Date: Sunday, December 8, 2024 at 2:00 PM
Subject: Hotel Cleveland, an Autograph Collection Hotel by Marriott
Speaker: Kim Romance, Event Coordinator
Place: Hotel Cleveland, 24 Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio 44113
The southwest corner of Cleveland's Public Square has been a hostelry location since 1815. Various hotels and many ownerships are associated with the site over the centuries. Today's Hotel Cleveland replaces the previous Renaissance Hotel. A grand hotel built here in 1918 was acquired by the Van Sweringen brothers in 1922 and interconnected into their Tower City Group. The building appears to bookend, along with the 1931 Higbee Department Store, the majestic Beaux Arts entrance to the lobby for the 708 foot tall Terminal Tower (1927).
Marriott has just completed a 9 year restoration and renovation program of the hotel. Our tour will highlight its orientation to Public Square, plus we'll see the mix of original architectural features and interior appointments such as the massive chandeliers in the reconfigured restaurant. Photographs depicting Cleveland's history and past hotel guests decorate this "Autograph" hotel. This grand hotel has the distinction of being a charter member of the National Trust's Historic Hotels of America.
Date: Saturday, October 5, 2024 at 1:30 PM
Subject: Look About Lodge
Speaker: Judy MacKeigan, Cleveland Metroparks, Author and Historian
Place: 37374 Miles Road (within the South Chagrin Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks)
Bentleyville, Ohio 44022
Look About Lodge was completed in 1938 by the Works Progress Administration for a final cost of $26,000. The Cleveland Natural Science Club (CNSC) had outgrown its meeting place and requested a new location from the Cleveland Metropolitan Park Board which led to the current site on Miles Road. The CNSC was a group of Cleveland educators who met to teach students about nature and science. Look About Lodge was placed on the National Register of Historic places in 2006. The rustic design by architect, Anton George Nosek, was inspired by Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone National Park. Nosek's designs are seen in numerous shelters throughout the Cleveland Metroparks as well as the American Legion Camp in North Chagrin. The CNSC raised $8,500 through fundraisers and donations to purchase the construction materials including 300 American chestnut logs from Loudonville, Ohio. A hand-wrought iron chandelier and deck chairs were built and contributed in 1939 by the wood shop class at Bedford High School . The CNSC continues to hold monthly meeting at Look About Lodge but, in 1993, turned the responsibility for the Lodge over to the Metroparks.
Date: Sunday, September 15, 2024 at 11:00 AM & 2:00 PM MEMBERS ONLY
Subject: The Averbook Magic Art Museum & Library, Magic Art LLC
Speakers: Bruce J. Averbook, MD, Facs & Associates
Place: 205 Lake Meade Drive
Orange Village, Ohio 44022
Date: Saturday, August 24, 2024 at 10:00 AM
Subject: Northern Ohio Railway Museum
Speaker(s): Dale Rothenberger, Director, Visitor Experience and Staff
Place: Northern Ohio Railway Museum
5515 Buffham Road
Westfield Township, Ohio 44273
Established in 1965, the Northern Ohio Railway Museum is dedicated "to collect, preserve,
restore, display, and operate streetcars and other railway equipment for the education and
entertainment of the public." Over forty pieces of equipment including streetcars and other
rolling stock are housed at the museum. Attendees will tour the barns and grounds, take a
streetcar ride, and view a film "Trolley" about the past, present, and future of electric transit.
Date: Friday, June 7, 2024 at 3:30 PM
Subject: The New Headquarters of the Cleveland Foundation
Speakers: Lillian Kuri, President & CEO, Rosanne Potter, Chief Growth Officer & CFO,
Victor (Vic) Barbalato, VP, Real Estate, (formerly Senior Project Architect at Vocon)
Michael Hood, Senior Manager, Real Estate & Community Development
Place: Steven A. Minter Conference Center
The Cleveland Foundation, 6601 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44103
For over a century the Cleveland Foundation has addressed the needs of Greater Cleveland not only through targeted grants but also by the leadership and guidance that the foundation provides to the community. In 2023, the Cleveland Foundation moved its headquarters to the Midtown Corridor and into a new building which welcomes both neighborhood and at large involvement. The speakers will discuss the history and purpose of the foundation, the impetus that led to the new home and location of the foundation, the design and construction of the new structure as well as future plans for development in the area adjacent to the foundation along Euclid Avenue and to the north along East 66th Street. A tour of the building will follow the talk.
Date: Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 10:00 AM
Subject: Historic Sites on Millionaire's Row in Warren, OH
Speaker: Representatives from each site.
Place: Walking tour starting at the Upton Association Women's Park, The 1832 Kinsman House, 1876 First Presbyterian Church, the 1894 Morgan House and the 1840 Harriet Taylor Upton Home all within 2 city blocks.
The tour will be followed by a box lunch at the Upton House.
