Newsletter Articles

• Clarence Mack: Architect In Lakewood

  Clarence Mack: Architect In Lakewood

  Clarence Mack designed, built and furnished upper middle class housing in Cleveland's emerging suburbs of Lakewood, Shaker Heights and Rocky River. Kingwood in Mansfield, Ohio was his largest commission. A successful land developer, Mack provided a complete package for an upwardly mobile clientele. Mack designed houses that satisfied the need for tradition while providing for modern practicality.

  Clarence Mack

  Clarence Mack was born in Cleveland on April 29, 1888. His father Louis Mack was a clerk for the New York Central and the Erie Railroads for a total of 67 years. Clarence's older brother Roland and younger brother Vincent later helped Clarence to build houses. By 1904, the upwardly-mobile Mack family had moved to 1520 Clarence Avenue in Lakewood. The 1910 City Directory lists the males residing at this residence as Louis, Roland (an accountant), Clarence (a trimmer) and Vincent (a clerk).

  According to Mack, his grandfather, father and uncles were house builders. One of Clarence Mack's uncles worked on the construction of Theodor Kundtz's mansion which was located at 13826 Lake Ave. Clarence visited the building site as a child, so he knew "every beam and joist and mortise in it."

  In a 1965 letter to LHS curator Margaret Manor Butler, Mack explained his work in this area. "The houses in Lakewood and Shaker Heights as well as elsewhere in Ohio and Michigan were all built prior to the financial crash in November of 1929. Although I had studied architecture for ten years prior to the first world war, both in America and Europe. I did not commence those houses in Lakewood until 1920. I lived in most of them, as I also furnished them and they were sold furnished to the new owners. I purchased many of the furnishings in Europe on annual buying trips. Most of the houses are of late Georgian design, based on old traditional examples, both in this country and England."

  Clarence Mack built at least 19 homes in Lakewood. The first Lake Avenue home was built in 1922, and the last in 1927. Most of Mack's Lakewood homes were built on land "purchased from Theodore Kuntz [sic] who has the Hungarian Castle on the lake built by an uncle of mine. There were thirteen houses in that group on both sides of Lake Ave and two painted brick ones on Edgewater Drive on land purchased from the Hutchinsons." Mack later paid Kundtz for the land with profits from the home sales.

  Mack went on to build a total of eight houses in Shaker Heights and, with his brother Vincent, four modest-sized dwellings in Rocky River. At the other end of the size and economic spectrum is Kingwood mansion, located on 47 acres in Mansfield, Ohio.

  Following his Ohio building projects, Mack moved to Florida in the 1930s. In 1938, as the Depression was reaching its conclusion, he began designing and building houses in the Palm Beach area. He completed two major housing developments called Regent's Park and Parc Monceau. He retired in 1960. Mack died in Palm Beach on January 6, 1982 at the age of 93.

  The Complete Package

  Mack took part in the housing boom in Lakewood, building classically styled Georgian and French Eclectic homes for his wealthy clientele. In addition to their carefully designed exteriors, Mack's houses included interior details such as imported marble mantels, crystal chandeliers and furniture in style and proportion to the architecture of the house.

  He provided a complete package: house, furnished interiors and landscaping. If his clients were unwilling or unable to make decisions on wall colors, lighting or furniture and its arrangement, Mack handled these details as well. Mack wrote that "most of the furnishings were brought from England and France when first purchased, in all of the houses." These furnishings included desk and table lamps, side tables, crystal sconces, four-poster beds, Chippendale-style mirrors, chairs, couches and even libraries complete with matching book bindings. Because of the large scale of the rooms, Mack positioned furniture into conversation groupings. Many of the living rooms have combinations of couches and side chairs that could seat twenty people.

  Mack could influence his clientele because he knew their tastes and needs. Many were company owners and newly wealthy. They had not inherited family heirlooms, but Mack's interiors and replica furnishings could give the impression that they did. Mack offered a stage set for living, just waiting for an occupant to inhabit, while providing interiors that could be personalized further.

  While Clarence Mack built in traditional, established styles, he remained a man who was very much a part of his times. Mack said, "While the style of houses has been inspired by traditional examples, the floor plans were all laid our to meet more modern demands of comfort." Many Mack designs have long hallways for easy circulation and powder rooms and coat closets next to the centrally located front door. He also provided specialized storage: pantries next to kitchens, large walk-in closets for bedrooms, dressing rooms with built-in drawers. The interiors are flooded with natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows, and mirrors are used extensively to reflect the light and bring the outdoors inside.

  Mack's designs included the convenient placement of a two- or three-bay garage, fully acknowledging the important place the automobile had come to represent in the lives of his clients.

  Mack Homes in Lakewood

  1. 1460 Waterbury, 1914
  Mack built this frame, two-story side gabled house for his family, who moved in upon completion. On the building permit, Mack is listed as the owner, with 1520 Clarence as his address.

