Neighborhood: Slavic Village
Distance This Neighborhood: 101.9 miles
Distance So Far: 979.35 miles
The Bohemian National Hall (4939 Broadway Ave) was built in 1896-97 by Czech immigrants (then knowns as Bohemians) as their community hall. It is believed to be the first building owned by a nationality group in Cleveland. At the time of the hall's construction, there were approximately 40,000 Bohemians living in Cleveland alone. In 1915, it was the site of the signing of the Cleveland Agreement which contributed to the formation of Czechoslovakia in 1918. In the early 2000s, the Hall underwent a major restoration and renovation that added an athletics complex and restored the ballroom (here's a recent photo of Bike Cleveland's annual banquet held in the space). Volunteers donated over 3,500 hours of labor to assist with the project. The hall also has its own impressive museum and gift shop. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Here's the addition that was built in the early 2000s. It features the athletic complex and classrooms. Both the main building and the addition make up the Czech Cultural Center of Sokol Greater Cleveland.
This run happened to take place during Cleveland Fish Fry season and Sokol puts on a good one.
Across the street from Bohemian Hall is Arch Park which was created in 2016. There are two main features to the park design: one is a bioswale filled with native grasses and perennials and the other is a series of landscape mounds. The walking path is also made of porous asphalt. The project was funded through a grant from the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.
Part of Arch Park includes this piece of public art titled "Cycle of Arches" which was completed in 2016. The Ohio & Erie Canalway Association awarded funds for the project due to its location along Broadway Ave, which is part of America's Byways - Ohio & Erie Canalway route. The piece was created by local architect/artist Jonathan Kurtz who holds a Master of Architecture Degree with Distinction from Harvard University and is a past recipient of the Cleveland Arts Prize Emerging Artist Award for Architecture.
Bob & Sheri's 49er Diner (5006 Broadway Ave) is a 50s-style truck stop diner owned by Bob & Sherri Page who opened it in 1981. It survived a devastating car crash during the pandemic but bounced back stronger than ever.
Inside the 49er for a post-run meal just before closing time.
Fire Station #13 is located next to the 49er. It opened in 1981 and is home to the Bureau of Emergency Apparatus Maintenance (BEAM) unit which "confidently, skillfully, and quickly provides emergency repair to the Division of Fire and Cleveland Division of Emergency Medical Service fleets."
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Here's the old Station #13, located on the corner of Broadway & Wendall Ave. The #13 station dates all the way back to 1877 in this location and operated for over 100 years, closing in 1981. In 1998, the City of Cleveland sold it to Susan Garofoli (now Olsen) who spent $125,000 ($378K in 2025 dollars) restoring the property. She still owns it and operates her business - SGD Design, an interior sign shop - there to this day.
The Cleveland Velodrome – a banked oval bicycling complex and racetrack located at 5033 Broadway Ave – was built in 2012. It is the only velodrome in Ohio and one of only 26 in the United States. As an outdoor facility, it is open 6 months per year (May through October) and hosts about 20 races per season, typically on Friday or Saturday evenings. The organization that operates the facility provides free youth programming (age 18 and under) as well as a Track 101 class ("learn to ride class"), which is free for adults. They also offen open rides on some days.
5155 The Rising (5115 Broadway Ave) is a $20 million, 88-unit, multi-family affordable housing complex built in 2022 through a partnership between NRP Group and University Settlement, an organization that began as a training facility for Case Western Reserve University social science students in the 1920s and evolved into a non-profit that provides transitional housing and other critical neighborhood services for at least 54% of Slavic Village residents. The development sits on the site of the former historic St. Alexis (Michael) Hospital (photo) which served the Slavic Village community for nearly 119 years before closing in December 2003. The world's first human-to-human blood transfusion occurred at St. Alexis in 1906.
This street memorial next to The Rising caught my attention from across the grass lot.
Broadway United Methodist Church (5246 Broadway Ave) began as a Sunday school in 1872 and by 1910, there were 1,200 children from 7 different nationalities attending, giving it a national reputation for immigrant outreach. The Neo-Gothic church was built by Bohemians in 1918 and was known as "Old Broadway." It featured an original-sized 15'x30' painting of Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper," one of only two like it in the country. The piece was commissioned by Oliver Mead Stafford, mentioned earlier in the post. In 1957, restoration experts from Italy (working on the original painting) came to study the colors of the one in Cleveland. The parish closed in 2010 but the building is now home to the Neighborhood Leadership Institute.
This vibrant house at 3320 E. 55th was built in 1890. It's currently owned by a Reiki Master and self-help author which might explain the positive vibe it gives to the busy street.
Speaking of positive neighborhood vibes, here's a little more on nearby E. 54th Place.
Unfortunately, not far from the houses above is a stunning example of a once-magnificent Bohemian-styled home that's fallen into deep disrepair. It's an epic level of blight that takes on an almost tragically beautiful aesthetic. The home was built in 1892 by John W. Hradek for Joseph F. Troyan.
According to Cleveland Historical: The Jednota Building (3289 E. 55th Street) was built during the Great Depression as headquarters for the First Catholic Slovak Union, one of the largest and oldest ethnic fraternal organizations in the United States (1890). As the organization grew, it needed more space and this building was created in 1932 to meet that demand. The business would abandon Slavic Village in 1988, leaving for Independence township. As I understand it, the building is currently vacant and is experiencing vandalism. This one absolutely needs government and community attention/intervention to prevent its demise. It's a significant contributing structure to the Broadway Historic District (more on that further below in the post).
St. Johannes (John's) Evangelical Lutheran Church (3240 E. 55th Street) was built in 1889. It's served many other congregations over the years and is currently home to the Cuyahoga Faith Center.
Edgewood Park (3215 E. 55th Street) was built in 2009 by CHN Housing Partners in partnership with EDEN. It provides housing to those who have experienced considerable impediments to accessing housing. It also offers housing-based case management, life skills support, health and wellness programs, and employment training. 100+ years ago, the site was home to the offices of Standard Oil, Wilson Ave Lumber Company, and the Armenian Community Center.
Running under the E. 55th Street bridge.
