R.I.P.: THE DEATH OF A VICTORIAN

This post is going to be very different (as you will easily see) from all the posts typically seen on this blog.  How so?  This post will be dominated by pictures -- all educational/informative illustrations created by architectural historian Tim Barrett.

In a nutshell, this is about one of the most intrusive and destructive remodeling ever done to a historic structure, having occurred in 2020.  Seen in the Ohio City neighborhood at the southwest corner of West 32nd and Carroll, it was for many years the First German Reformed Church.  Fast-forward to sometime in the second half of the 20th century, it was acquired by the Jesuit order, to become part of their ever-expanding campus of Ignatius High School, but no longer used as a church.  

Please follow along with the information and views in the illustrations below.  As you know, "A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words"!!!  [Note; You most likely will have to use your device's zooming tool.]

Mr. Barrett says: "Although this was never intended to be a grand church. this, one of the region's oldest extant sacred structures, is now a pastiche that only serves to confuse its own history."

Mr. Barrett, contemplating a possible 'reversal' sometime in a more enlightened future, adds, "Removing the new brick wouldn't be a problem.  That's probably reversible.  However, the concrete slurry now bonded with the historic brick would totally destroy that brick if you even tried to somehow separate the two.  What was done has totally and irreversibly eliminated the visible restoration of the original historic material and appearance of this building.  Tragically, it was only exposed for a few weeks.  O yes, it's there, like the buried dead below ground in our cemeteries, and like the dead, we'll never see them or it again." 

 

"BACK IN BLACK!"

How surprised some or all of you must now be to see a new post on this blog after the few years that have passed in which you saw none.  The only "excuse" for that is certain 'greater' priorities that persisted during that period.

But, right now, in the late-autumn of 2023, a different priority, strictly related to this blog, suddenly appeared.  Google (the 'parent' company) does not like to see blogs with zero activity for somewhat long periods of time.  They served their official warning that either there be more posting or the blog would be taken down.  Regardless of any 'greater' priorities, taking down the blog was definitely not acceptable at this end.

There is at least one topic that would be typical for the theme of this blog that can be formulated and posted, 'forthwith'.  The present intention is to post it perhaps as soon as later today.  It's likely true that this post alone will 'rescue' the blog from 'extermination', which then should mean that there isn't a need to be in a hurry to post more, but the preference now is to want to try to follow it with more posting ("post-haste").

Thank you to all of you who ever chose to want to look at the posts on this blog.  It should be true you had no trouble finding others out there posting things of interest to you, and thereby you suffered no 'loss' due to the absence of the posting on this blog.  But, as of now, spotlighting on this blog the more recent anti-preservation horrors, which have surely have continued unabated in this historic neighborhood, is back on track.

D. I. Y. H. (DESIGN-IT-YOURSELF HISTORY)

Whatever percentage of you actually include some of your attention to historic buildings via for-sale-announcements may have become aware of a sale, current at the time of this post, of a house on Franklin Boulevard.  The announcements claim that it was built in 1872 for Frederick Pelton, Cleveland's Mayor at the time.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  An easy search of City Directories circa 1872-3 shows that Pelton, in fact, lived on West 25th Street.  Pelton never even owned this property.  [He did own property immediately to the west around this time.]  This house, in fact, was built in 1879 for banker Ceilan M. Spitzer. This has been well-researched, definitively proven by historical [not contemporary] real-estate tax records.

1995 photo by C. B.

The erroneous account can be traced at least as far back as 2002, when this house was included in the Ohio City Home Tour and its owner, interviewed by the media, gave this very account.  Apparently, whatever research was done by her, or someone acting on her behalf, misinterpreted the Pelton ownership of the property next door as her property, which then led to other conclusions not relative to her property.  Ironically, shortly after those interviews were published, she did finally learn of the correct history of the construction of her house -- which was unfortunately never published.  And, now, with two owners beyond her, the factual history of this house has fallen through the cracks.

Since we are talking of this house, and what is factual versus what isn't, another myth associated with this house is the claim that a local attorney named James Dempsey owned and occupied this house in the 1880s.  This is only half-true.  John Dempsey, the father of James Dempsey and not an attorney, owned this house.  His son, though, did reside there as well, but only for a few years.  Also, the elaborate Gothic Revival fussiness seen in the gable of the front porch today, and what at a glance might appear to be 'hoods' over some of the house's windows, were added around only 20 or so years ago.  There was no evidence supporting that the porch had ever been this ornate, and there is even some circumstantial evidence that it had been fairly simple in appearance.

If the "former mayor's house" story leads to a sale, let's hope the new owner doesn't become too attached to this story.