  2. 1467 Lewis Drive, 1919
  The lot for Mack's second house shares a back property line with the 1460 Waterbury lot. This house has a steeply pitched gambrel roof, a massive center chimney and an attached garage.

  3 & 4. 13881 and 13883 Lake, built 1922
  These Georgian style houses are brick with flat-top hipped roofs. Both have an attached two-car garage which originally had glass-paned doors.
  
  13883 Lake was sold fully furnished to Bernard P. Pearse, the secretary-treasurer of Atlas Foundry Company.

  13881 Lake was sold fully furnished to Harlan Newell. Newell was the vice-president of Society for Savings and later commissioned Mack to build a home for him in Shaker Heights at 19200 South Park Blvd.

  5. 13867 Lake, 1923
  Construction of this Georgian house started in October 1923. The brick house has a flat-topped hipped roof, a projected center front gable and brick quoins at the corners. The house was sold to Edward H. Fishman.

  6. 13851 Lake Avenue, 1923
  Built in the French Eclectic style, this brick home has an asymmetrical plan that surrounds a courtyard. Mack used this design in part to conceal the view of the garage opening from the street. The walls of the house had been treated to resemble whitewash. The window frames were painted in what was described as "a rich blue-green." The garage door was painted in wide stripes of green and blue. Photographs from the twenties show a wooded lot with sunlight filtered through the trees. The floor plan of this house shows a large center hall with a lavatory and coat closet. The living room, morning room and dining room include floor to ceiling windows. There are six bedrooms in all, with two above the garage. William D. Becker, the vice-president of the Valley Steamship Company was the first owner of 13851. He previously lived just down the street at 13431 Lake Avenue.

  7. 13843 Lake Avenue, 1923
  Francis Richey purchased the salmon-colored brick house at 13843 Lake Avenue. The restrained facade is only embellished with attention to the frontpiece and the cornice. The front entrance originally included a swan's neck pediment and elegantly designed ironwork handrails and lamp posts. Mack explained, "The entrance doorway was inspired by one at Westover, Virginia, although it did not have the large stair landing window above it."

  8. 13835 Lake Avenue, 1923
  This French Eclectic has a steeply pitched roof and a tower at the front entrance. Constructed of stucco over tile, the house was described in 1925 as "built of buff-colored stucco" with shutters of a lighter tone. Charles Richman, who operated the successful men's clothing company, Richman Brothers, purchased this house and adjoining lots. Mack furnished the house with items he "brought from France as it was a French style house" and landscaped the entire grounds. Most recently it was owned by Ziggy creator Tom Wilson.

  9. 13857 Lake Avenue, 1923
  A French Eclectic with whitewashed brick and unpainted quoins at the corners, this house was first owned by James W. Wilson, the treasurer of the Insurance Center Building.

  10. 13875 Lake Avenue, 1924
  The house is side-gabled with exterior paired end chimneys. While on the same size lot as the other Lake Avenue houses (70' x 200'), this house has a smaller footprint with 1397 square feet. It was purchased by Charles E. Doty, whose offices were in the Hippodrome Building in Cleveland.

  11. 1038 Homewood, 1924
  The 1038 Homewood house has a hipped roof, central chimney and hipped dormers. The main entrance is on the south side of the house, perhaps to shelter the owner from winds coming off Lake Erie, which is just 150 feet away. The owner listed on the building permit is Miss Margaret Smith, whose daughter Kathy later owned the house.

  1925 Houses
  Mack had five houses under construction in 1925. The two sets of houses were planned in close relationship to each other. The three houses on the north side of Lake Avenue were in Georgian style and the two houses on Edgewater Drive were in the French style.

  In 1925, House & Garden sent the New York photographers Tebbs and Knell to illustrate an article about the three houses at 13842, 13840 and 13834 Lake Avenue. These photographs are now part of the Cleveland Public Library collection.

  12. 13842 Lake, 1925
  The emphasis of this house is on the front entrance. Inspired by an 18th-century London doorway, this one of Mack's most beautiful and refined doorways in the Cleveland area. The first floor of the house contains a powder room, deep closets, central hall, dining room, kitchen, library, living room and a narrow screened-in porch. The second floor has four bedrooms with walk-in closets, two bathrooms, a cedar closet and a large linen closet with drawers. The basement or service floor contains the garage, a sitting room, bedroom and bathroom for a staff member, laundry room and several storage rooms. Eugene E. Ledogar was the first owner.

  13. 13840 Lake, 1925
  The house is Adams-style with a strong vertical presence due to the three stories above ground level. The House & Garden article described the house as having "very dark green" shutters and including a reception foyer, service room and motor rooms. The first story or service floor is differentiated from the second and third stories by a stone belt course. Charles E. Myer purchased the furnished home, shown in the photographs.