Track Ave gets its name because it runs primarily next to - you guessed it - an active rail line. I accidently scared the hell out of a train enthusiast recording the information of a set of parked trains when doing this run. (If that individual is reading this post, apologies). And while it might seem like an isolated stretch, one resident puts on a pretty impressive holiday light display nearby which you can check out here.
The remains of the disconnected vehicle bridge at the end of Track Road connecting to Praha Street (which has been a road as far back as the 1870s).
The Willow neighborhood gets its name from the old Willow Elementary (5004 Glazier Ave). Today, it's a charter school called Broadway Academy at Willow (above). Willow is also the name of the adjacent freeway which would become I-77. The current school building above was built in 1963.
The Sixth Reformed Church (4840 Wendell Ave) was established in 1898 by the German community. For over 40 years, the church was also home to Apostolic Oneness Church and is currently home to Shelter The People Cleveland, a non-profit which designs, develops, and funds facilities for unhoused and housing insecure residents. They are a registered General Contractor with the City of Cleveland for this work as well.
Premium Metals (4389 Martin Ave) is a metal stamping and fabricating company located on the very last northern road of the Willow neighborhood. Just behind it is the interchange for I-77 & I-490 which once consisted of hundreds of homes and community institutions such as Warren Public School and St. Wenceslas Church, constructed in 1892, and the first Bohemian (Czech) church in Cleveland. It closed and was demolished in 1962 but spawned the St. Procop, St. Adalbert, and Our Lady of Lourdes churches.
Found these guys chillin' on Stupka Court. Laddie Stupka received the U.S. military Medal of Honor in 1903 for his effort during the wreck of the U.S.S. Leyden.
Lady Liberty makes an appearance on Douse Ave.
Finn Cafe (4641 Broadway Ave) is a longtime bar/restaurant in Slavic Village. It's now Sunnyspot @ Finn Cafe. Here's a Google review: "The sunny spot @ finn cafe is the place to be. There is a wraparound bar that has enough seating for everyone. TVs are everywhere. You would never know it but there is a Cigar lounge tucked off behind some closed doors. It is beautiful."
CLE Dogs Spa & Social (4733 Broadway Ave) is a full-service dog groomer offering a cage-free environment and play and stay daycare services. From one reviewer: "After an extensive search, I thankfully was led to Jaimie and CLEdogs. She took extra time with me on the phone to discuss our situation and what would be best as my doodle is a tough one to groom. I got to drop him off as part of the doggy daycare where he got to stay and hang all day! In between his groom he got to play with the other dogs, have treats, and even go for a walk to the park! And mom got fun updates with pictures and videos throughout the day! Being cage free and having the ability to interact with the other dogs was truly a game changer for my guy. The facility is clean and spacious. Jaimie is so dedicated, caring and compassionate. Your pooches will be in the best of hands."
The Broadway Ave Historic District - also once known as the Slavic Downtown - roughly mirrors the old historic commercial and cultural district of what was the epicenter of the Czech community in the neighborhood which, by 1910, was the largest in the United States. This district - historically known as Žižkov - consists of 43 buildings between Barkwill and Cable Aves and along Broadway Ave and E. 55th St.
The old Broadway Bank Building (E. 55th & Broadway) serves as something of an anchor of the historic district. It was established in 1893 primarily to serve the financial needs of the Polish settlers. It merged with several other banks over the years but eventually became Fisher's Dry Goods store. Czech-immigrant Ludvik Barta and his wife, Lenka, have operated 'Hubcap Heaven' here since 1979. Fun fact: Ludvik is also a violinist, Chess Master, and trained bricklayer. Here's a photo collage of him and the shop by John Skrtic.
The State Banking & Trust Co (5620 Broadway Avenue) was built in 1924 and is home to Slavic Village Development, the neighborhood development organization which was formed in 1998 after the merger of two smaller but similar organizations. The organization has raised over $160M for the neighborhood over the past 25+ years which has included 1,000 built or rehabbed housing units, park and greening initiatives, business assistance, public art projects, resident engagement and community events such as Rooms To Let and Celebrate Slavic Village. Check out their latest annual report for a snapshot of their good work.
On the side of the State Banking & Trust Building is this marker which briefly discusses the history of Slavic Village. It was installed during the city's bicentennial in 1996.
The Olympia Theater (3365 E. 65th Street) opened as a vaudeville house in 1913 and eventually transitioned to movies in 1918. It seated 2,000, making it one of the largest theaters in the United States. The venue also served as a place for local live ethnic music such as the Polish Opera and polka. The building closed in 1981 and was renovated into apartments in 1987 (the auditorium was demolished). In 2024, plans were announced for a multi-million dollar renovation of the second and third floors of the building.
The former historic Cleveland Public Library-Broadway Branch (5437 Broadway Ave) opened in 1906. It was part of Andrew Carnegie's pledge of $590K to build 15 libraries in Cleveland. It has one of the most ornate interiors you may have ever seen in a neighborhood library. The branch closed in 1988 and became home to a restaurant, coffee house, and event center over the years. However, it was eventually abandoned and fell into deep disrepair. In 2022, Alaskan Darl Schaff fully restored the building, turning it into the incredible and eclectic Darl Center for the Arts. It's something to behold in person and one of the best revitalization stories in all of my running and research with this project.
Our Lady of Lourdes (3353 E. 53rd Street) was founded in 1883 primarily to serve the growing Czech and Slovak population in the area. The church above was completed in 1902 after 9 years of construction and served as a cultural and social hub in addition to a religious center for incoming immigrants from Europe. By 1920, it had over 6,000 parishioners and hosted over 45 different organizations. Over the years, demographics changed and a number of Hispanics from places like Venezuela, El Salvador, Puerto Rico and Mexico began settling in the area. The church primarily serves that community today, continuing to fulfill its original mission of helping serve as a refuge for immigrant populations.
Behind the church is the rectory, built in 1927.
Our Lady of Lourdes School was founded adjacent to the church in 1905 and served first through sixth grades initially. Between 1915 and 1955, a convent, gymnasium, and rectory were all added. Grades seven through nine were added in 1939, and a high school in 1944. The school closed in 1969 and merged with Cleveland Central Catholic. Since then, the building has served as home to other schools over the years.