Date: Sunday, April 21, 2024 at 2:30 PM
Subject: "The Heights Before the Van Sweringens"
Speaker: Lauren R. Pacini, Architectural Photographer and Local History Author including Coming book - EMPIRE BUILDERS: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE RISE AND FALL OF CLEVELAND'S VAN SWERINGEN BROTHERS
Place: Shaker Heights Main Library, 16500 Van Aken Boulevard, Shaker Heights, OH 44120
Attendees will be directed to the appropriate 2nd floor meeting room.
Date: Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 10:30 AM
Subject: The Darl Collection
Speaker: Darl Schaaff, Founder & Curator
Place: Historic Carnegie Library Building in Slavic Village, 5437 Broadway Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44127
Located in an historic, former Carnegie Library building, dating to 1904 and the first to be constructed in Cleveland, the Darl Collection is an eclectic body of artwork ranging from Andy Warhol to antique Japanese furniture. Amassed over a lifetime of travel, owner and founder Darl Schaaff has assembled an intriguing mix of both his own creations and the artistic work of others. Mr. Schaaff will discuss the design and history of the library, the renovation and repurposing of the structure, and lead a tour of the building and the collection.
Directions: The Darl Collection is located on the north side of the street and can be accessed from Interstate 490E via the Broadway exit or from the Opportunity Corridor via East 55th St. to Broadway Ave. Parking is available a short distance to the west in a lot on the same side of Broadway at Barkwill Avenue. Attendees may also park on Broadway in designated areas.
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Date: Saturday, November 18, 2023 at 10:30 AM
Subject: Historic Preservation and Tax Credits
Speaker: Peter Ketter, Director of Historic Preservation at Sandvick Architects
Place: Rocky River Public Library Auditorium 1600 Hampton Road, Rocky River, Ohio 44116
The use of historic tax credits has become an important catalyst for the renovation, restoration, and repurposing of structures in Northeast Ohio in recent years, and the City of Cleveland, especially, has been the beneficiary of much of this work. Mr. Ketter will discuss the general historic tax credit process and specific historic preservation projects which have come to fruition through the use of these credits. A short question and answer period will follow his presentation. Attendees may browse in the library before or after the talk and view the Cowan Pottery Museum collection as well as the enlarged and mounted photographs of historic Rocky River.
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Date: Sunday, October 8, 2023 at 2:00 PM
Subject: The Judge Lester Taylor House
Speakers: Janet Lichtkoppler, Resident and Friends
Place: 12065 Taylor Wells Road, Chardon, OH 44024
Coming to the Western Reserve as a young man, Lester Taylor settled in Claridon Township in Geauga County. From the beginning he was active as a schoolmaster and participant in community affairs. After his marriage in 1821, he lived in a log cabin which burned in 1824 along with all the family's possessions. By 1835, he was already serving in the General Assembly of Ohio, was elected associate judge in 1846 and in 1856 served in the Ohio Senate. He died at the age of 101. The Greek Revival gem we will be touring today was completed in 1828 and remains much the same. It was included in Richard Campen's 1971 book Architecture of the Western Reserve. In 1900, the farm was purchased by Wm. Dean Taylor and his sister Janet Augusta Taylor and used as a summer retreat for many years. This branch of the family still owns the property. The current farm is 120 acres on both sides of the road. It is operated as an LLC by 4 sisters.
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WRAH MEMBERS ONLY
Date: Saturday, September 23, 2023 at 10:30 AM
Subject: The Tremaine-Gallagher House
Speaker: Sarah Phelps Smith, Ph.D., Homeowner and professional art historian
Place: 3001 Fairmount Boulevard, Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118
Designed by Frederic W. Striebinger for Henry Tremaine and, after a short occupancy, sold to Michael Gallagher, the 1914 Tremaine-Gallagher House is an exquisite example of Beaux Arts style. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the structure is constructed of stucco on masonry with terra cotta detailing and features a loggia with three arches on the façade. Eric Johannesen, author of Cleveland Architecture 1876-1976, termed the interior "truly eclectic." Dr. Smith, informally known as "Sally," will lead a tour of the house and will discuss its design, construction, and history.
Directions: The Tremaine-Gallagher House is located on the north side of Fairmount Boulevard at Stratford Road. On-street parking is available on both Fairmount and Stratford.