  14. 13834 Lake Avenue, 1925
  This three-story brick house is adorned with different window treatments that accentuate each story--nine over nines with alternating triangular or curved pediments on second floor and plain, six over six on third floor. James W Fraser, who worked at Bituminous Construction, moved here from 1060 Forest Cliff.

  15. 13823 Edgewater, 1925
  16. 13825 Edgewater, 1925
  Both of these French Eclectic homes were built on land bought from Captain Charles L. Hutchinson family. 13823 was originally built for Hutchinson's son, John T. Hutchinson.

  17. 13810 Lake, 1926
  This variation of the Georgian Style has a hipped roof, paired end chimneys, cornice with dentils. Addie Hackenberg, second wife and widow of Harvey Hackenberg, moved here from Grace Avenue.

  18. 1106 West Forest, 1926
  Mrs. George Newell commissioned this house and is listed as the owner on the building permit. The floor plans include a center hall, living room, loggia with a terrazzo floor, dining room, morning room, kitchen and attached garage on the first floor. The second floor had four bedrooms, two bathrooms and an area designated as a studio with a second set of stairs over the garage. The studio and loggia are distinct elements not found in Mack's other work in Northeast Ohio.

  19. 13845 Lake Avenue, 1927
  Mack wrote in a letter to Margaret Butler that the last house he built in Lakewood, "although English Georgian [on the] exterior, had some French interior, particularly a white and gold-paneled library with a French marble mantle with a Trumeau over it, brought from France." A trumeau is a mirror with a painting above in the same frame.

  The first owner was Robert Hascall, who inherited several companies from his father and served as president of Hascall Paint Company, Tropical Paint and Oil Company and Union Products.

  Unfounded Attributions

  Several additional homes in Lakewood have been attributed to Clarence Mack but evidence either has not been found or directly refutes the attribution. Clarence Mack, with an address of 1460 Waterbury, was listed as the owner of fifteen of eighteen building permits on file. (One permit for 13883 Lake Avenue is missing). Two houses were commissioned and therefore the owners' names are listed. As more information becomes available, more houses designed by Clarence Mack may be added to the list.

  Other Mack Houses in Ohio

  Charles King commissioned Clarence Mack to design his 27 room mansion on a 47 -acre country setting outside of Mansfield in 1926. The home cost $400,000. The mansion is now Kingwood Center, dedicated to horticulture education. Mack built seven houses in Shaker Heights in 1928 and 1928, on South Park, South Woodland and Courtland. He also built a house on Landon in 1938. In Rocky River, Mack built 21024 Aberdeen and 21165 Aberdeen in 1927. 21121 Aberdeen in 1936 and 21873 Avalon for Mr. andMrs. Gillingham in 1937. A set of blueprints show a design for Mr. and Mrs. Otto Rhein of Avalon Road, but this house was never built.

  ---

  This article was adapted from Clarence Mack: Houses of Distinction, a Cleveland State University Master of Arts in Art History thesis by Ann Marie Wieland dated May, 2001. Building permits, Mack letters and the Clarence Mack Collection of professional papers at the Cleveland Public Library were reference sources for the thesis.