Barkwill Playground (Barkwill & Dolloff) was established in 1982. It was the site of the old Barkwill Elementary School which was built in 1896 and closed in 1979 (here's a photo). It was named after Charles Barkwill, a brick manufacturer, oil merchant, and president of Columbia Savings & Loan. Here's an 1874 rendition of his grand home on Broadway Ave.
This building at 5353 Dolloff Road across from Our Lady of Lourdes was once a "Bohemian Beer Garden" in the 1930s according to the Americke Delnicke Listy ("American Workingman's News"). It appears to have been a tavern for most of its existence. Today it is home to Your Place & Mine Grill.
The Anton Zverina Building was built in 1884 as a grocery store and also "Hotel Bohemia" at one point. It was built by notable architect Andrew Robert Mitermiler who also helped design the Bohemian National Hall among other buildings. Anton Zverina and his wife Kristina immigrated to Cleveland from Bohemia in 1874. Their son, Anton, opened the grocery store above. He was an early pioneer of the process of adding chicory root as an ingredient in coffee blends and as a coffee substitute. He built a chicory factory on nearby Blanche Ave (pictured a few photos below) and later added a rye flour mill and a Bohemian rye bread bakery. The Zverinas lived first near the East 55th Street and Broadway area, but later moved to a grand home at 12210 Miles Road. Behind the home is the Miles Garden Log Cabin & Herb Garden which was built in 1908 by Zervina for his children as a playhouse. In 1963, it was donated to the Board of Education and became an highly regarded herb garden for the school system. The cabin is a designated Cleveland landmark but is in very rough shape today. The Zverina family also have an endowment at Case Western Reserve University which has sponsored a lecture series in their name since 1979. And if you want to go really deep, there's a 1980 book about the Zverinas (written by a family member).
A little further down the street is the old Elgin Furniture Store at 5217 Broadway Ave. The building was built in 1915. Elgin was founded in 1949 and operated in this location for about 3.5 decades before moving their headquarters to Euclid and opening several shops in the eastern suburbs. (Why don't these businesses take down their signs when they leave, especially ones still in business elsewhere?). The building is currently owned by a real estate firm from Columbus which owns others on the block and attempted to sell most of them in 2023.
This amazing building at 5362 Broadway Ave was built in 1885 and - according to research by NEOTrans - originally housed a nickelodeon motion picture parlor on the ground floor plus apartments in the 1900s. In the 20s and 30s, it was home to The National Home Club, a Slavic community service organization. In recent years, it was home to a church but is now boarded up and owned by the same Columbus real estate company that owns the vacant Elgin block above.
On the back on the Panek Building is an old ghost advertisement for Honest Scrap, a chewing tobacco which existed from the late 1800s to the 1950s.
Fountain of Grace Ministries (3210 E. 49th St.) is a religious-based recovery service organization for folks suffering from addiction. They also offer free meals, clothes, and hygiene products. It is co-led by Pastor Albert Lewis and his wife, co-pastor Marnetta Lewis. The building was built in 1890 and was home to Markewicz Grocery for many years.
The Cleveland-branded Jersey barricade at the dead end of Pershing Ave now blocks what was once the busy Clark Ave bridge which connected Tremont with Slavic Village over the blazing blast furnaces of the Industrial Valley. Here's a photo.
The Ferrum 77 Office Building (3100 East 45th St.) was originally constructed in 1917 as the main office for Republic Steel. It features a marble lobby with an original mural of the Industrial Valley which you can see in one of the photos in the link.
This path at Roseville Court was built by ODOT in 2019 as part of work on I-77/I-490. It will now become an important connection piece of the long-awaited Slavic Village Downtown Connector Trail which will begin construction next year (if the Trump administration doesn't cancel the funding). Here's a video of the route.
Speaking of ODOT, their I-77 maintenance facility is located right next to the trail.
This house - self-titled "The Farmhouse" - is located on E. 48th, adjacent to I-77 but actually has livestock. If you look closely near the small fence on the left, that's a goat. A goat living next to I-77. Bet you never knew.
Next to the The Farmhouse are the remnants of an old brick-paved, 5-point brick intersection lost to time along with most of the surrounding neighborhood during the construction of I-77 (seen in the distance where the street dead ends). In fact, the Farmhouse is the only remaining house in the entire southwest quadrant of that old neighborhood.
Hedalloy Die Corp (3266 E. 49th Street) has been in Slavic Village since the early 1950s. The company is family-owned and, instead of leaving for the suburbs over a decade ago, they stayed and expanded.
The Gorman-Lavelle Plumbing Company (3459 East 52nd Pl), founded in 1926, has been family-owned and operated for nearly a century. They have done work for many high-profile projects such as the new Sherwin-Williams headquarters in Public Square, Huntington Convention Center, Rocket Fieldhouse, Cleveland Browns Stadium, and a number of Cleveland Clinic campus buildings.
This building at 5308 Blanche Ave was built in 1907 and was where Anton Zervina created his chicory roasting plant (mentioned several photos above). It eventually became home to the Ohio Wholesale Grocery Company. Here's some cool info on the history of grocery wholesalers in Cleveland. The building is still active but its exact use is unclear. It was most recently an automotive transmission shop.
Just behind the building at 5224 Blanche Ave was the manufacturing site for Anton Zverina's flour mill where he made Bohemian-styled rye bread. Built in 1898.
Vcela Building (5703 Broadway Ave) was built in 1923 and was home to the Vcela Savings & Loan. It has been home to other banks over the years but was always a bank. Fun fact: "Vcela" means "bee" in Czech.
This building at 5725 Broadway was built in 1890 and originally served as a gas appliance business and later became a tailor shop. In the 1940s, it began housing a law office. Its last tenant was also an attorney. However, that individual died unexpectedly in 2021 and over $63K in back property taxes, water, and wastewater charges have accumulated. It entered foreclosure by the County in January of this year. However, the County is having trouble serving the paperwork to a known party. This can be the challenge with such properties. Let's hope they can see the case through so that this historic district structure has a fighting chance at new ownership and restoration.