[For anyone with a much deeper interest in this house, please see the story on Cleveland Historical:  https://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/917 ]

The TRUE story of the "Franklin Castle"

One of the most known and recognizable structures in what is considered Ohio City is the Tiedemann House [more commonly known as "The Franklin Castle"], located on Franklin Boulevard.  It was built in 1881 from designs supplied by Cleveland architectural firm Cudell & Richardson.

A very extensive article was written about this house and its owners and occupants by William Krejci, which was published in the Spring 2010 issue of The Argus, a short-lived newsletter devoted to more historical topics pertaining to Ohio City.  We are now re-publishing this article, LITERALLY as it appeared in The Argus.  This is the most that has ever been written about this house and who used it.  It would be a major challenge to surpass it.  Please excuse its abnormally large size on the page.

UNHINGED IN HINGETOWN

Please note the image above, which shows a commercial building -- or more specifically a rear perspective of such -- located in the north east corner of Ohio City.  This photo was taken this past winter.  Particularly note the wall "treatment" on the rear wall.  Apparently the "threadbare-rug" look is being suggested as the next exterior-wall-covering trend.  This almost makes one want to wish for a revival of aluminum siding (not that it could have been successfully attached to a masonry building like this, but, on the other hand, how did they get all these discarded rug fragments to adhere to the building?). This 'modern' form of 'abstract' expression can, perhaps, be expected in this particular 'enclave'.  Much like Key West having once tried to be a sovereign nation called the Conch Republic, it appears that a few of the business owners in this section have been trying to convey that, suddenly, this section is no longer part of Ohio City -- hence coming up with a name that seems like it ought to belong to a specialty hardware store.  Perhaps applying a few more "avant garde" decorating schemes to more of the nearby structures will cause Ohio City, out of embarrassment, to 'disown' this section.  (Was this the devious plan, all along?)  Hey -- what about covering the next building with discarded, bald tires???
                                                                                                                                                       -- C. B.

HOME TOURS FOLLIES #3 & #4

The 2010 Ohio City Home Tour contributed a two-for-the-price-of-one folly deal.  Both were related to buildings on the tour that were not homes, but businesses, instead.

One, a three-floor building on the primary business thoroughfare, had included in its tour description a reference to the "...third-floor ballroom of the Odd Fellows Society in the late 1870s".  First of all, the Ohio City chapters of the Odd Fellows [the International Order of Odd Fellows was its actual name, by the way] were actually occupying a brand-new (1873) structure, built specifically for them, in a different part of Ohio City.  Second of all -- and this is clearly more significant -- this structure wasn't even built until 1884 (for a man named Leonard Maurer, to the designs of local architect Andrew Mitermiler, for those who may wish to know such 'minutiae').

The other structure was built for an organization known for its devotion to providing physical exercise for its membership.  Located on what had long been the premier residential avenue of Ohio City, which had finally faded and was then beginning to see institutional use usurp the residential, the tour description alleged that the structure was "...built in 1901...".  It would seem that someone had merely looked for the institution at this location in the historic city directories.  They did, indeed, first appear at this location in 1901, but, it was inside of one of the old grand dwellings.  After constructing a gymnasium addition at the rear of the dwelling, it wasn't until ten years later, in 1911, that the structure on the tour was built, replacing both the dwelling and the gymnasium addition.

In a later Ohio City home tour [we've misplaced what year it was], included was another business, inside of a commercial building, on another primary thoroughfare that historically had been overtaken by commercial development.  Within the tour description, there was a reference to the "...earlier portion of the building from the 1850s...".  It is very much true that there is an earlier portion of the building, but it certainly is not from as far back as the 1850s.  It was actually built in 1869, and there was even at least one newspaper account in that year about this very event.  Its owner, Henry Heil, was considered a significant citizen.  The design was provided by local architect Henry E. Myer. 
                                                                                                                                                     -- C. B.

HOME TOURS FOLLY #2

One of the buildings on the 2000 Ohio City Home Tour was 2070 West 41st Street.  In the brief accompanying description in the tour booklet for this house, it claims it is an "1880s home" and was "built in the 1890s".  This is quite remarkable to discover a structure that doesn't have merely one age, but two!!  Sadly, though, neither of these is correct!  It, in fact, was built in 1903 [sorry -- no additional times].  Its original owner and occupant was an Albert Fischer.  One of the other stories found in the tour booklet description is about a house-to-house intercom that had once existed between this house and a now-demolished neighboring house. There seems to be grounds to at least make this story believable. If true, this could have been used by Fischer to communicate with his neighbor and partner in a real-estate firm, Louis Litzler (who also happened to be married to one of Fischer's daughters), who resided in the now-demolished house.  [Note: A new house has since been built on this neighboring lot.]
                                                                                                                                                     -- C. B.

