March 2021 Perspectives Newsletter

The newsletter of the Cleveland Restoration Society, NEO's voice for historic preservation. We believe in the future of our built heritage, from our neighborhoods to our monumental landmarks.

MARCH 2021 PRESERVATION NEWS & EVENTS

Don't forget to register for our upcoming Virtual SNOOP!

Virtual SNOOP! of the Dall-Mays Houses

CRS Members Only Event

Saturday, March 13th, 2021

10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Join us for a Virtual SNOOP! of the Dall-Mays Houses on March 13th at 10:00 am.

Located at 2225 and 2229 East 46th Street in Cleveland’s Central neighborhood, these landmark structures from the 1870s were originally erected by Andrew Dall, Jr. and his brother, James, sons of master mason Andrew Dall, Sr. For over 40 years, James and Frances Mays owned and cared for the houses, making one their home, and renting the other, always honoring and respecting the Dall history. The Cleveland Restoration Society has been working diligently to stabilize and save these severely threatened homes from demolition.

After a virtual program to tour the houses and learn about their history, there will be a Q&A with CRS Board Chair and Chair of the Dall-Mays task force, Scott C. Holbrook; task force member, trustee, and principal at Hiti, DiFrancesco and Siebold, Inc., Anthony W. Hiti, AIA; and task force member and nephew of James and Frances Mays, Norman Mays.

Interested in this event, but not a CRS member?

Join CRS today!

Become a Member

Make history when you sponsor the 2021 Celebration of Preservation virtual awards

This 2021 virtual Celebration of Preservation is the perfect opportunity to support historic preservation and the places you and your organization care about. As a sponsor, your company will receive exposure to an expansive online audience of architects, planners, city representatives, and nonprofits across greater Cleveland.

Please secure your sponsorship by Friday, May 7, 2021

Become a Sponsor

Questions? Email Stephanie Phelps.

Advertise your business in Facade

Facade magazine is the voice of historic preservation in Northeast Ohio. Published since 1972, each issue spotlights significant preservation projects across the region. Compelling narratives and stunning photographs capture the stories of the people and places that contribute to our cultural heritage. The biannual publication details the projects that are underway to help preserve our architectural fabric and celebrate the history of our legacy city.

Advertising opportunities are now available for the Spring 2021 issue of Facade. Your advertisement will reach nearly 1,000 subscribers and prospective clients who care about historic preservation, including members of the Cleveland Restoration Society, Heritage Home Program^SMparticipants, and corporate, cultural and non-profit community partners.

The deadline to submit ads for the Spring 2021 issue of Facade is March 15. Please send your inquiries and artwork (full color, high resolution PDF or JPEG) to Margaret Lann at mlann@clevelandrestoration.org.

Purchase Advertisement

Upcoming Heritage Home Program events

Check out our upcoming Heritage Home Program^sm virtual information sessions and presentations.

Registration is free, but required. Anyone interested in joining can register online at the links below or call the Heritage Home Program staff at 216-426-3116.

March 24th at 6:00pm • General Information Session

April 14th at 6:00pm • General Information Session

April 21th at 6:00pm • Rehab 101

April 28th at 6:00pm • General Information Session

May 12th at 6:00pm • General Information Session

May 19th at 6:00pm • Researching Your Home

HHP Events Calendar

Lee-Seville & Lee-Harvard oral history video series

The Cleveland Restoration Society honors the Black experience in a new oral history series. Listen to the true life stories of Clevelander’s who’ve lived it. We hope you take this opportunity to honor and learn about this rich cultural experience in our region, and by purchasing a copy of The Making of Cleveland’s Black Suburb in the City: Lee-Seville & Lee-Harvard or the b ook/cd combo, featuring the music of Lee-Seville Resident Michael Rubin.

The first three oral history videos in this ongoing series are available on our Facebook, Instagram and YouTube Channel.

Watch the series

Cleveland RFQ for surplus Cleveland Metropolitan School District sites

The City of Cleveland (City) and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) are jointly issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to select real estate development project teams for the redevelopment of 12 vacant school buildings and 7 sites of vacant land.

61.6 acres across the 19 sites
967000 square feet of existing buildings across 12 sites
6 sites are designated historic
3 sites are located within Opportunity Zones

Redevelopment proposals are to be submitted for one specific building or one specific vacant land site. Project teams may submit proposals for more than one site; however, each site proposal must be submitted separately.

The deadline for the RFQ responses is 5:00 PM on Friday, April 30th, 2021.

Learn More

Club Azteca

On Feb. 25, the Cleveland Landmarks Commission reviewed the proposed demolition of two structures in Detroit-Shoreway. The demolition of these buildings would make room for a new housing development. Both structures are linked to immigrant communities in Cleveland. While not architecturally significant in the traditional sense, the buildings are linked to the cultural heritage of the Mexican and Vietnamese communities. This meeting revealed how important place can be, and is an example of why many preservationists have been pushing for changes in the field of historic preservation to become more inclusive of buildings that hold cultural significance rather than architectural significance.