• Faeber-Morse House: 13405 Lake Avenue

  Faerber/Morse House 13405 Lake Avenue SW corner of Nicholson and Lake First Property Owner: Anna Barbara Gehring purchased land on south side of Clifton from Jackson to Nicholson, and two lots on SW corner of Lake and Nicholson. She purchased the property from her brother, Charles Lang. Charles Lang was part of Rausch and Lang, electric car manufacturers. Mr. Lang purchased large amounts of land in Lakewood, for which he couldn’t pay the taxes. He sold some of this property to his sister. In 1904, she built the current home located on the SW corner of Clifton and Nicholson, with a carriage house south along Nicholson. Anna B. Gehring was a widow and lived in the Clifton house with her father, Joseph Lang, and three children, Elma, Meta and Carl Walter. The children were young adults at this time. Anna B. Gehring purchased two lots at SW corner of Lake and Nicholson to construct tennis courts for her children, which she did. First Home Owner: The first owners of the house were George P. and Katherine (Katie) E. Faerber, who purchased two pieces of property from the Gehring Family during the first half of 1911. The main parcel, 105 feet wide x 197 feet deep, was bought for $3,200 from Elma C. Gehring, with the stipulation that a home constructed on the lot must have a minimum value of $5,000 when built. The second parcel, 20 feet wide by 197 feet deep, transferred on July 18, 1911 from Anna B. Gehring to the Faerbers. The Faerbers hired architect Gustave B. Bohm, a Cleveland native trained in New York City, to design their Neoclassic style home. The August 19, 1911 edition of The Cleveland News includes a rendering of the home, along with the following description: The walls are of hollow tile, covered with stucco. The roof is of red tile. The house is now up to the second story. The lower floor is divided into a large reception hall, living room, dining room, kitchen and pantries. A circular stairway is a feature of the hallway. The second floor has five bedrooms and two baths. The billiard room and servants quarters are on the third floor. The rooms on the first floor will be finished in mahogany and silver oak. The bedrooms will be in white enamel. George Faerber was the secretary/treasurer of the Forest City Savings & Trust Company, located on the southwest corner of Detroit Avenue and West 25th Street, which still stands today. He was also a partner in the insurance firm Shotter Faerber & Company, which had its headquarters downtown with a branch at Detroit Avenue and West 25th Street. He was a self-made man, never finishing high school but becoming a respected banker by the age of 31. He was a member of the Cleveland and Lakewood Chambers of Commerce, the Clifton Club, the German Evangelical Church and his favorite hobby was billiards. Faerber lived in the house with his family for about one year, until his death at the age of 52 on December 3, 1915. The monument of the Faerber plot at Lake View cemetery is carved to duplicate the Philippine mahogany pillars in the foyer. Katie Faerber sold the home to Agnes D. Morse on April 18, 1916. Features Include: Philippine mahogany woodwork, gold-threaded tapestry wall coverings, sterling silver wall sconces, molded ceilings, grand entryway with twin staircases, colorful leaded-glass windows in the servants’ quarters, a back staircase leading to the basement with a vaulted ceiling, marble stairs and decorative plaster pediments over the windows, beveled leaded-glass windows and doors, terra cotta and marble floors, built-in bookcases with beveled leaded-glass doors, shower stall with nine shower heads, bedroom closets with extensive built-in storage, electrical system with master switches in the dining room and the master bedroom that controlled all the lights in the house, a third floor billiard room and a built-vacuum cleaning system through the house. A basement board room has a slate ceiling embellished with gold leaf, a floor of handmade tiles, stained-glass windows, an intricately carved fireplace and coffered wood-paneled walls which contain a secret storage space. The 26 room mansion includes a foyer, living room, dining room, library, sun porch, kitchen and powder room on the first floor; five bedrooms, a sleeping porch and two baths on the second; servants’ quarters on the third. Second Home Owner: Katie Faerber sold the house on April 18, 1916 to Mrs. Agnes Doyle Morse for $49,500. “Mrs. Morse watched the place go up, board by board,” said Mrs. Faerber. “She told a near-by realtor that if it was ever sold, she wanted to hear about it first.” Agnes Doyle had gone to work as a bookkeeper at 16, later becoming the secretary of George W. Morse, president of the Parish and Bingham Co. Located at 10615 Madison Avenue, the firm made steel stampings, specializing in frames for bicycles and automobiles. He died in 1910, eight months after their marriage, about the time the house was being built. The stock of the company was left to her in his will, until she remarried. The 1918 City Directory listed Mrs. Morse as the secretary/treasurer/general manager of the Cleveland operation of Parish & Bingham. A “precise business woman, she helped the company prosper and expand.” In 1923, Parish & Bingham merged with two other firms to create Midland Steel Products Company, of which she became president and general manager. Mrs. Morse was also a major owner of land north of Lake Avenue, west of Nicholson. Mrs. Morse almost immediately began to make changes to the property. In September, 1916 she purchased an 80-foot wide strip of land immediately west of the existing property for $5,650. In October, 1916 she added a 65-foot wide strip of land, thereby creating the full 1.2 acre parcel seen today. Mrs. Morse loved the house and lived lavishly, spending about $100,000 on improvements. She built the greenhouse, solarium with gently curved French doors, pergola, fountain, and rose garden, then added a $25,000 conservatory, a $17,000 iron fence on a cut stone foundation and an addition to the house. She also had a beveled-glass canopy erected over the entrance from the drive. The canopy is crowned with Mrs. Morse’s personal crest, which is also carved into the marble base of the sundial in the gardens. She enclosed the side and back porch with glass. The downstairs had fabric-covered walls and oriental rugs. She engaged an artist to copy the design from each oriental carpet on the second floor and duplicate that design as a wall border encircling the rooms. She remodeled the third floor ballroom into servants’ quarters. Two projects required building permits. A permit was issued on June 15, 1916 for a 22x27 foot garage, which represents only a portion of the size of the current garage on the property. The garage, with a cost of $700, was built by The Webber Companies. She subsequently changed the simple two-car garage by adding a second two-car stall and an apartment above, and included an automatic car wash in the ceiling and an underground gasoline tank under the left bay of the ceiling. A permit was issued on January 12, 1917 for a 20’x60’ greenhouse to be built by Lord & Burnham, costing $3,000. The three individual rooms of the greenhouse had separate temperature control, so that various plants, bulbs and cuttings could be grown according the temperature needed. Under the greenhouse, a basement included a water pump and a large heated storage tank for the gold fish during the winter months (also used to grow water lilies for the pool). The garage