Cleveland Heights
street names are off balance! There is just one name with 'West' attached
to it, while we have no fewer than six 'East' streets (plus Eastwick Road).
Most 'Easts' are separated from their namesakes by Lee Road. East Overlook
is separated from Overlook by a grand boulevard; East Antisdale is separated
from Antisdale by a brief block, with both segments developed by the Rapid
Transit Land Co. East Fairfax and East Scarborough are not only in a different
tract than their counterparts West of Lee, but were originally within
short-lived Idlewood Village.
New, as well as old street directories, maps, plat books,
and phone book listings show no consistency. In 1912, we had 'East' segments
of Berkshire, Fairfax, Monmouth, Overlook and Scarborough. Overlook was
called 'East' only east of Coventry Road, while Derbyshire Road ended
at Coventry. A one-block street connecting Cottage Grove and Lee, now
part of Derbyshire, was labeled 'Rockwood Boulevard', Yorkshire Road,
west of Lee, was Hollywood Boulevard, and Washington Boulevard, southeast
of Hollywood, was Haycox Boulevard.
The 1920 plat book shows East Derbyshire (the segment later eliminated
for Heights High), East Berkshire Road, East Yorkshire Road and Haycox
Road as what is now Washington Boulevard east of Lee. A 1926 map shows
Antisdale, Derbyshire (east of Cottage Grove), Monmouth, Overlook, Scarborough
(only east of Taylor) and Yorkshire Roads with 'East' counterparts, while
the 1927 plat book has added 'East' to Fairfax and Scarborough Roads east
of Lee. This book and the 1941 Plat Book have East Derbyshire starting
at Coventry, where there is no East Yorkshire or East Berkshire. Current
signs separate Derbyshire from its 'East' segment at Lamberton Road, and
both Yorkshire and Berkshire Roads continue east of Lee with no 'Easts.'
'East' is used only when a street is interrupted.
Developers most likely added "East" to existing streets because
the existing names sounded dignified and the developers didn't have to
conjure up anything new.
Untitled Document
Streets of
Cleveland Heights Index
For easy access, the following list of stories will
appear at the end of each story page.
A
City Of Few Streets Have you ever wondered how your street got
its name? Perhaps Cleveland Heights' bright new street signs will
heighten awareness of your street names.
Hollywood
Boulevard? How many readers know of streets in Cleveland
Heights that actually are called "Street?"
National
Origins That most Cleveland Heights streets sport
the name of English towns or London streets or are derived from
words in the English language is well agreed, but we have many
street names originating from other nationalities gracing our
community.
Neighbor
Names Some of our Cleveland Heights streets take
their names from thoroughfares they are near.
North
Suburb Some hear the word “north” and
start to shiver. Some label “northern Cleveland Heights”
what is north of Mayfield, which for many years was lucky to be
closer to Euclid Beach amusement park.
On
The Avenue Jan Cigliano's The Grand Avenue: 1850-1920,
of 1994, describes the history of selective prestigious thoroughfares
in large American cities, including Cleveland.
On
The Boulevard Officially naming a street 'Boulevard' was
popular in the Cleveland of 1900-30.
Our
London Connection Images of England were important to early
Cleveland Heights developers, residents and would-be residents.
Our
Wood Streets Our Cleveland Heights streets can boast
no fewer than 16 streets with names ending in 'wood.'
Quirky
Street Spellings The quirky spellings of some of our street
names have long perplexed even excellent spellers.
Rocky
Roads Cleveland Heights has several streets which
honor the area's 19th-century quarries, including Quarry Road
itself.
Royalty
Among Us Cleveland Heights' 'royal streets'-Queenston,
Kingston, Princeton and Canterbury Roads-were named with the English
aristocratic imagery generally favored in the time of their development,
about 1910.
Shorties Cleveland Heights has its turn-of-the-century
'country lanes,' but also has its very short streets-cut-throughs
not found in the newer suburban areas of highways, winding drives
and cul-de-sacs. Most of our short streets are by-ways connecting
two to four streets.
Streets
Named For Early Subdivisions Many Cleveland Heights streets carry the
names of their individual tracts. Some streets, in fact, form
entire tracts in themselves.
Take
A Drive What image does 'Drive' in a street name
evoke to you?
Threes
And Twos Our community is flush with streets grouped
in trios and pairs.
The
Name's (Almost) The Same Cleveland Heights, with most of its streets
named within a 25-year period many years ago, has a number of
street names so similar that they have confounded the public since
first platted.
We're
Flattered! If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,
Cleveland Heights must be appealing to residents elsewhere because
some of our street names have been conscientiously copied in other
communities.
What's
In A Name? Sometimes the name of a street is influenced
by that of a more major street nearby.