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WRAH MEMBERS ONLY
Date: Saturday & Sunday, June 24 and 25, commencing at 11:00 am on Saturday
Subject: Mid-Century Splendor: Architect William B. Morris and His Residential Portfolio
Speakers: Rabbi Roger C. Klein, The Temple-Tifereth Israel
Martina Morris, daughter of the architect
Place: The Hartzmark Room, The Temple-Tifereth Israel
26000 Shaker Boulevar
Beachwood, Ohio 44122
The program will convene at 11:00 am on Saturday. Rabbi Roger Klein, a close friend of Mr. Morris, will remark on the man and his works. Martina Morris will speak more extensively about the architectural portfolio of her father with an emphasis on his realized designs in the eastern suburbs of Cleveland. An itinerary with directions to the homes designed by Mr. Morris to be visited during the weekend will be distributed at the time of the talk. At the conclusion of this portion of the program, at approximately noon, attendees will break for lunch on their own. The group will reconvene at 1:30 pm on Saturday at the site of the first house to be visited with additional homes to follow, thereafter, with activities ending by 5:30 pm. The group will reassemble on Sunday at 1:00 pm at the first of the remaining houses to be toured. The program will conclude by 5:00 pm.
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Date: Sunday, May 7 at 2:00 PM
Subject: Tour of Frostville Museum - A living history museum of 19th-century Ohio
Speakers: Knowledgeable representatives from Frostville staff and Olmsted Historical Society Members
Place: 24101 Cedar Point Road, North Olmsted - at corner of Cedar Point and Lewis roads, just to the east of Columbia
Road, and within the Cleveland Metroparks Rocky River Reservation.
There is a Columbia Road interchange, near Great Northern Mall, on I-480
The museum complex consists of seven historic buildings and two new structures maintained and operated by the Olmsted Historical Society. We expect to see the interiors of a the majority of them. The Prechtel House (1876) is original to the site, with the other buildings - store, barn, church, carriage house, schoolhouse, and other structures - all having joined the complex at various times. Much restoration has taken place; buildings are furnished appropriately, with the barn filled with farm equipment and other historical materials related to the Township's history. The tour may interest you in coming back to Frostville on a Saturday morning when a large farmers' market is held through the year.
You may also wish to visit, before or after the tour, the Grand Pacific Junction in nearby downtown Olmsted Falls - just three miles away south on Columbia Road. This complex, within a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places, includes many boutiques including two antique shops, a historic hotel, restaurants including a tearoom an ice cream parlor, and charming landscaping. A free brochure with details on the site history is available at various sites. If there is still time you may also want to visit other shops as well as see the exteriors of many private 19th-century buildings in that community.
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Date: Sunday April 16 at 2:00 PM
Subject: The restored McDowell Philips House
Speakers: Brian Feron, President Medina County Historical Society and guides
Place: Medina County Historical Society, McDowell Phillips house
205 South Prospect Street, Medina, Ohio 44256
THE HOUSE WILL BE OPEN FOR TOURS FROM 2:00 PM.
THERE WILL BE A $5.00 FEE COLLECTED AT THE DOOR FOR MEMBERS, $9.00 FOR NON-MEMBERS
The Medina County Historical Society is 101 years old and has been preserving the county history for that entire period. The McDowell Phillips House was considered the largest private home in Medina. The construction on this Queen Anne Shingle-Style house was begun in 1890 and finished in 1892 and was in the same family from that time until the MCHS acquired it in 2019. Original building cost was $10,000 and it was designed by Medina native George Nettleton who had a successful architecture firm in Detroit. The home was built by the Gruninger Brothers of Medina and includes twelve rooms, seven bedrooms, seven fireplaces, two full bathrooms, an attic cistern, a basement chemical plant to produce gas for lighting, and a dumbwaiter to carry items between floors from the basement to the attic. The family was home to four generations of bankers, insurance agents, merchants and educators. Come and learn about the dumbwaiter and other unique features of this house. Adjacent and on street parking.
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Date: Saturday March 11, 2023 at 10:00 AM
Subject: Tour of St. Mary's Romanian Orthodox Cathedral and Romanian Ethnic Art Museum
Speaker: Ovidiu Lucian Vatamanu, PhD
Place: 3256 Warren Road, Cleveland, OH 44111 Website www.smroc.org
A tour of the cathedral and museum will begin at 10:00 AM. Meet in the sanctuary for the history and highlights of the church followed by a tour of the museum and social hall. This parish is the oldest Romanian Orthodox church in the United States and was founded in 1904. It moved to the current location in 1960 from a building on Detroit Avenue. The current cathedral design is based on the wooden churches of Transylvania. The museum features paintings, textiles, costumes and pottery from Romania. The social hall has a 98.5' hammered copper frieze that was originally in the Romanian exhibit at the 1939 New York World's Fair. It tells the story of the Romanian people. It was stored in the basement of the old church after the fair closed. The old church burned to the ground in 1973 and the frieze was rescued and restored. It has become a focal point in the new social hall. The congregation has an active schedule of festivals and congresses that help keep the historic customs of their Romanian ancestors current in today's community. Off street parking is available in the large church parking lot.
