Inc. Architects (HGF)
Place: The Treasure Room, John G. White Special Collections Department, The Cleveland Public Library, 3 Floor, Main Building, 325 Superior Avenue NE, downtown Cleveland, Ohio
Charles Friedrich Schweinfurth (1856-1919) ranks as one of the most prominent architects in Cleveland history. His work included 18 Millionaires' Row mansions, Trinity Cathedral and its Parish House, and four stone bridges crossing Martin Luther King Boulevard in Rockefeller Park. He also designed and built his residence at 1951 East 75 Street. The Cleveland Public Library Special Collections Department was given to the Schweinfurth House Collection by former home owner and architect Richard Van Petten. Included are blueprints, drawings and photographs produced by Schweinfurth from 1872-1919, as well as various materials related to the residence. The Cleveland Public Library is also the beneficiary of the Anna M. Schweinfurth Trust which provides revenues for the acquisition of materials related to architecture including rare and out of print publications.
Anthony Hiti, Chair of the Anna M. Schweinfurth Trust at the Cleveland Public Library, will discuss the collection with a special focus on material related to Charles F. Schweinfurth and the Schweinfurth House Collection, some of which will be available for viewing during this program. We will hold a brief Annual Meeting following the program.
Date: Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 11:00 a.m.
Subject: Baldwin Reservoir, Filtration Plant and Grounds
Speaker: Tom Loren, Plant Manager
Place: 11216 Fairhill Road, Cleveland, Ohio
The history of any city is closely entwined with water; its sources, quality, distribution possibilities, and ever-increasing demands for residential, public and commercial usage. Many private and city-owned water plants preceded the Baldwin Reservoir. However by the early 20 century a new facility was deemed necessary. Built between 1914 and 1925, The Baldwin Reservoir is a testament to the talents of architect Herman Kregelius and landscape architect Albert D. Taylor. The Baldwin Reservoir houses a massive water filtering and purifying system and an underground water storage facility. Carved out of solid rock, the reservoir holds up to 135 million gallons of water. It was the largest reservoir in the world at the time of constr uction. The 3 story main building and flanking wings have Palladian style architecture, with stone and brick exterior and hipped roofs of slate. Mr. Loren will share original construction drawings and photographs with us.
Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2009, 10:00 a.m. Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland;
Time: (Optional Brunch at Pickwick & Frolic at 11:45 a.m.)
1:30 p.m. U.S. Bankruptcy Court/Howard M. Metzenbaum U.S. Courthouse
Subject: United States Government Buildings amidst a Trendy Urban Scene
Speaker: Staff, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, & Ken Muhlbach, Clerk of Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court
Place: The Federal Reserve Bank, corner of East 6 and Superior; U.S. Bankruptcy Court, 201 Superior.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings, is a masterpiece by Walker and Weeks. The design process took several years and included over 1,000 sketches and 1,924 construction drawings. Groundbreaking was in March, 1921, and the building was completed in 1923. This 13-story "fortress-palace" is modeled after Michelozzo's Medici-Riccardi palace in Florence. Pink granite and Georgia marble face the building's exterior. The great banking hall is an Italian Renaissance style tour de force. Our tour will include the main bank vault which has a 100-ton weight, 5-foot thick door. The U.S. Courthouse, designed by noted architect Arnold Brunner and built between 1905 and 1910, is one of several buildings in the style of Beaux-Arts classicism comprising Cleveland's Group Plan. The five-story granite structure has a rusticated first story, colossal Corinthian colonnades scaling three upper stories, and huge sculptures of eagles on each roof corner. Extensive restoration was finished in 1998. We will meet at Pickwick & Frolic at 11:45 a.m. for Brunch. Call Pickwick & Frolic at 216 241-7425 to make a reservation to join Barbara Flinn's party.
RECENT PROGRAMS OF THE WESTERN RESERVE ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIANS (WRAH)