and greenhouse had their own heating plants. Mrs. Morse installed a fireplace in the downstairs “den” with intricately carved oak to suggest small cathedral or gothic doors, duplicated in three sections. The entire fireplace is recessed into the wall and the brickwork is in small pieces measuring one-half inch thick by three to eight inches in length. There are inlaid tiles, as are in the floor, patterned throughout those brick pieces, some depicting ancient Egyptian drawings. The ceiling is unique in that it is made with gold leaf with a silver finish. There are small stained glass windows around the u-shaped ceiling. The garden cost $15,000 a year for up-keep, more than the expenses for the house, according to Miss Clara Doyle. They spent about $3,000 each year for nine thousand tulips, creating a “sea of color.” The full-time gardener was Adolph Stephan. The elaborate landscaping featured fountains, ponds and statuary, as well as a greenhouse, a pergola and gazebo. Mrs. Morse moved in with her mother, Mrs. Ann Doyle; a sister, Miss Clara Doyle, and three children from another sister, Hattie Doyle Brimicomb. Agnes’s niece and two nephews lived there after their parents were divorced. Dorothy Gallagher (niece) lived there from 1916-1928. Agnes’s sister Clara helped to take care of the house and the three children. After her death on June 7, 1947, the house was held in trust for two years. The contents of the house were sold by Walter M. Forsythe, who bought the house and its contents for a client. Silver service alone was worth $30,000. When house was for sale in 1949, a daughter of Mr. Faerber tried to interest Lakewood groups in making an art center of the house. Third Home Owners: Willson H.L and Wilma Hunter bought the house in 1949 for $28,000. Sale price is little more than half of what Mrs. Morse paid 35 years before, and only a small fraction of her investment in additions, rebuilding and remodeling the home. Mr. Hunter was a research scientist at NASA. The family lived there for five years. The Hunter daughters remembered ballroom dancing lessons in the solarium, piano lessons in the library, family photographs taken in front of the living room fireplace and swimming in the fountain. They also recalled climbing the large sycamore trees to see Lake Erie and Detroit Avenue, playing hide and seek inside and outside the house, exciting parties with up to 250 guests and sometimes leaving clothes too long in the “Family Clothes Dryer.” Fourth Home Owners: Margaret and Elmer Nyerges purchased the house in 1955. They had three grown children, who did not move into the house. Elmer was a local businessman and Margaret taught piano. After her husband’s death, Margaret remained in the house for another ten years. A descendant remembered the property as a little overgrown in a romantic way. “Pulling in through one of the two big gates, flanked by their stone pillars, and past the centered pond with its fountain was enchanting.” “From the potted palms on the black & white tiles of the sun room—with its curvaceous, rattan seating covered in moss green, rose, & grey fronds, you could see out over the wrought iron, fence-bound corner of Nicholson & Lake up to the shining, blue W high atop The Winton Place; to the cushioned window seat nestled in the vaulted embrace at the top of double staircases—gently curving upward to become one ascent on the way to second floor bedrooms; through the mahogany pillared, central hall which divided the house form front entrance to back…; through folding oak & beveled glass doors into the dining room where the ceiling was distinctively molded-as were nearly all of the primary rooms in the house; down to the Billiard room & castle inspired, Old English card room with its bar beneath the solarium—there was a 'secret' marble staircase from which to come in through a door in the paneled wall.” Fifth and Current Home Owner: 1977-present (2005), Otto and Judy Lombardo and Family Hope House: Sponsored by the American Cancer Society and the Ohio North chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers. It was the first west side house to be selected. 20 of the 26 rooms were refurbished by area designers and displayed from April 28 to May 20, 1979. The original furnaces and water heater were still being used. For the first time since designer show houses were introduced in Cleveland all room were color-coordinated to suit the tastes of the owners. Architecture: From Ohio Historic Inventory: “The symmetry of this classically inspired residence is brought out by the Ionic engaged columns that support a full entablature, a projecting balustrade, and a wide hip roof with its segmentally-arched dormers entrance with sidelights. This is flanked by round-arched windows and two enclosed porches. The site of this residence was still subdivided in the 1903 atlas. A wood frame structure appears on the 1914 atlas and is attributed to a George Morse in a 1917 publication. The two side porches were added in the 1920s. The house stands on the corner of a busy residential street, surrounded by an iron fence with stone entrance stanchions.” Sources of information included Cuyahoga County Atlases and Beautiful Homes of Ohio, Cleveland Topics Co. 1917, pg. 107. The house was photographed for the book Beautiful Homes of Cleveland, published in 1917. The single photograph shows a three-quarter view of the north and east elevations, including a portion of the new garage. This photograph was also taken prior to the exterior changes executed by Mrs. Morse, including construction of the existing iron fence. Architect: The house was featured in the December 1916 issue of The Ohio Architect, Engineer and Builder, as part of the article “Mr. Bohm’s Work.” Bohm designed fashionable residences throughout Greater Cleveland, including several on Lake Avenue in Cleveland that were photographed for the article. He also designed the Rocky River Library. The Morse house was illustrated in five photographs: front elevation, front entrance, rear elevation, dining room, and stair hall. The house, photographed in the summer of 1916, shows the exteriors prior to the changes by Mrs. Morse. Sources: City of Lakewood. Building Permits. Cleveland City Directories, 1914, 1918, 1921, 1929. The Cleveland News. “Handsome Lakewood House.” August 19, 1911. p. 4. Cleveland Public Library, Necrology File Cuyahoga County Auditor’s Office Cuyahoga County Recorder’s Office The Ohio Architect, Engineer and Builder. “Mr. Bohm’s Work.” December, 1916. pp. 32, 38-41. 1971 Interview with Dorothy Gallagher, niece of Agnes Morse August 2, 1949 newspaper article “Agnes Morse Home, Lakewood Landmark, Sold” Ohio Historic Inventory Various Lakewood Sun Post and Cleveland Plain Dealer articles regarding the Hope House era. Designers Hope House booklet, April 28-May 20, 1979 Interview with Fred Carmen, July 29, 2005 Interview with Blythe Gehring, July 29, 2005 Prepared by Richard Sicha and Mazie M. Adams, July 2005 Update - November 2005 The house was sold through a Sheriff's Sale on Monday, Sept. 26 to Mr. Sako Satka. Originally from Albania, Mr. Satka said the Faerber-Morse house reminds him of the architecture from that country. Update - February 2006 Mark Rollenhagen, "Mansion owner takes on titanic restoration," Plain Dealer, February 12, 2006, p. B1 http://www.cleveland.com/search/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1139737150317510.xml?ncounty_cuyahoga&coll=2 Reports Mr. Satka's intentions to restore the house and live in it with his family.

