What is Cleveland’s—and
Cleveland Heights’—place within the Historic Preservation
Movement in the US? Architectural preservation and conservation efforts
took off in Greater Cleveland later than in many cities and, once established,
tended to concentrate mostly on structures built between 1890 and 1930,
when Cleveland flourished as one of America’s fastest growing, progressive
and glamorous cities. Cleveland’s shops featuring architectural
salvage, first appearing in the Flats and on Lorain Avenue in Cleveland
around 1980, are largely from these same decades.
The American version of the Movement began in the 19th century in communities
or regions considered to have national historical significance—mainly
along the East Coast. Landmarks were the focus—structures deemed
worth saving (typically by societies formed for just that purpose) by
virtue of their association with prominent persons or events. This phase
spread to districts and individual buildings thought to have particular
architectural significance. Eventually the Movement spread across the
country and, by the late 1970s, when wholesale urban renewal had fizzled
out, more ordinary buildings and districts were determined to be worth
saving if they were integral to a community’s fabric. Vital to our
local efforts, somewhat newer structures—those from the early 20th
century—took on new importance.
Expansion of the Movement’s coverage, decade by decade, was reflected
in books and periodicals which, in addition to dealing with 18th and 19th
century buildings, began discussing later examples, including more common
building types. Old-House Journal appeared in 1973 and by the mid-1980s
expanded its historical discussion all the way to 1939. Publication of
very detailed city architectural guidebooks, such as American Institute
of Architects, Cleveland Chapter’s, two editions of the Guide to
Cleveland Architecture coincided with that of New York City’s in
1968. Numerous communities followed, stimulating much public appreciation
toward buildings of all periods.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s America’s
Forgotten Architecture (1976) includes material on conservation of basic
buildings and discusses early 20th century industrial structures. 1980
saw the publication of Carole Rifkind’s Field Guide to American
Architecture. In 1986 McAllisters’ Field Guide to American Houses
was published, covering styles from the earliest Colonial to the most
contemporary. Alan Gowans’ The Comfortable House: American Suburban
Architecture 1890-1930 also was released around this time.
Anyone with a desire to restore a property in the Cleveland area can
find worthy 19th century examples in Ohio City, Tremont, Chagrin Falls
or Hudson. However, much of the most interesting preservation/conservation
activity is taking place in the later—and extremely architecturally
attractive—neighborhoods of Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights, Lakewood
and their bordering Cleveland districts. Greater Clevelanders, with so
many of our excellent, earlier examples lost, are concentrating on highly
developed and exuberant, early 20th century structures—arguably
Greater Cleveland’s greatest contribution to the nation’s
architecture and its preservation efforts. We need not apologize for focusing
on this period, particularly since much of it has already disappeared
over the past four decades. Cleveland Heights, regrettably, has already
lost dozens of good early 20th century houses and commercial buildings. |