The Whitney Stained Glass Studio (5929 Broadway Ave) was founded by James Whitney, who was a Research Fellow in the Sacred Landmarks Initiative at Cleveland State University where he conducted and published research on the science of stained glass restoration and on the history of stained glass in America. Whitey himself helped restore pieces as old as the 14th century over his 30 year career. The company's master painter, Peter Billingsworth, took ownership of the studio after Whitney's untimely death in 2005. The company has received numerous awards and have been been involved in many notable projects over the years. One of the more recent ones is the West Side Market clock tower.
Beat The Streets Cleveland (6107 Broadway Ave) is a non-profit youth development organization founded in 2016 which focuses on mentorship and youth athletics, specifically in the sport of wrestling. It is one of 7 national chapters. Bonus: the organization's facility (above) repurposed a vacant dollar store which was a major eyesore on Broadway Ave.
Masonry Restoration Maintenance (5618 Hamlet Ave) is family-owned business established in 1993 and specializes in - you guessed it - masonry repair. One of their more recent signature projects was the City of Strongsville's clock tower. The building (Thornton) was built in 1905.
This building at 5920 Engle Ave was founded in 1913 and was originally home to Church of the Union Disciples which later became Broadway Christian Church about 10 years later (still is today). The church has offered a summer reading program for nearly 50 years.
The Willow Station post office branch (5725 Portage Ave). Willow is the historic neighborhood nickname for the residential and commercial area around the E. 55th & Broadway Ave. It's influenced the naming of nearby items such as the Willow Freeway (the precursor to I-77) which began planning in 1927 and would include Ohio's first cloverleaf interchange.
Johnny's Beverage might have the nicest rooftop deck of any convenience store in Cleveland. Owner Jerome Jackson and the store were featured in a 2009 New York Times article during the neighborhood's fight for survival amid the foreclosure crisis. The house it's attached to was actually built in 1890 and I believe Jackson lives there.
Have a nice day from the good folks at 5737 Portage Ave.
Track crossing of the old Erie Railroad at E. 65th. This once mighty line was chartered in 1848 and greatly aided Cleveland's industrial rise over a century and a half. Today, the line provides limited freight service roughly between Broadway Ave and the Nestle Stouffer's plant in Solon.
The old Ferro Machine & Foundry Co. (3155 E. 66th Street), which was founded in 1900. The company primarily made cylinder engine blocks for the Ford Motor Company. During WWII, Ferro produced more than 100,000 tons of castings for military vehicles as well as millions of armory shells. Despite its appearance, the building is still active and home to the National Plating Company.
This massive facility was Ferro Machine & Foundry's Plant No. 2, which is located on Bessemer Road about about two blocks west of the building above. After Ferro, it was home to the Stewart-Bolling Co. Inc. That company merged with Yodor Co. which was founded by Carl Yoder and was the largest manufacturer of electric-welded tube and pipe mills and roll-forming mills at one point in time. Today, the property is used by a top manufacturer of airfield signage (Lumacurve). Their product is used in 1,000 airports across the world.
The former Jean's Tavern (3197 E. 65th) was located right between the Ferro plants and in easy walking distance to many other of the industrial hubs in the neighborhood. Grabbing a beer here after a shift back in the day must have been like a scene from The Deer Hunter. Here's a photo of Jean's from 1951. The building - built in 1900 - is home to a neighborhood activist who was savagely beaten in 2007 but recovered and chose to stay in neighborhood to try to make it better.
All that remains of the former Empire Plow complex (3140 E. 65th Street) which was founded in Georgia in 1840 (yes, eighteen) and moved to Cleveland in 1887. The company produced farm equipment and, during World War II, produced airstrip landing mats. The company relocated out of Cleveland in 2019 after 136 years in this same location. It was demolished in 2023 to make way for an expanded trucking operation.
The St. Hyacinth neighborhood gets its name from this church and parish on the corner of E. 61st & Francis Ave. According The Sanctuary Museum: "When Polish-Catholic immigrants first settled in the Francis Avenue / East 61st Street area, they had to travel to St. Stanislaus Parish on Forman Avenue to celebrate Mass. The long distance and crowded conditions of the church led many Jackowo (now St. Hyacinth) neighborhood residents to petition Bishop Ignatius F. Horstmann to establish a new Polish nationality parish. The Diocese responded by establishing St. Hyacinth Parish on December 20, 1906." The church above is the second built and was erected in 1950. The school & auditorium behind it - built in 1925 - closed in 1990 and the parish was ended by the Catholic Diocese in 2009. Today, the campus is home to Elizabeth Baptist Church and remains a Cleveland Landmark.
The Hyacinth Loft Apartments (3030 E. 63rd Street) is a 51-unit market-rate apartment building located across the street from Hyacinth Park. Built in 1932, it was originally the book depository building for the Cleveland Board of Education.
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This massive building 3101 E. 55th Street was built in 1927 for the Kroger grocery chain as a warehouse and bakery. The chain lasted in the Cleveland market until the mid-1980s when unionization pressures and competition of other chains resulted in them leaving the market. In 1979, Corlett Movers moved their operations to the building.
This building at 3027 E. 55th Street was built in 1917. It was originally a warehouse and was home to the I. Schumann & Co. which made copper ingots and pellets at this site through recycling (you can still make out their ghost sign on the building). Today, the building is home to the Victory White Metal Company which was founded in 1920.
This building at 3077 E. 55th Street was built in 1917 and was home to the Moser Bag & Paper Company which made specialty paper bags. Fun Fact 1: The company was the owner of a patent for microwavable bags with plastic pinhole vents. Fun Fact 2: In 1964, the former president of the company commissioned famed local Japanese-American architect Fred Toguchi to built this mid-century modern home in Pepper Pike. Toguchi also designed the Burke Airport Terminal; Clark Tower dorm at Case Western Reserve University; and the Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood among other award-winning buildings. Fun Fact 3: President Jimmy Carter met with the Cleveland Council of Small Enterprise & Business Association here on October 9, 1976.