  Articles have appeared in the Lakewood Historical Society Newsletter. CONTENTS

  Links: Buckeye Chronicles Lakewood Lore Local History Files Historic Buildings of Lakewood Local History Resources at the Library Hidden Victorian Architecture

   

• Hall Family in Lakewood

  The Hall Family in Lakewood
  Drive down any number of streets in Lakewood and you are connected to a piece of our community’s history. Hall, Ethel, Edward, Arthur, mathews, McClure, Maile and Lauderdale are all streets named in honor of Hall family members. The history of the Hall Family in Lakewood provides a fascinating window into the growth of our community. The activities of the first, second and third generations of the Halls typified the changes happening in Lakewood.

  
  Joseph C. Hall and son Matthew

  The Early Years
  Joseph and Sarah Curtis Hall arrived in Rockport Township (Lakewood) with five small children and one on the way. Lured away from Chatteris, England by the
  
  
  Berry Pickers, Hall Fruit Farm
  
  enthusiastic letters of a friend, Joseph and Sarah were a bit dismayed by the wilderness that greeted them but set to work establishing a new life. Joseph purchased a strip of land on Detroit at Marlowe. He built a stone house, completed before winter set in but not before the birth of his sixth child. One year later, their last children Mary was born in the house. All seven children were raised in the stone house, which was about the same size at the Oldest Stone House.
  
  A very successful farmer, Joseph acquired property throughout Rockport. Maps of Cuyahoga County from 1874, 1892 and 1903 show Joseph C. Hall owning three parcels in Rockport: forty acres from Detroit to Madison at Marlowe, where he built his stone house; about 17 acres from along Marlowe from Detroit almost to the lake; and 16 acres from Detroit to Hilliard between Lakeland and Arthur. Joseph gifted eighty acres to each child upon their marriage. Oldest son Joseph Jr. received the original homestead, sons Curtis, Mathew and John received property on the western side of Lakewood and daughters Anna, Sarah and Mary received land outside of the community.

  The Second Generation in Lakewood
  Joseph Jr. married Patience Wetherby, living on the family homestead at Detroit and Marlowe. Joseph and Patience had one son, Albert, born in 1842. Joseph was listed as a butcher in 1850 census. His descendants lived on the original family land until about 1915.

  
  Curtis Hall
  
  Upon his marriage to Emma Patchen, Curtis received eighty acres stretching north of Detroit between Hall and Cranford. He built a brick home at the northwest corner of Cranford and Detroit. Their four children, Tom, Fred, Alfred and Clara, grew to adulthood in this house, which still stands today.
  
  
  Curtis Hall House, 16104 Detroit
  
  Mathew owned land west of his brother Curtis, extending north from Detroit and he built his first home during the Civil War. This house still stands at 16906 Detroit.

  
  Matthew Curtis Hall
  
  Mathew built a much larger brick home in 1879 just across Edwards Avenue, in what is now Edwards Park. Mathew and his second wife Margaret raised their two children Ethel and Edward in this house. Among his many business activities, Mathew served as the superintendent of the Plank Road. Like most members of the Hall family, Mathew traveled extensively.