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Date: Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 11:00 AM
Subject: Tour of a Contemporary Home built in 1989/90
Host: Margaret Calkins, Homeowner
Place: 3345 North Park Boulevard, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
3345 North Park, at the southern edge of Cleveland Heights is located across from what used to be Horseshoe Lake. It was co-designed by Ann Calkins(owner) and Al Yanda (architect) in the late 1980's and construction was finished in 1990. Planned for aging-in-place, this contemporary (think Danish Modern) home features an open floor plan and subtle accessible features throughout. For example, all doors are at least 36" wide to accommodate a wheelchair or scooter, there is a 0-threshold entrance, and adaptable accessible bathroom features were added when needed as Ann and Hugh aged into their 90's. The triangular lot, which abuts the playing field of Beaumont school, is wooded and left natural giving the property the sense that one is further out "in the country" rather than in an inner-ring suburb. The expansive back deck features a light fixture that once hung at the main north entrance of the original Cleveland Museum of Art building. Dr. Margaret Calkins, the current owner, is the daughter of the original residents and is herself a consultant in the field of environments for elders.
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Date: Wednesday, October 12, 2022 at 5:00 PM WRAH MEMBERS ONLY
Subject: Rorycrest and the new book, Monuments Man
Host: Louis and Savery Rorimer
Place: Rorycrest at Snakehill Farm, L.P.
18171 Geauga Lake Road, Chagrin Falls, Ohio 44023
The host's grandfather, Louis Rorimer, led one of the premier interior design and furniture companies in the Midwest, known as Rorimer-Brooks Studios. He built this stone house known as "Rorycrest" in the 1920's as a home for his family and an example of his style. In 1950, his son, James Rorimer, wrote the recently re-published book Monuments Man to tell the story of his service as a monuments officer in World War II. He later became Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Louis and Savery Rorimer will offer a tour of this recently restored home and present the new edition of Monuments Man, James Rorimer's account of the quest to save artworks looted by Hitler and Nazi Germany.
References: For additional information about The Rorimer-Brooks Studios, see Leslie Piña, A Man of Style. For more about Snake Hill Farm, L.P., go to snakehillfarm.com. For more about Monuments Man, go to louisrorimer.com.
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Date: Saturday September 17, 2022 at 1:00 PM LIMITED TO 4O
Subject: Tour of Lake View Cemetery
Speaker: Guide provided by Lake View Cemetery
Place: Begin at the Garfield Monument
Lake View Cemetery, is a nationally recognized landmark of historical and architectural significance, on 285 breathtaking acres. Founded in 1869 by pioneering leaders of Cleveland, it is one of the largest and most beautiful garden cemeteries in America. Modeled after the Victorian and Edwardian garden cemeteries, of France and England. Lake View is filled with natural landscapes and carefully designed monuments.
Wade Memorial Chapel and the Garfield Monument are featured in the tour. Wade Chapel has one of the few remaining interiors totally designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The newly restored Garfield Monument features a circular tower 180 ft. high, built of native sandstone, with five bas-relief panels highlighting Garfield's life. The President is entombed in the Monument along with his wife Lucretia.
Maps will be given out to guide both driving and walking visitors.
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Date: Saturday, June 11, 2022 at 1:30 PM WRAH MEMBERS ONLY
Subject: The Staley-Turben House
Hosts: Susan and Jack Turben
Place: 6363 Lake Road West, North Madison, Ohio 44057
Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for Mr. and Mrs. Karl A Staley and constructed over a two-year period beginning in 1950, the Staley-Turben House is a fine example of Wright "Usonian" style. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and one of less than a dozen houses in Ohio designed by the well-known architect, the house was built using stone quarried from the nearby Mill Creek in Madison. Purchased by Susan and Jack Turben from the original owners in 1983, the Turbens donated a preservation easement on the house to the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservatory in 2014 and gifted the home to University School in a life estate in 2019. Susan and Jack Turben will lead a tour of the house and will discuss its design, construction, and history. The Turbens have donated various materials, including original drawings and photographs of the house, to the Western Reserve Historical Society, which now constitute the Mr. and Mrs. Karl A. Staley House Collection.
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Date: Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 11:00 AM
Subject: Tour of Center Brook Manor
Hosts: Roger & Heather Peterson
Place: 8745 State Route 45, North Bloomfield, OH.
Built by: Charles Brown and Julia King Brown in 1845.
This unique home listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Charles Brown Gothic Cottage features an exceptionally intact interior considering its age. The interior features original windows with interior shutters. The architecture was inspired by Julia's trips to Europe prior to her marriage. The house was built in 1845 with solid walls of laid up planks and is situated on a hillside set well back from the state road. It originally was a 110-acre farm. It was an important stop on the Underground Railroad as the Browns were ardent abolitionists. Charles Brown was instrumental in the founding of Hiram College and signed the original charter. In 1859, Charles and Julia sold the house to her brother, Leicester King. In the last 50 years it has been little changed even though several families have occupied it. The Petersons purchased the house three years age and are making necessary upgrades but not changing the original features.