This dead end on E. 50th led to what was part of Kingsbury Run known as Jackass Hill (now the Opportunity Corridor, more on that below). It's close to the location where, in September 1935, one of the first victims of the infamous Torso Killer was found. According to police reports, two teenage boys discovered the decapitated, emasculated corpse of a white male at the base of Jackass Hill. The body, naked save for a pair of socks, was clean and drained of blood, with rope burns around both wrists. The coroner determined the cause of death had been decapitation. Fingerprints identified this victim as Edward Andrassy, a twenty-eight-year old white male who frequented the area. While several suspects were identified, the Torso Killer was never officially caught. The killings inspired the creation of many books and even some movies to include an upcoming one that will begin filming this year at actual locations throughout Cleveland where the real events happened.
Across the street is this deteriorating structure. The wood-framed building on the left was built in 1900 but has probably reached the end of its useful life (along with the rest of the facility) and is now crumbling into the street. The whole site is owned by a subsidiary of Quality Stamping Products who operates an active business only about a block away.
This cool but creepy looking building at 3009 E. 50th Street was built in 1924 and was home to a metal stamping business and motorcycle repair shop at various stages of its life. It, too, is owned by Quality Stamping Products.
Acme-Krivanek Iron Rails (2928 E. 54th) - the maker of ornate iron railing - was founded in 1922 by Joseph Krivanek, a blacksmith who also lived next door. He introduced his stepson, Leonard Jetsek, to the work starting at the age of 10 and by 13, he was accompanying him on jobs. Leonard wanted to be an architect but the Great Depression killed those plans. After WWII, Leonard, his stepfather and another partner formed the company and took advantage of the post-war construction boom. Leonard passed the business off to his sons after he retired and died in 1999 at the age of 85. At its peak, the company employed 15 and its handiwork can been seen up and down the streets of Cleveland.
All that remains of the old Central Brass office building (5408 Bragg Road), maker of water faucets and valves of every shape, size, and use. The company was acquired by Pioneer and still produces produces products under the Central Brass brand (here). The building was built in 1905 and was originally home to Bragg Bronze & Aluminum Foundry.
The remnants of Central Brass's main manufacturing building, demolished several years ago.
A blighted home in the St. Hyacinth neighborhood.
This building at 5900 Maurice Ave was built in 1919 and was home to the Ohio Electric Manufacturing Company which made custom built electric motors. It's had a number of companies call it home over the years but one of the current tenants is the Globe Sewing Machine Company. Here's a recent review: "Peter was amazing. He is so knowledgeable and very patient. I cannot believe I found him. If you have ANY sewing questions or need something repaired you MUST go to him. Also, this place is beyond cool if you are into vintage sewing machines."
Another Chance of Ohio (2974 E. 65th Street) is a non-profit founded by neighborhood leader Barbara Anderson, a victim of predatory lending who has been featured in several documentaries, talk shows, programs, and hearings about the housing crisis (she once even got to ask a question to then-Presidential hopeful Barack Obama about how his administration would handle the situation). The organization offers a host of services to those in need. The building above is the organization's "Free Shop" which offers clothes, food, furniture, and appliances to those in need in a confidential manner.
The historic Sideway Bridge - a pedestrian bridge once connecting the Slavic Village and Kinsman neighborhoods - is Cleveland's one and only suspension bridge. Built in 1930, the bridge has sat abandoned for five decades after it was set on fire in the 1966 Hough Riots during the civil rights movement. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in October 2022 and is a Cleveland Landmark. Here's a good story from a few years ago about the history and hope for the bridge. Fun Fact: This was not the first Sideway Bridge. A wooden bridge - Cleveland's longest at 675 feet - was built in 1909. Here's an article (with a photo of that bridge) during its opening celebration.
The 65th Street Gym (3153 E. 65th Street) is a boxing gym which has been going strong for about 30 years. It's produced three Olympians in that time, including current undefeated professional Welterweight Delante 'Tiger' Johnson.
A little bit of macabre humor on Hubbard Ave.
This building at 3210 E. 65th Street was once the office building for J. D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil No. 2 Works plant which occupied a big chunk of real estate in this part of Slavic Village back in the day.
The old Cleveland Frog & Crossing Building (6918 Bessemer Street). The company was founded in 1884 to produce their patented railroad frog which permitted a train traveling on one track to pass over an intersecting track. Their product was so popular that, by 1904, a new factory was built (above) containing some of the most specialized frog-making equipment in the country. It eventually was purchased by the Pettibone Ohio Corp. The building is still active and owned by Progress Rail, a division of Caterpillar.
The former Cleveland Hardware & Forging Company No. 2 plant building (3270 E. 79th Street). The original plant opened in 1887 in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood. This location was created in 1906 to manufacture drop forgings (i.e. shaping metal into complex shapes for various uses) and would go on to become a leading producer in the industry. In the 1960s, all operations were consolidated to this location. Toward the end of the 20th century, it remained a major producer of stamped hardware for numerous commercial uses. The company merged with ones in Illinois and Green Bay and was rebranded W.E. Hoban in 2024. Hoban worked at Cleveland Hardware for decades and purchased the company in 1985. Despite its deteriorated appearance, the company still lists this location as active. Right next to the plant, Rust Belt Riders - a very popular food composting and soil production (Tilth) company - recently acquired leasing rights form the City to consolidate and expand their business. It's a great success story for the neighborhood and Cleveland.
This Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company building and transformer station at 1905 Union Ave has been in this exact location since 1930.
Zip code 44105 - where this home is located - was considered the epicenter of the national housing foreclosure crisis during the Great Recession. This landed Slavic Village on 60 Minutes in 2011. 15 years later, the neighborhood still struggles with the fallout from the crisis. If you want a great explainer and follow-up to that moment in time in Slavic Village, watch the new(ish) documentary The House Next Door.
This community garden on the corner of E. 78th & Union Ave is owned by the Black Power Truth Hour foundation. Here is a Cleveland Voices interview with the founder in which he discusses his activism and the challenges facing Cleveland's neighborhoods.
This building at 3387 E. 75th is the only structure remaining from what was once the Fulton Foundry & Machine Company Atlantic Plant, whose roots date back to 1872. It manufactured machine casting parts for rolling mills and furnaces as well as a line of drilling and tapping machines, among other things. Today, the site is a facility for Container Homes USA, a builder of residential, recreational, and commercial shipping container homes. You can see a few in storage in the background.