  
  John Curtis Hall

  John married Elizabeth Maile and they first lived with their two children Arthur and Laura in a small house across from Mathew. Their property stretched south from Detroit between Lauderdale and Larchmont. The most prosperous of Joseph and Sarah’s children, John Hall made his money through fruit farms, dairy products, wise investments and realty allotments. He also served as the president of the Rocky River Bank, which later became part of National City Bank.

  Changing Times
  When Joseph and Sarah Hall first arrived in Rockport there were just 350 people in the whole township and “Detroit Avenue was little more than a trail through the woods where almost anywhere wild turkey and small game could be had for the hunting.”

  
  Sarah Curtis Hall
  
  But by the turn of the century, Lakewood was a booming town. A 1904 Plain Dealer article proclaimed Lakewood “a prosperous village with a bright future” with “important improvements completed, under way and contemplated” making the suburb a “delightful residence section.”
  
  A 1906 Cleveland News article stated that the “pretty village [is] a striking example of upbuilding of a suburban town.” A great building boom occurred when a “tide of city dwellers turn[ed] to pure atmosphere, fine lawns and trees.” The article continued, “In the early 90s, and simultaneously with the final extension of the car line to Rocky River in ’94, the real allotting of farms began in sure business-like manner…Figures and facts tell the rest of the story. In 1886 there were probably not 500 people in what is now Lakewood. In 1896, there were not over 1,500. Today the Lakewood people say they have 8,000 souls within their village lines, and more are yet to come.” Improvements to the schools, a new electric lighting plant, plans to build its own waterworks and other infrastructure improvements laid the groundwork for a building boom in Lakewood.

  
  Berrypickers, Hall Fruit Farm
  
  The Hall children did not let this opportunity pass them by. John C. Hall worked with his son-in-law Herbert Mathews to develop the majority of his farm south of Detroit. The realty company Mathews & Gilbert allotted and sold the land. A 1902 advertisement for the “John C Hall’s Fruit Farm: Mathews & Gilbert Sub-Division” offered two lots for just $480 in “Beautiful, Smokeless Lakewood.” The development included Lauderdale, Winton, Cordova and Larchmont. The advertisement assured potential buyers that the “if any one tells you we will not put in improvements AND PAY FOR THEM HE LIES. We put in curbing, sidewalks, trees, and proper grading. Water and sewer will be put in shortly… We have the means and reputation of HONEST DEALING. WE HAVE HONESY OF PURPOSE! WE ARE NOT LAND SHARKS!” The ad proclaimed “it is a land investment that defies the world!” Mathews & Gilbert were also involved in the development of Hall, Mathews, Maile and Arthur avenues.

  
  Laura Hall Mathew
  
  John C. Hall developed family land and opened “Lakewood’s Arts and Crafts Street” in 1906. Although it took over three years to develop, Arthur Avenue was touted as “copied from the streets of St. Louis.” The Arts and Crafts designation probably grew from the “finesse of the grade and dignified entrance,” which originally included large stone pillars.

  
  Ethel Hall McClure
  
  A 1902 Cleveland Leader article stated that Mathew C. Hall “about a year ago…sold seventy acres of this property to J.C. Lower. This subdisvision is now Richmond Park, and is destined to be one of the finest allotments in Lakewood.” Richmond Park included Ethel and Edwards avenues, named for Mathew Hall’s children.

  
  Mathew C. Hall house, 16718 Detroit
  
  In 1907, Joseph and Patience Hall sold much of their family’s land to The Genck Realty Company (later Lakewood Realty). Genck Reatly helped to develop Lincoln and Marlowe avenues.

  The Hall Houses
  The Joseph and Sarah Hall stone house stood at the southwest corner of Marlowe and Detroit. Joseph passed away in 1855 and Sarah died twenty years later. Son Joseph lived on the property with his family for a number of years.

  
  Genck Realty, former Joseph Curtis Hall Home, 14419 Detroit
  
  The house served as the allotment office for Genck Realty in 1907 and then housed the West End Art School for a number of years. Miss Anna Pfenninger created the art school so that local students wouldn’t have spent hours traveling to the east side. The Plain Dealer declared in 1909 that “drawing, designing, painting and modeling began to be the order of the day in the old Hall house.” The stone house was torn down in 1916 to make way for the expansion of Lakewood Hospital. A January 1916 article stated “The oldest landmark in Lakewood must make way for progress…It is being razed because the land surrounding it is valuable and the day of the old homestead has vanished….They builded [sic] solidly in those days. The walls of the old home are at least two feet thick. Rocks were carried from the foot of Cranford avenue, near the lake, to build the foundation. It was a laborious process, but the men who are tearing the old framework apart say that it is as strongly constructed as a fort.” The Lakewood Hospital expansion was completed in 1917.

  
  John C. Hall house 16913 Detroit
  
  John Curtis Hall’s stately home at 16913 Detroit was the talk of the town when it was completed in 1875. Set back from Detroit, the Victorian included floor to ceiling windows, curved arches, a triple bay window, a front portico with Corinthian pillars and an elaborate balcony above the porch.