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Date: Saturday April 30, 2022 at 11:00 AM
Subject: Maltz Performing Arts Center Phase II
Speaker: Jordan Davis, House Manager
Place: 1855 Ansel Rd. at intersection with E.105th St. Cleveland, OH
Phase II of the Maltz Performing Arts Center was created through partnerships between Case Western Reserve University, Temple Tifereth Israel and likeminded philanthropic leaders. This new addition provides a state-of-the-art home for CWRU's Dept. of Theater and its renowned Masters in Fine Arts Acting Program, plus an important partnership with the Cleveland Playhouse. The new Phase II additions are: a Black Box Theater, the Proscenium Theater seating 250 and the Grand Atrium Foyer and Café. New backstage areas include practice rooms, costume and scene shops. These additions enhance the reputation of the performing arts at the University. Phase I Silver Hall will also be included in the tour.
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Date: Sunday, March 20, 2022 at 2:00 PM
Subject: Blackstone Residence Pipe Organ
Hosts: Dr. and Mrs. Eugene Blackstone
Place: The Blackstone Residence, 9721 Lakeshore Blvd. (at Spring Bank Lane), Bratenahl, OH
In 2014 architect Richard Fleischman completed a nearly 10-year project for Dr. and Mrs. Blackstone. The challenge was to create a private residence with a concert hall for a vintage Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ. The structure had to accommodate 7,400+ pipes and console and had to have acoustic treatments to maximize the aural capabilities of the instrument. The 9,000- square-foot structure's exterior walls are constructed of steel I-Beams and plate glass. No solid walls obstruct views in the concert hall. One looks up to a skylight roof 43 feet overhead, and outwards to grassland and Lake Erie. Inside, copper colored organ pipes are grouped in sculptural configurations. Special paints, curved surfaces, and wide spatial dimensions accommodate long sound waves and heighten reverberations. Following a tour and comments by Dr. Blackstone, students from Cleveland Institute of Music will play the organ for us.
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Date: Sunday, November 7, 2021 at 1:30 PM
Subject: Cozad-Bates House
Speaker: Elise Yablonsky, Planning Director, University Circle, Inc.
Place: Cozad-Bates Interpretive Center.
11508 Mayfield Road
Cleveland, Ohio 44106
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Date: Saturday, October 16, 2021 at 11:00 AM
Subject: A Tour of Mill Creek Park, Youngstown, Ohio
Speaker: Lynn Zocolo, Mill Creek MetroParks Educator
Place: Lanterman's Mill main parking lot on East Park Drive
Limited to 24 attendees, Cost of Tour $10
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Date: Saturday, September 25, 2021 at 10:00 AM
Subject: Edgewater Beach House, Wendy Park Bridge, Former Cleveland Coast Guard Station
Speakers: David W. Craun, AIA, LEED AP, Principal, Bialosky Cleveland
Sean E. McDermott, P.E., Chief Planning and Design Officer, Cleveland Metroparks
Place: Edgewater Beach House, Edgewater Park
7600 Cleveland Memorial ShorewayCleveland, Ohio 44102
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Date: Sunday, June 6, 2:00 PM
Subject: A Tour of Harcourt Manor
Special Conditions: This is a "Members Only"event, and limited to the first 20 members to sign up.
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Date: Saturday, November 2, 2019 at 1:00 pm
Subject: Tours of Kent State University exhibits about design and conflict.
A part of KSU's 50th Commemoration of the May 4, 1970 shooting
Speakers: Dr. Taraneh Meshkani, Assistant Professor of Architecture
Sarah Rogers, KSU Museum Director & Dr. Sara Hume, Associate Professor of Fashion
Place: College of Architecture & Environmental Design
The School of Fashion, Kent State University (Kent Main Campus)
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Date: Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 4:00 pm Limited to Members
Subject: Hangar Recreation Association: An Art Deco Masterpiece
Speakers: Charles Bolton, Owner & Sarah Winter, General Manager
Place: Hangar Recreation Association
Designed by Abram Garfield and built in 1930, this private club is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Called "a gem" by noted local architect, Paul Westlake, the structure was originally constructed as part of the Dudley S. Blossom estate. The facility was the subject of a detailed article by Evelyn Theiss in the Plain Dealer in 2012 (and currently available on cleveland.com). Mr. Bolton and Ms. Winter will discuss the history and architecture of the HRA and lead a tour of this magnificent building. Refreshments will follow. Reservations required and limited to current WRAH members.
Directions: The Hangar Recreation Association is located at 24400 Cedar Road, Beachwood, OH 44122 on the south side of Cedar and a short distance west of Richmond Road. The tour requires ascending and descending several steps.
