Cleveland Masterworks

Warner & Swasey building: A factory with a rich history, chance at a new purpose
Cleveland Masterworks: The former Warner & Swasey building—originally built in the late 1880s, then rebuilt between 1904 and 1910, has sat abandoned for nearly 40 years. Today it has a chance at a new life with a development initiative led by MidTown Cleveland and Philadelphia developer Penrose.
Erie Street Cemetery: Historical graveyard in the heart of downtown
Cleveland Masterworks: The 1826 Erie Street Cemetery is Cleveland's oldest burial ground and is the final resting place of the original settlers and changemakers.
Cleveland Heights Cinder Path, Oakwood Drive earn historic recognition
Cleveland Masterworks: The 1938 Bradford Cinder Path, deemed a Cleveland Heights historic landmark, and the Oakwood Drive Historic District—named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2021—both received markers last week.
Jones Home for Friendless Children: A journey from adversity to compassion
Cleveland Masterworks: Carlos L. Jones and his wife dedicated their lives to the Jones Home for Friendless Children—caring for foster children and children up for adoption in a brick Georgian Revival designed by Sidney R. Badgley, which still operates today as Jones Home of Applewood Centers.
Doan’s Corners: Cleveland’s ‘second downtown’ in the early 20th Century
Cleveland Masterworks: In 1798, Connecticut native Nathaniel Doan and his family settled on a rural corner of Euclid Avenue and developed it to the point that by the early 20th Century it was known as Doan's Corners, or 'Cleveland's Second Downtown.'
Amasa Stone Chapel: a tribute to a 19th Century Cleveland legend
In 1907 the daughters of railroad magnate and philanthropist Amasa Stone commissioned New England architect Henry Vaughan to design a chapel as a tribute to their late father. CWRU's Amasa Stone Chapel—an example of Gothic revival architecture.
Euclid Avenue Opera House: One of the most beautiful theaters in the country in the 1800s
The Euclid Avenue Opera House was known for its elegance and was considered one of the finest in the country. Led by John Ellsler and his stock theater group before Marcus Hanna bought the property, the Hanna Theatre is considered its successor.
The Severance estates: Three farms encompassing 200 acres in the early 20th Century
Cleveland Masterworks: In the early 1900s, three members of the Severance Family developed three majestic estates in Cleveland Heights. While some signs of the manors still exist today, most people know the Severance Town Center on most of the land.
Tudor Arms Hotel: A swanky gothic revival cornerstone in University Circle
Cleveland Masterworks: The 1930s Tudor Arms building. designed by Frank Meade, has seen a rich history, from its origins as the exclusive Cleveland Club, to a hotel and nightlife hotspot, to the current modern-day hotel.
Tour the past: County opens Veteran’s Memorial Bridge lower deck, hosts talk about future plans
The subway level of the Veterans Memorial Bridge will be open this weekend for tours and a discussion about creating a public "Low-Line Park" on the level that was closed in 1954.
Baldwin Water Treatment Plant: A wonder and a workhorse
Cleveland Masterworks: In the 1800s, three-quarters of Cleveland's population lacked potable water. The 1925 Baldwin Water Treatment Facility—the largest such facility in the world at the time—changed that.
Flat Iron Café: Cleveland’s oldest Irish bar
Cleveland Masterworks: The Flat Iron Cafe was established in 1910 on the east bank of the Flats, serving as a hotel and bar for hungry and tired workers and sailors. Today, 113 years later, the bar is still a Flats favorite.
Warner & Swasey Observatory: A hilltop gem turned architectural relic
Cleveland Masterworks: In 1919 Worcester Warner and Ambrose Swasey built an observatory on a hill in East Cleveland, intending to use it for their own interests. In 1920, the partners in Warner & Swasey Company decided to gift the land and the observatory to Case School of Applied Science. For 60 years the facility was used for groundbreaking astronomical research before the city's light pollution forced it to close. Today, the observatory sits abandoned, decayed, and vandalized—a ghost of its former glory.
The Caxton Building: A haven for artists and entrepreneurs for 120 years
Cleveland Masterworks: Cleveland architect Frank Seymour Barnum designed the 1903 Caxton Building for a group of successful entrepreneurs who wanted to accommodate the needs of printers and artists. With its Romanesque design with great architectural detail, reinforced concrete floors, large windows, and its signature water tower perched on the roof, the Caxton continues to be a small business haven to this day.
The Little Blue Cottage and Forest Hill: Real estate offices of Rockefeller development
Cleveland Masterworks: The Forest Hill Historic District in Cleveland Heights is one of the first planned communities in the country, with homes designed by Andrew J. Thomas for John D. Rockefeller's development. Now the Abeyton Realty office needs repairs.
New purpose: Longfellow Elementary gets new life as affordable housing
CMSD's 1924 Longfellow Elementary School in Collinwood, designed by Cleveland schools architect Walter McCornack, was saved from demolition by the Cleveland Restoration Society and has been repurposed as affordable senior housing.
Harold Burdick: Eclectic architect in the Heights
Cleveland Masterworks: Harold Burdick was known for designing 28 houses in Shaker Heights and worked on the design of the Federal Reserve building. But he might be most noted for the futuristic design of his own home in Cleveland Heights.
Beyerle Park: Trendsetter in late 19th Century resort amusement parks on the Interurban rail lines
Cleveland Masterworks: The 1883 opening of Beyerle Park in Slavic Village marked the beginning of Cleveland amusement parks geared toward attracting guests to rides, entertainment, and relaxation by the water.
Hollenden Hotel: Downtown Cleveland’s glamorous, colorful hotspot for nearly 100 years
Cleveland Masterworks: The 1885 Hollenden Hotel, just east of Public Square, was regarded as one of the most glamorous hotels in the country—attracting U.S. Presidents, industrial giants, and celebrities.
Harlen Shimmin: Specialized in upscale homes throughout Northeast Ohio
Cleveland Masterworks: Native Clevelander Harlen Shimmin was known for his Tudor Revival style brick and stone homes built from Edgewater to Shaker Heights.