HOME TOURS FOLLY #1

Some of you out there are familiar with the Ohio City Home Tour events that went on yearly for many years in Ohio City.  These events were most likely the largest source of historic mis-information regarding Ohio City that ever existed.  There is hence going to be an entire "series" of posts here whose intent will be (of course!) to expose the "folly" of  these many wild -- and sometimes absurd -- falsehoods regarding some of Ohio City's historic structures.  They will appear here in no particular "order".

The 1999 Tour included the house at 4721 Franklin.  When a tour-goer got to that house, you were handed a separate sheet with additional information.  Within this were a few comments about the apartment building immediately to the west.  Included was a statement that the apartment building was constructed for Henry Brooks, who had been the owner and occupant of 4721 Franklin.  It further stated that the apartment building had been constructed in 1915.  Neither of these statements are factual.  It had been constructed in 1906 for a man named James Aitchison, who lived in a house directly behind it on West 48th.  In fact, it had been originally known as the Aitchison Apartments.  Henry Brooks had nothing whatsoever to do with the construction of this building.  The building appears on 1911 and 1912 Sanborn fire insurance maps and on the 1912 Plat Book for that part of the city, all of which can be viewed at Cleveland Public Library and elsewhere. Claiming this building wasn't constructed until 1915 only demonstrates how no attempts were made to look at historic maps like these which showed the buildings.  Claiming that the building was constructed for Henry Brooks only demonstrates how no attempts were made to look at historic property records, available at the County Archives (located only a handful of blocks from here).

Additionally, ads appeared in the local newspapers as soon as these apartments were ready for occupancy.  Many showed an illustration of the building, but at least one used an actual photograph.

FEBRUARY 1907

Note the crenelation at the top of the bay at the corner of the two streets.  This has since been removed.  Also note the house directly behind the Aitchison -- the residence of its owner, James Aitchison -- removed to create parking for the apartment residents (!).

-- C. B.

FOLLY-ING AND "ARTISAN"-MONGERING -- THE PERFECT COMBINATION!

One of the most extraordinary follies of Ohio City does not even pertain to a structure.  It pertains to an organization.  The community development agency that services this part of the city seems to be trying to suggest that it is among the oldest corporate entities in all the Cleveland area.  Having recently changed their name, accompanying their new logo is the line “Est. 1836”, which would mean that they were established almost 180 years ago.  

This is the epitome of nonsense.  This organization, even if considering any group that might be legitimately considered its predecessor, was established in 1968.  It is true, of course, on the other hand, that the historic municipality of Ohio City, prior to its annexation to Cleveland in 1854, had incorporated as a city in 1836 – but certainly there is no connection between the city that ceased to exist over 160 years ago and this modern-day community development agency.  The inclusion of “Est. 1836” as part of its corporate identity is not only extremely false historically, it is misleading, particularly to tourists and even local residents, who would be unfamiliar with local historic facts.  Its use should be ended.

Of course the irony is that the agency's newest name change uses the historic year "1836" (none of the earlier titles of that same organization had any historic reference other than “Ohio City”), yet the present agency no longer has any real interest in preservation.  Under past names, the agency promoted Ohio City as "Cleveland's Premiere Historic Neighborhood."  The agency's current goal is not to promote the neighborhood's rich historic heritage, but to "brand" the area as the land of the trendy artisan.  (This, by the way, is pretty much the same branding used in Tremont, Detroit-Shoreway, Northeast Shores, and Little Italy – in other words, nothing distinctive here.)

-- C. B. & Tim Barrett

FOLLIEST OF THEM ALL??

2015

1994

1957

Occupying a choice corner lot on one of the more revered thoroughfares of the Ohio City Historic District is a bed & breakfast called the J. Palen House.  The b&b’s website says that this “was originally the home of one of the area’s finest brew masters.”

This establishment is a strong contender to “out-folly” all of the rest of the follies of Ohio City!

FALSEHOOD #1 

(A) This was not originally the home of “J. Palen”, or anybody named Palen.  This was originally (which, by the way, was 1897) the home of one James Stotter (City Of Cleveland Building Permit 27575, dated June 29, 1897).  Stotter remained the occupant through at least part of 1907 (historic Cleveland City Directories).

(B) For that matter, no one with Palen as his or her last-name ever lived here.  This was determined via an exhaustive search of historic Cleveland City Directories, which were published every year.  (NOTE:  The building permit application reveals that local architect Fenimore C. Bate designed the house.  The "premier" local designer of structures in the Queen Anne style, the most notable of which is the Grays Armory on Bolivar Avenue.)