This community recycling bin in the 3400 block of E. 73rd is in memory of Carl Eldridge who lived on the street and worked in the area his entire life. It's hard to read the smaller notes on the sign but they say that the money generated from can recycling will be donated to local charities. There's a note from his daughter which reads: "As a child, my father would make it so fun collecting cans & crushing them. Sharing his legacy, one can at a time."
Well done, Weld Done. Actually, the business closed years ago but the clever name still remains at 7001 Morgan Ave. The building was originally home to the Perma-Stain Company, the maker of various forms of stained, wood roof shingles. Here's some matchbook swag from back when business was a-boomin'.
Regent Park (E. 70th & Regent Rd) is a 4.6 acre park featuring basketball courts, a playground, and splash pad. It used to have a popular swimming pool back in the day but it was removed in 1989. The park received a $750K upgrade a few years ago. Not long after I did this run, the Cleveland Guardians did a tree planting here with Western Reserve Land Conservancy. Even Slider got in on the action. Here's a few photos.
This piece of art inside Regent Park was done by Stephen Manka in 2020 and is titled 'A Current Unraveled'. Description: "twelve upright tubes are arranged to mimic the flow of water. Groups of the wavy poles curve in multiple directions, and the work appears differently depending on where the viewer is standing. People can also walk through the sculpture, making them look like they are caught in an abstract current."
Adjacent to Regent Park is a community garden. A little further to the left and in the distance is the site of a tree planting project from last fall with Slavic Village Development and Holden Forests & Gardens (photos).
This bar on the corner of W. 65th & Morgan Road was built in 1911 and probably always was a bar. It was once known as Alex Cafe and more recently, Triple T, but not much info could be found. The building now appears to be vacant.
A stone's throw away from the bar is one of the former factories on Morgan Ave where a lot of the bar patrons likely worked. It's the site of the old International Foundry Company.
This building at 6513 Union Ave was once a former Cleveland Electric Illuminating company building. Today, it's home to Mock Tuna, a female-owned, full-service, commercial photography studio with bigtime clients such as Nike, Adidas, Spotify, Rue 21, Uber Eats and Lego to name a notable few. Check out the beautiful interior they've created. Prior to Mock Tuna, it was home to the Inca Tea franchise which has cafes at the airport. The owner of the company (along with other partners) purchased 7 buildings in Slavic Village - several in the Broadway Historic District - with promises to revitalize them. However, it appears that they have unloaded nearly all. Many remain in dangerous, deteriorating condition. This building was an exception.
Next door to Mock Tuna is another handsome building which was originally home to Bartunek's Brothers which made affordable suits, overcoats, and topcoats. Here's a photo from back in the day of full production. Today it's home to an auto dealership.
This building at 6800 Union Ave was once home to the F.C. Thornton Company, maker of sheet metal containers and other things. Today, it's home to Lextech Industries, a precision stamping manufacturer. On the backside of their building is the iconic Morgan Run Trail mural (photo). More on the trail below.
The A.H. Marty Company (6900 Union Ave) was founded in 1910. It's owned by the Champion brothers, whose mother ran the business between 1991 to the early 2010s after their father passed away (she was a stay-at-home mom with no manufacturing experience but made it happen). All three sons went to the University of Cincinnati and eventually returned home to help run the business. The company does odds and ends custom industrial fabrication and welding jobs. Here's a good article from back in 2011.
The M. Basta building (7001 Union Ave) which was built in 1908. I couldn't find much information on Basta or the use of the building other than info on tenants who lived in the upstairs apartments over the years. However, in 2018, it was acquired by David Blackshire for $0 from the State of Ohio via forfeiture. In 2020, the city issued a condemnation notice in which Blackshire appealed and requested a year to abate the nuisances. By the looks of things, that didn't happen.
Great looking set of buildings still in tack in the 7100 block on building. All were built between 1900-1920. The middle building was home to Robert's Hardware for decades.
This parcel of land at 6500 Union Ave was once the site of Union Elementary School. The original building was built in 1894 and lasted until 1968 when it was replaced with a new building that was demolished when the school closed in 2014. Here's a photo of both schools.
This beautiful park space at 6920 Union Ave was created and is maintained by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District as part of their green infrastructure work to help reduce stormwater runoff. The path in the center connects to the Morgana Run Trail (background, more on the trail below). It's the former site of the Forest City Brewing Company which was founded by Czech immigrant Michael Albl in 1904 and was a giant among breweries of its time. Although it survived Prohibition, the company was purchased in the 1940s and the building on Union Ave was eventually vacated. However, the Journal of Historic Preservation deemed it to be "“the most distinctive and unusual industrial architecture to be found on this continent” and was the only brewery building in Cleveland to be named to the National Register of Historic Places. He's what the building looked like back in 2009 a few years before it was demolished in 2012.
Across the street from old main brewing building was their bottle works plant. In November 1948, it became the home of Corlett Movers who converted it into a household goods storage warehouse. It was the first among Cleveland moving companies to offer its customers safe storage in private vault containers. The company - owned by the Czech-American Vencl family - contributed funds for the conversion of the old Mount Pleasant Theater at 3689 East 131st Street into the Sokol Tyrs gymnasium in 1958.
The Morgana Run Trail, completed in 2007, runs along the former Wheeling & Lake Erie Rail line through Slavic Village. It is the first Rails To Trails project in the state of Ohio and for years was used for the popular Slavic Village Pierogi Dash 5k. The trail begins on E. 49th Street (pictured above) and runs 2.1 miles until it terminates at Jones Road. An extension that will extend the trail to Mill Creek Falls (see end of post) is being planned and will begin construction in 2026 (this is a project I'm working on in my job at City Hall). You can learn more about that project here. Bonus: The daffodil-looking art piece is titled 'RotoFlora' which is a 35-foot tall sculpture designed to look like an allium flower and is made up of bicycle rims atop a steel stem. It was created by Jake Beckham and is an icon when driving along I-77.
Trail branding.