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Date: Sunday, October 6, 2019 at 2:00 pm Limited to 30 Members
Subject: A Tour of the Rowfant Club
Speakers: David Novak, Librarian & Jim Schilling, President
Place: The Rowfant Club
The Rowfant Club occupies what is believed to be the oldest continuously occupied house in Cleveland - The 1838 Merwin House that was designed by Charles Heard who was also the builder of the Old Stone Church on Public Square. The club was named for Rowfant, the home of Frederick Locker-Lampson (1821-95) near Crawley, Sussex, England. He was a writer of light verse and a leading book collector of his time. They are a bibliophilic club with a large library and a wide range of art collected since their founding in 1892. There will be opening lecture by David Novak, club librarian and remarks by Jim Schilling, club president. Following that, attendees can tour through the building where club members will answer questions about the art, furnishings and architecture. The visit will conclude by 3:30 pm. Refreshments will follow.
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Date: Friday, Sept. 27, 2019 at 5:30 pm
Subject: Ornament & Virtue: How Our Buildings Shape Us
Speaker: Matthew McNicholas, AIA
Place: The Union Club, Wedgewood Room
Could your building make you healthier, smarter and happier? Matthew McNicholas, AIA, discusses how Ornament - that which beautifies our built environment and adds grace to our buildings - plays a far more important role in our everyday experience than previously understood or acknowledged. Mr. McNicholas will demonstrate the science-based case for the use of Ornament in architecture, while covering some of its various benefits for humanity. The cost of the presentation is $25.00. There will be a cash bar and light hors d'oeuvres. This event is a joint meeting of the WRAH and ICAA.
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Date, Thursday, September 12, 2019 at 5:00 pm Subject, The New Health Education Campus of CWRU and the Cleveland Clinic
Speaker, Jean Seneff, MSPOD, Director of Academic Administration
Health Education Campus of CWRU and the Cleveland Clinic
Place, The Samson Pavilion
Dedicated this year, the Samson Pavilion is the centerpiece of the new Health Education Campus of Case Western Reserve University at the Cleveland Clinic. This magnificent, 478,000 square foot structure, designed by Foster + Partners of London in conjunction with DLR Group/Westlake Reed Leskosky of Cleveland, houses 2,500 students from the CWRU medical, dental and nursing programs and the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine under one roof to facilitate a team approach to both health education and patient care. This $500,000,000 building features a large, central courtyard on levels one and two surrounded by an auditorium, class and meeting rooms, laboratories, as well as a library. Faculty offices and room for future expansion are found on levels three and four. Ms. Seneff will lead a tour of the Samson Pavilion highlighting notable aspects of the facility as well as its relationship to the new Health Education Campus.
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Date, Saturday, June 15, 2019, 10:30am
Subject, The 1828 Elam Jones House, The Early Trumbull County Clock Industry The 1821 Peter Allen Inn, Gem of the Western Reserve
Speaker, Chris and Diane Klingemier, Homeowners, Restorers, Collectors
Place, Hartford, OH and the Peter Allen Inn, Kinsman, OH
The day will start at 10:30am in Hartford, OH with a tour of one of the best restored early Western Reserve homes that also includes a fine collection of antique furnishings and decorative items. A recent addition was added to house the extensive collection of Trumbull County clocks. Mr. Klingemier received his master's degree from Youngstown State University with his thesis on the history of the clock industry in Hartford and its environs. He teaches classes on historic preservation at YSU. Following the visit we will drive to the Peter Allen Inn, about 20 minutes to the north, in Kinsman, OH for lunch and a visit to one of the grandest houses in the Reserve. In 1821, Dr. Peter Allen hired architect Willis Smith of Connecticut to construct his home. This would become Smith's most memorable accomplishment and a jewel in the Federal Neo-Classical style. The building was recently completely restored and is now a two room bed and breakfast and fine dining destination.
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Saturday, May 18, 2019, 1:00pm
"Landscape Architecture tour of Eastman Reading Garden, Public Square and Perk Park"
Charles Frederick, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, Kent State University
The tour will begin at 1:00pm in the Eastman Reading Garden, adjacent to the Cleveland Public Library,
525 W. Superior Ave, Cleveland, OH.
Downtown Cleveland is known for its remarkable architecture, but it also has several urban spaces designed by nationally- and internationally-recognized landscape architects. Join us on Saturday, May 18th for a guided walking tour of the Eastman Reading Garden, Public Square and Perk Park. The Eastman Reading Garden at the Cleveland Public Library was designed collaboratively by LAND Studio, Olin Partnership and Maya Lin, in an effort to incorporate both public art and exterior spaces into the Louis Stokes building. James Corner Field Operations and LAND Studio converted Public Square's four separate quadrants into one unified public space, thereby making it more pedestrian-friendly, while still maintaining much of the vehicular traffic through the site. Thomas Balsley Associates, who partnered with Jim McKnight, transformed Perk Park from a sunken Brutalist plaza into a lively 21st century urban space.