  
  Arthur W. Hall
  
  Margaret Butler wrote that “the high, spacious rooms were heated with marble fireplaces. Scrolled ceilings, parquet floors, heavy brocaded wallpaper, velvet drapes and European treasures of other generations created a feeling of past splendor. The furniture was massive, intricately carved.” The surrounding grounds outdid anything else on Detroit Avenue, “a floral paradise with winding paths, a sunken garden, hundreds of unusual trees, shrubs and flowers. It was one of the show places for visitors from Cleveland.”
  
  John C. Hall lived in this beautiful house with his wife and children until his death in 1921. John Hall and his family traveled extensively, and the furnishings reflected their varied interests. Daughter Laura and her husband Herbert Mathews lived on the property until they moved to the Carolinas in 1938. And son Arthur Welling and his wife May French lived on the property probably into the early 1940s. In addition to maintaining the family property, Arthur pursued his interest in books. An avid collector, he acquired over 4,000 rare books over his lifetime. He also worked as a book binder and made book cases out of lumber from the property. Arthur moved to Indiana when he was seventy years old.
  
  The City of Lakewood purchased the property in the 1946, renting the first floor of the home to Margaret McClure Holtkamp, granddaughter of Mathew C. Hall. The city turned the property into a playground. The John C. Hall house was torn down in about 1956 to make way for the new (now demolished) YMCA.

  
  Site of future YMCA, former site of John C. Hall house
  
  Mathew C. Hall’s first home stood at 16906 Detroit, where it still stands today. The simple frame house has three original rooms downstairs, a modified summer kitchen and two low bedrooms upstairs. The floors are wide planks and the upright beams in the basement are the trunks of young cedar trees with the bark still attached.

  
  Hixson's Victorian Cottage, old Mathew C. Hall house 16906 Detroit
  
  The Hughes family acquired the property around 1903 and the last of two maiden Hughes sisters died in 1970. The house stood vacant until Hixson’s Flower Barn purchased it in May 1973. After renovations, Hixson’s opened a gift shop in the home. Later, the building was home to an antique shop and most recently Teacups in Time. The home is currently vacant.
  
  
  Mathew C. Hall home, 16718 Detroit
  
  Mathew C. Hall’s second home stood at 16718 Detroit. Completed in 1879, the imposing brick structure equaled the grandeur of the John C. Hall home. Mathew and his second wife Margaret raised their two children, Ethel and Edward, in this house and lived there until their deaths. Mathew C. Hall died on March 30, 1913. One interesting feature of the property was a six hole privy that stood between the house and the carriage house. Later, the home served various purposes until it was purchased in 1939 by the Lakewood YMCA. The Y occupied the house until the late 1950s.

  
  Lakewood YMCA, old Mathew C. Hall house, 16718 Detroit
  
  At that time, the Y and the City of Lakewood essentially swapped properties. The Y acquired the John C. Hall property, looking to build a new structure. The City of Lakewood tore down the Mathew Hall house sometime after this new Y structure was completed in 1957. Edwards Park now occupies the site. The original carriage house is still on the park grounds.
  
  Mathew’s daughter Ethel married Dr. Albert Edward McClure on Dec 3, 1896.

  
  Albert McClue house, 16702 Detroit (1902)
  
  A handsome bachelor from Canada, Dr. McClure came to Lakewood to take over the practice of Dr. Henry Sook. Apparently it was love at first site. A newspaper announcement stated that “The couple will take up their residence in the newly finished home on Detroit Street.” This home still stands at 16702 Detroit. Ethel and Albert raised their children, Edward and Margaret, in both this home and her parent’s home. Records indicate that they lived in both houses, although the 16702 house was their primary residence.

  
  Curtis Hall house, 16102 Detroit
  
  The Curtis Hall house was located at 16102 Detroit, on the northwest corner of Cranford. This brick house still stands, hidden behind a commercial building. The Lakewood Historical Society owns two paintings of this house, showing the beautiful farm that stretched to the lake.
  
  Curtis Hall’s oldest son Thomas built a lovely home on the northeast corner of Hall and Detroit, where he lived with his wife Ida and their four children. Ida and daughter Helen lived at this house until 1914. Family history states the house was moved to 1382 Hall and underwent extensive modifications.
  
  Other houses throughout Lakewood are connected with the Hall family. 1420 and 1424 Marlowe were owned by Joseph and Albert Hall, grandsons of patriarch Joseph. 1630 Rosewood, 1344 Edanola, row houses on Ethel and Edwards, commercial buildings on Detroit and several houses on Hall are linked to Hall descendents. It wouldn’t be surprising to learn of even more houses that have a connection to Joseph and Sarah Curtis Hall, some of the earliest settlers in Rockport Township.

  
  
  Albert Hall house, 1424 Marlowe
  
  
  Curtis Hall house, 16102 Detroit
  
  
  Thomas Hall house, 16506 Detroit