Cleveland’s Mexican and Latinx community came together at the meeting to speak up for the preservation of the Club Azteca building and their heritage. Cleveland Restoration Society supports the Mexican-American community and believes that portions of the structure, decorative elements and/or its legacy can be preserved and incorporated into the new development at the site. CRS made the following statement at the Landmarks Commission meeting:

The Cleveland Restoration Society supports the request of Mexican-American community to have more time to explore ways to preserve the cultural heritage of this site. There are a lack of recognized historic sites for Mexican-Americans and Latinx in Cleveland, making this site all the more important. The Cleveland Restoration Society suggests that the developer should include professional documentation of the property, and make every effort to salvage materials related to the cultural heritage of the site for potential reuse either by the Mexican-American community or the developer. The developer could leverage the Cleveland story of Mexican-Americans in the project. We have seen previous examples of adapted structures that incorporate the history of the building through images and items that are placed in the public spaces as a part of its new use. We believe there is an opportunity here for Mexican-American community to play a continuing role in this project.

Read more about inclusive preservation

Cleveland Arts Prize now accepting applications

The Cleveland Arts Prize (CAP) was established by the Women’s City Club in 1960. In its earliest years, the group commissioned the Arts Prize medal, launched a scholarship program and established an endowment that secured the traditional annual awarding of prizes. That strong focus on incremental growth, and leveraging limited resources toward having an outsized community impact, laid the groundwork for the CAP of today – the nation’s oldest municipal arts award and an ongoing platform for celebrating Northeast Ohio’s exceptional arts community.

2021 introduces the most significant change to the discipline prizes in CAP’s history. The 60 year nomination process is now open to applications. This change is an important step in making CAP more accessible and inclusive, and provides a greater opportunity for our jurors to discover new talent.

The submission period runs from March 1 - May 1, 2021.

Learn More

YWCA's 21 Day Racial Equity and Social Justice Challenge

Register for YWCA 21-Day Racial Equity and Social Justice Challenge, taking place March 1 through March 29. This challenge is designed to create dedicated time and space to build more effective social-justice habits, particularly those relating to issues of race, power, privilege, and leadership.

Learn More

Events calendar

Wednesday, March 10th • 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Speaking of Cleveland Virtual Tour | Women & Politics

Online Event

Western Reserve Historical Society

Join WRHS for a virtual tour of Women and Politics! Presented by PNC and WRHS in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland, Women and Politics is a virtual exhibit that traces the story of women’s empowerment, explores the early days of the suffragist movement, examines the successful fight for the 19th Amendment, and celebrates the birth and growth of the League of Women Voters as a force for clean government and the election of northern Ohio women to positions of power.

Price: $15 general admission / $10 WRHS member admission

Friday, March 12th • 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Strong Towns with Charles Marohn - A Strengthening Legacy Cities Event

Online Event

Ohio State University Center for Urban and Regional Analysis

Ohio’s legacy cities have many highly-sought features such as dense, walkable centers, abundant and affordable housing and infrastructure, and closely-knit communities and skilled workers from their industrial past and immigration history. How can legacy cities leverage these assets to restore their economic vitality while promoting a socially just and sustainable communities?

Join us for a special presentation with Charles Marohn the Founder and President of Strong Towns and the author of Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity.

Wednesday, March 17th • 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Speaking of Cleveland | Battle for the Ballot: Cleveland’s Suffragist Movement

Online Event

Western Reserve Historical Society

There is no complete record of the brave, often unnamed women who fought for their right to vote and finally triumphed in 1920. Learn about a band of women who dedicated themselves to the public interest and grew into an organization that won the respect and confidence of the nation. This program will tell the story behind the Cleveland women who advocated for suffrage and went on to help establish the League of Women Voters.

Price: $15 general admission / $10 WRHS member admission

Friday, March 26th • 7:00 pm

Speaking of Cleveland | Battle for the Ballot: Cleveland’s Suffragist Movement

Online Event

African American Archives Auxiliary of Western Reserve Historical Society

Join the African American Archives Auxiliary (Quad A) of WRHS for a virtual Women's History Month event featuring a presentation by the Rev. Courtney Clayton Jenkins, Senior Pastor of the South Euclid United Church of Christ.

Learn more.

Monday, April 12th • 7:00 pm

History of the Cinder Path

Online Event

Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library

A paved pedestrian path extends from Bradford Road between South Taylor and Canterbury. Why is it there? Find out the unique history of this path, and what neighbors are doing to improve its green space. Hosted by Heights Libraries on ZOOM.

No registration required log in with ZOOM ID: 812 2370 6193

Click here for more information.

Generous project support is also provided by The Louise H. and David S. Ingalls Foundation.

The African American Civil Rights Trail project is supported through a grant from the African American Civil Rights grant program as administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. The project has also been funded in part by a grant from the Johanna Favrot Fund for Historic Preservation of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Government. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Cleveland Restoration Society | Website