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Sunday, April 28, 2019, 1:00 PM
"A Century of Landscape Design around the Cleveland Museum of Art: From the Fine Arts Garden to the Nord Family Greenway and Doan Brook Restoration Project"
Jeffrey Strean, Director of Design and Architecture, Cleveland Museum of Art
Place, Cleveland Museum of Art, Lower Level, Classroom A, 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland, OH
The recent completion of the Nord Family Greenway and Doan Brook restoration project have opened new vistas around the Cleveland Museum of Art complimenting the original 1928 design of the Fine Arts Garden. The new east-west promenade and creation of new parkland abutting the brook unify the grounds of the museum with both Rockefeller Park and the Maltz Performing Arts Center of CWRU. Mr. Strean will discuss the history of landscape design around the museum including the recent developments. A walking tour of the area around the museum will follow the talk. Comfortable shoes are suggested.
____________________________________________________________________________ Sunday, March 10, 2019, 2:00pm
"East 105th & Euclid - Cleveland's Iconic Crossroads"
Dennis Sutcliffe
Place, Dunham Tavern Barn, 6709 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH
The area, also known as Doan's Corners, began as a stagecoach stop on the road from Buffalo. By the first half of the 20thCentury it had become an entertainment mecca offering Clevelander's a taste of New York City high life featuring lavish theaters and posh hotels. By the 1970's it was the flash-point for battles with the city's power structure. Today it is part of the sprawling campus of Cleveland Clinic. The program includes audio clips from famous celebrities who performed in the neighborhood.
Mr. Sutcliffe is a life-long Clevelander, a Cleveland Heights resident and a retired executive. Over the past nine years he has made over 300 "Lost Cleveland Memories" presentations at public libraries, senior centers, community centers and historical societies in the Cleveland, Akron, Lorain, and Lake County areas.
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Saturday, November 10, 2018 at 10:00 a.m.
Architectural Tour of Cleveland Heights High School - recently renovated, restored, expanded
Eric J. Silverman, former School Board Trustee, Past Executive Director of Heights High Alumni Foundation
Cleveland Heights High School, Cedar and Lee roads in Cleveland Heights
Heights High opened in 1926. Designed by Warner & McCornack, the Tudor Collegiate Gothic building, like most of its era, was conceived to allow for expansion over time. A 1930 addition matched exactly, which could not be said for later additions in 1950, 1962 and 1972. The '62 addition famously blocked the view of the original building from Cedar, while the 1972 renovations significantly altered the look of the building in employing interior colors of dubious choice that spoke very much to their era. As part of a district-wide renovation plan, CH-UH voters supported Phase I of the latest plan with a $157,000,000 bond issue to renovate Heights and two middle schools. Heights had all additions removed and the interior gutted to the concrete and steel frame with key surviving architectural elements retained. These include clay tile floors, staircases with original banisters and balusters and the 1,200 seat auditorium with a detailed, coffered ceiling. Replacement windows were designed to match the original style. In addition to LED lighting, a solar-ready roof and hybrid geo-thermal system have transformed Heights from being a grossly energy-inefficient building to an amazingly green facility.
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Saturday, October 13, 2018 at 10:00 a.m.
The Cleveland Athletic Club Building
Tina Vespucci, Vice-President, J&S Management Company, Inc.
Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative (CUDC) of Kent State University
1309 Euclid Avenue, Suite 200, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
Designed by the architectural firm of J. Milton Dyer, the Cleveland Athletic Club was constructed in 1910-1911. The structure was unusual in that it was built upon a pre-existing building already under construction on the Euclid Avenue site. The fifteen-story structure was faced in white terra cotta and featured a ballroom, a number of sleeping and private rooms, a gymnasium, bowling lanes, and a near-Olympic length swimming pool. Vacant for a number of years, the building, through the efforts of the development partners and Sandvick Architects, is now being refurbished and repurposed into luxury apartments with preservation of many of the historic features. Ms. Vespucci will discuss the history of the building and the current project. After her talk, the group will cross Euclid Avenue and tour the building.
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Saturday, September 22, 2018 at 1:30 p.m.
CWRU's center for innovation and entrepreneurship, the think[box]
James Duber, Sarah Duber
Richey Mixon Building, CWRU campus
CWRU's center for innovation and entrepreneurship is located in the 7 story, 50,000 square-foot Richey Mixon Building which was the Lincoln Storage building. The Larry Sears and Sally Zlotnick Sears think[box] resides within this newly renovated facility and provides space for anyone to tinker, design, construct and creatively invent. The first five floors have been renovated and include 3-D printers, laser cutters, waterjet cutter, milling machines for metals and wood, printers for a variety of media, soldering stations, design studios, meeting rooms, offices, project spaces and collaboration spaces. Studio Techne is the architectural firm that designed the interiors, the walkway to Veale, the addition, and the exterior renovation and alterations. James Duber is the principal at Studio Techne and managed each phase of the project. He and his daughter Sarah will present a history of the Lincoln Storage Building with photos of the building from its beginning and discuss the design and construction of the think[box] project. After the presentation, Mr. Duber will lead a tour.