FALSEHOOD #2

(A) Even the occupation alone of the home’s original occupant was not a “brew master”.  James Stotter was a physician.  (The occupations of persons in the historic City Directories are also provided.)

(B) Even if all the names of all the persons who ever lived here are disregarded, not a one was employed at a brewery – as a “brew master” or anything else. 

FALSEHOOD #3

The front-porch, the tiny side-porch, the balcony above it and the door to and from it, are all, essentially, false.  The original front-porch was on this house up to 2009, when the owners, disregarding the house’s true history, had it removed and replaced with the “Lowe’s-Special/Fake-torian” features seen there today.  The front-porch had slender paired columns and closed balustrades, which were typical for turn-of-the-century designs.  The side-porch had originally been an open one (it was enclosed long ago), but there had not been a balcony above it.

Other architecturally “false” features and damaging actions include the misguided attempt to make the house more decorative by the addition of a tiny odd balcony over the lower half of the attic window on the façade, and a strange bracketed shelf imposed over the front door [these are the least of the damage to the house in that they could be removed].   The original window openings of the house have been altered as well.  Several have been removed and sided over.  One small horizontally broad window on the top of the two story bay on the west side of the house was removed and filled with paired double-hung windows. The present almost monochromatic purple of the house is drab.  The porch seems to disappear altogether, in comparison to the bold look of the original porch.   

Despite being a historically contributing building within a National Register District and a Cleveland Local Landmark District, all of the above changes are out of compliance with the national guidelines for historic renovation and restoration -- the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards.  This project is not in compliance with 4 out of the 10 standards, specifically: 

2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided.

3. Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken.

5. Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property shall be preserved.

6. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence.

Incidentally, these 2009 demolitions, alterations, and additions were aided and abetted with unprecedented intervention by a local politician, circumventing the normal review process and application for construction permission required in local Historic Districts.  A building permit from the City Of Cleveland Building Department is required by law for all such construction, and all this construction was done without one, with full knowledge of the Building Department. 

FALSEHOOD #4

Someone that is associated with this house believes that there are almost no buildings in the Ohio City Historic District that are historically correct – that nearly all have been incorrectly altered.  To some degree, this statement is true, but it isn’t acknowledging the fact that nearly all of these alterations happened BEFORE the establishment of the Historic District, which, at least in part, was done so to end this sort of activity.  Some conditions have to be satisfied for a district to be designated as historic.  This has a great deal to do with an abundance of historically original architectural features, scattered throughout the buildings of a district.  If this sort of travesty continues to be allowed, ultimately there will truly no longer be justification to call Ohio City ‘historic’.

-- C. B. and Tim Barrett

WILL THE REAL BEVERLIN HOUSE "PLEASE STAND UP?" [*]

Lynch House - 2913 Clinton -1989 photo

 * - [This post's title is an allusion to something routinely said on a 1960s tv game show called "What's My Line?".  An obvious "stretch" for a title, but better than none at all!]

One of the earliest of Ohio City’s “follies” is the one associated with 2913 Clinton. This particular myth received considerable public exposure via a book published way back in 1976 called “Landmark Architecture Of Cleveland”. The author was Mary-Peale Schofield. An amateur historian at best, Schofield relied far more on secondary sources, including folklore and “hearsay”, than primary historic documentation. The assertion in her book regarding 2913 Clinton is that it was built for a John Beverlin, circa 1845. Although very recent research indicates that a house of this vintage did previously occupy this site, anyone who has seriously studied the evolution of historic American architecture would know that any house that would have been built in our region around that time would very likely exhibit the features of either the Greek Revival or Gothic Revival styles. But, this house, with its bracketed eaves, segmental-arch-topped windows, and two-floor side bay, instead exhibits ‘hallmark’ features of the later Italianate style. The earliest examples of this style were not built until the late-1850s. It was such a popular style, a few examples of the style continued to be built as late as the early-1880s.

Historic Cuyahoga County real-estate tax records demonstrate that this house was built for a Frank Lynch in 1872, after acquiring the land in 1869 and 1870 (not 1867 as another “legend” suggests), from the same John Beverlin. It was designed by Cleveland architect Walter Blythe [Plain Dealer, 10/18/1872].

Beverlin House - 2901 Clinton - 1992 photo

  [As a footnote to this story, perhaps it should be pointed out that the house immediately to the east of this house, at 2901 Clinton, is a house that actually was built for John Beverlin. But, it was built in 1869 – still a long ways from circa 1845.]

                                                                                                                     — C. B.