The Morgan Bluffs Nature Preserve (5701 Linton Ave) is a 4-acre natural learning lab and walking trail located along the Morgana Run Trail where the powerhouse of the former Cleveland Worsted Mills once sat. The mill operated from 1878 to 1956 and was once one of the largest garment manufacturers in the country. After closing, the factory campus sat mostly vacant for nearly 40 years until, on July 4, 1993, a fire destroyed the complex. Morgana Bluffs is an example of land reclamation that serves the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland, CMSD Mound Elementary and the wider Broadway-Slavic Village community. The site features restoration of woodland, wetland, and meadow ecosystems, ADA compliant trails and boardwalks, hiking trails, outdoor classrooms, gathering spaces, observation points, and habitat for protected plant and animal species. The project was funded by NEORSD and the Clean Ohio Green Space Conservation Fund and was completed in 2018.
This iconic trail mural is titled "Pixelating Morgana" and was completed by artist John Troxell in 2007.
Above Morgana Bluffs sits the 12.5-acre complex of the Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland - Broadway Club, which is located on the site of actual former main manufacturing buildings of the Worsted Mills. The Slavic Village club was established in the 1950s. In 2019, the B&G Clubs of Cleveland merged with three other regional clubs (Summit, Lorain and Erie counties) to form the Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Ohio. It was the largest merger of B&G Clubs in the United States. Today, the Broadway club serves as the headquarters while other Cleveland branches are embedded in local schools due, in part, to federal funding cuts.
The sub-neighborhood of Forest City Park gets its name from Cleveland's first amusement park. Originally named Beyerle Park (after founder/owner George William Beyerle), the 47-acre site (located where the northern portion of Washington Park Golf Course now exists) opened in 1883 and featured a man-made lake, boathouse, baseball grounds, beer garden shooting gallery, merry-go-round, a theater, dancing, and bowling. In the early 1890s, a wooden bridge that crossed the lake collapsed and injured 100 people (here's a photo of the bridge). In addition, Beyerle's business partner - J. Sykora, owner of some of the land in which the park was built on - was writing unauthorized checks. Between the two issues, Beyerle was forced to sell the park in 1893 despite attendance of 100,000 in the final year. After it sold, it was rebranded Forest City Park and eventually came under the ownership of Dudley Humphrey who also owned Euclid Beach Park in Collinwood. Humphrey wanted to make the park more family-friendly and canceled the beer garden, vaudeville/sideshow acts and enforced a dress code. The park's main access was by foot or streetcar and when automobile travel became more prevalent, folks found other parks more convenient to access (local immigrants didn't like that alcohol was also prohibited). A fire at the park in the mid-1920s was the nail in the coffin and the park closed shortly thereafter. For many decades, it was a construction yard.
This was the entrance to the park. Where the willows are was where the lake was located. Many of the amusement rides were located just beyond that. To the right (out of picture) were baseball fields which predated the park. After the park closed, the site became home to Tate/Hooper's Field, home of Cleveland's first Negro League baseball teams - the Tate Stars, Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Elites and Cleveland Hornets. Those teams lasted from 1921 through 1927. The field would remain until 1932, serving as home to the Slavia Soccer Club. On September 26, 1926, more than 6,000 people watched Sparta, a professional soccer team from Prague, defeat the Ohio All-Stars 6-to-2 at Hooper Field. Today it is part of Washington Park Golf Course, the first 9-hole Certified Gold Signature Sanctuary golf course in the world (a designation for sustainable design, construction and maintenance) and home to First Tee Cleveland.
Beyerle & Sykora Streets bear the names of the founders (and sinkers) of the first iteration of Forest City Park.
The Chard Ave pedestrian bridge spans I-77, connecting Forest City Park to the rest of Slavic Village. It was initially installed with the construction of the Willow Freeway in the early 1950s and rebuilt in the early 1970s. However, its scheduled to be permanently demolished as part of ODOT's I-77 Pavement Replacement project (December 2026). It will be replaced with a multi-use path tunnel under the freeway which will connect the Morgana Run Trail to the Downtown/Slavic Village Connector trail. Directly under the bridge was where the old Huck/Plymouth Public School once stood (est. 1884, photo).
This intersection at Independence & W. 48th will soon become part of the Downtown/Slavic Village Connector trail project. The Cleveland Metroparks has purchased the house on the left (and the one next to it), which will become a trailhead and path.
Friedens United Church in Christ (3585 Kimmel Road) was a German church built in 1887 and is a designated Cleveland Landmark. Today it is home to Greater New Beginnings Baptist Church.
This pocket park on the corner of Sykora & Kimmel Ave was built by former Forest City Block Club president Lynda Lewis and was initially funded through a Neighborhood Connections grant. The neighborhood CDC also provided some grant funding. Neighbors chip in with flowers and other materials. The dragon cutout was artwork made by the cousin of another neighborhood resident.
A few blocks away on Sykora is another neighborhood greenspace of sorts called "Judy's Land," named after the wife of the homeowner next door. Judy maintained a garden in this adjacent parcel to her home and always wanted to actually own the lot. She put in a purchase request with the City and the paperwork went through the very day she died. In honor of her memory where the garden was located, they created this sign. Here's a screenshot from 2007 of someone who might quite possibly be Judy tending to the spot.
Forest City Park (located on Kimmel Road between Sykora Rd and May Ave) was established in 1958. It features a brand new playground and picnic shelter area. Here's what it used to look like as recently as 2022. Much cleaner and greener.
Cool random mural on the side of a garage across the street from Forest City Park. It's owned by Lynda Lewis, the former block club president who built the pocket park highlighted above.
This church at 3561 Independence Road was built in 1902 and was home to a Methodist church. It was one of only two churches in the Forest City Park neighborhood at the time. Today, it's home to First Tabernacle Beth El.
Per Cleveland Historical, in the late 19th and early 20th century, much of Cleveland’s booming Polish population settled just a few miles from downtown in a district called Warszawa ("Little Warsaw"). It became one of the largest Polish enclaves in the country. It's roughly centered around East 65th and 71st Streets between Broadway and Harvard Avenues and along Fleet Avenue.