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Saturday, August 18, 2018 at 11:00 a.m.
Tour of the Lorain Lighthouse, the "Jewel of the Port"
Members of the Lorain Lighthouse Foundation
Lorain Harbor, Lorain, OH
On October 22, 1913, Congress appropriated $55,000.00 to build a light-and-fog station at Lorain Harbor. Construction was begun in 1916 and the light was placed in service in 1917. When completed in 1919, it consisted of a basement, 3 floors and the lantern room. The lighthouse had its own unique signal with the timing of the foghorn and the duration of the fourth order Fresnel lens lit by an incandescent oil vapor lamp. The lamp was converted to electricity in 1932. It was manned by the US Lighthouse Service until 1939 when the US Coast Guard took control. It was decommissioned in 1965 and scheduled for demolition that year. Community groups and interested citizens worked for over a decade to save the structure and restore it for tours. The light house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The Lorain Lighthouse Foundation and the Lorain Port Authority jointly manage the "Jewel of the Port". The lighthouse can only be approached by boat and is not handicap accessible.
Directions: Depart from Dock "A" (Transit Dock) Jackalope Lakeside Restaurant, 301 Lakeside Ave, Lorain, OH 44052
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Friday, May 25, 2018 at 6:00 p.m.
The Kirtland Temple
Professor Elwin Robison, PhD, College of Architecture & Environmental Design, Kent State U
The Kirtland Temple 7809 Joseph Street Kirtland, OH 44094
The Kirtland Temple is the first permanent building constructed by the Mormon faith. One of the larger structures in northeast Ohio when it was completed in 1836, it has a unique format with two congregational spaces one over the other. The plan was developed by the faith's leaders, Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick Williams. These men reported receiving a vision of the building, which they described with crude drawings and a written description. Experienced craftsmen then worked out the details of the building. Many of these details came from Asher Benjamin's Practical House Carpenter. Stone was quarried from local ravines, and a sawmill was built in the Kirtland Flats at the base of the hill to provide lumber and millwork______________________
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Sunday, April 22, 2018 at 1:30 p.m.
Lost Cleveland
Laura DeMarco, Author and Plain Dealer writer
Lauren Hansgen, Curator, Cowan Pottery Museum
Rocky River Public Library 1600 Hampton Road Rocky River, Ohio 44116
Published in 2017, Lost Cleveland by Laura DeMarco is an exquisitely-crafted book with photographs of vanished buildings and scenes from Cleveland's past accompanied by stories that bring these images to life again. Ms. DeMarco, recipient of the 2018 Society of Architectural Historians Western Reserve Award, will talk about the ideas, the research process, and the writing that brought this book into print. Upon completion of the author's presentation, Lauren Hansgen, curator of the Cowan Pottery Museum housed in the library, will lead us on a tour of the collections and discuss the history of the pottery which began in 1912 and closed as a result of financial stresses caused by the Great Depression. The pottery went bankrupt in 1931. The collection features over 1,200 pieces of this distinctive form of American Art Pottery.
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Saturday, March 24, 2018 at 1:30 p.m.
The Starr Mansion and The Hickories
Bill Bird, Former Executive Director, Lorain County Historical Society
Lorain County History Center 284 Washington Avenue Elyria, Ohio 44035
The Lorain County Historical Society has preserved two nineteenth-century mansions in Elyria: The Horace Starr House and The Hickories. Both structures are located on Washington Avenue, once the "Euclid Avenue" of Elyria. The Italianate-Style Starr House, built in 1857, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and houses offices of the historical society, seven galleries, a research library, and a gift shop. The Hickories, constructed in 1895 by Arthur Garford, is a Richardsonian Romanesque and Shingle-Style home with Tiffany-inspired windows, six fireplaces, a private chapel, and magnificent oak, cherry, and mahogany woodwork. After a tour of the Starr House and gallery tour, attendees will travel 0.2 mi. north to The Hickories, 509 Washington Avenue, where the program will resume.
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Sunday, February 25, 2018 at 10:30 a.m.
The New Children's Museum of Cleveland
Kelsey Tarace, Director of Education
The Historical Stager-Beckwith Mansion, 3813 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 441
Join us for a tour of Cleveland's newest museum in one of the last mansions on Euclid Avenue's Millionaires Row. Built as a private home in 1866, it became the University Club in 1898 and the club closed in 2003. From 2004 until 2007 the building was the home of Myers College. The Children's Museum purchased the site in 2014 when the lease on their University Circle home was not renewed so a high rise apartment building could be built. A two year intensive adaptation into the new function was completed in November 2017 when the building opened to the public. Featuring interactive exhibits and several rooms of doll houses, we will be able to channel our inner child. We have received a special dispensation to visit without being accompanied by a child. There will be a $5.00 fee per person.