If there is a historic geographical and cultural epicenter of the Polish community in Slavic Village (and arguably all of Cleveland), it's Saint Stanislaus Church on Foreman Ave. Built between 1886-1891 under the direction of the very popular but also controversial Fr. Anton Kolaszewski who would split from the church and eventually form Immaculate Heart of Mary about 6 blocks to the south, creating loyalty division in the neighborhood for decades. Designed by William H. Dunn, it featured twin 232' towers, which were destroyed by a tornado in 1909 (the replacements were only permitted to be 122' tall). It is the largest gothic Catholic church ever built in Ohio and second in size nationally only to St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. The church was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Check out this photo of its incredible interior.
While on the run for this part of the neighborhood, the Parish was hosting a Polish dinner fundraiser to replace the church's roof.
A school was built next to the church to accommodate its nearly 1,000 students. Enrollment would peak at 2,686 in 1933. It remains an active elementary school today.
In 1944, the church opened a high school, which, beginning in 1969, has merged with 4 other schools to form Cleveland Central Catholic. The school currently serves about 430 students, 98% of which are Cleveland residents. It has a graduation rate of 97% and a college acceptance rate of 87%.
Behind the school is the 1,800-seat Stefanski Stadium. It's named after Ben S. Stefanski II, a son of the founder of neighborhood-based Third Federal Savings & Loan (more on them later). Stefanski was also an executive at the bank and community philanthropist. He also served as Utilities Director under Mayor Carl Stokes and helped secure bond funds which would eventually help begin to clean up the Cuyahoga River and make Edgewater Park swimmable. The stadium was a $4 million project between the City of Cleveland, Third Federal, Catholic Diocese and the Cleveland Browns. It was dedicated in 2010. Home field of the Ironmen.
Just north of Stefanski Stadium is Joseph M. Kowalski Field, a baseball diamond named after the former beloved Councilmember who passed away in 1983. There is also a softball field on the other side. Both fields along with the football stadium are part of Morgana Park. Many have fond memories of Little League baseball here. But Cleveland was also once a major city for adult softball leagues..."and Morgana Park was Yankee Stadium." Many teams were sponsored by companies but also churches and civic organizations. There were city league champions and it was not uncommon to see over 5,000 folks for big games at Morgana. In fact, the park even hosted national softball championship games in the 1950s. Here's a great article on the evolution of sandlot baseball/softball in Cleveland.
According to the book Cleveland's Slavic Village: "Before St. Stanislaus Church was built and before the area became a predominantly Polish-Catholic neighborhood, the area was home to an enclave of eastern European Jews. Their cemetery, the old Bohemian Jewish Cemetery (renamed Baxter Avenue Cemetery), is located adjacent to Central Catholic HS on Osmond Ave and East 65th. Most of the burials there were before 1903."
The original Mosinski Funeral Home (3667 E. 65th), a four-generation, family-owned business located across from St. Stan's. This location closed in 2013 and served as a non-Catholic church for several years before being purchased by the Catholic Diocese in 2020.
Constructed in 2007, The Cloisters is a townhome development on E. 65th Street roughly between Sebert and Chambers Ave. It was developed by the Pulaski Franciscan Development Corporation which was formed by St. Stan's Church.
This home on the corner of E. 65th & Chambers was built in 1893 by Frank Orlikowski, a brick maker who supplied much of the brick pavement for Cleveland's streets, including the neighborhood (it was his home). You can't see it in the photo, but a beautiful stone wall encloses the property. In addition to being a mason expert, Frank also filed a patent in 1885 for a support device for wagons (here). Frank isn't even the most well-known Orlikowski. That would would be his brother Bernard Orlikowski, a key political figure in the Polish community having served as councilman of the area from 1920-1927. He was also the founder of the Polish-American Realty Trust Company; served in the Ohio General Assembly; headed the Division of Real Estate and Street Department at City Hall; and led the 1940 U.S. Census in the 21st Congressional District.
According to Cleveland's Slavic Village, this building at 3717 E. 65th Street is an example of Welsh architecture. However, it was built and owned by Frank Orlikowski (it's right next to his home). At the time, it was the only rockface-type brick building in Cleveland. Today, the building is home to Neighborhood Pets, a low cost animal wellness care center.
This building at 7146 Broadway Ave was built in 1900 and was initially home to United Presbyterian Church. In 1911, it became Sokol Polski Hall which was founded by prominent local Polish businessman Michael Kniola. The hall was the base for recruiting Polish volunteers to fight with the Allies in World War I and later became known for its athletic programs. Kniola and others also started Warsaw Savings & Loan in the building (see next photo). Today it's home to Center of Hope Bible Fellowship.
The building on the right at 3662 E. 65th was where Michael Kniola et al eventually opened Warsaw Savings & Loan. Such institutions were important to ethnic communities who faced discrimination from "traditional" institutions. As for Kniola, the bank became one of several of his business ventures including grocery store owner, real estate and travel agent and labor broker. He also helped organize Cleveland's first Polish newspaper (Polonia w Ameryce); founded or led several political, fraternal and religious organizations; was an organizer and trustee of St. Stan's; and ran for Council in 1909. The building on the left was built in 1898 by James Sledz, a local saloon owner and eventual councilman who was responsible for the first paving of the neighborhood's streets with the help of another neighborhood Pole (more on that below). He also was able to secure funding to build a bridge further north on E. 65th that crossed Morgana Run, connecting northern parts of the neighborhood to Warszawa.
This building at the corner of E. 71st & Broadway was once home to the Bank of Cleveland which was founded by Stanley Klonowski. Klonowski was a Polish immigrant who served in the Russian army before immigrating to the U.S. in 1904. He worked for Michael Kniola before starting his own bank - Klonowski Savings Bank - the first Polish bank in Cleveland. He renamed it Bank of Cleveland in 1921. During the Great Depression, it is believed that he convinced President Herbert Hoover to create an agency separate from the Federal Reserve to help establish lines of credit for struggling, smaller community banks like his (Hoover did this but Klonowski declined credit). Klonowski would serve as bank president until 1957. He also served on the library board for 25 years and helped establish Marymount Hospital in Garfield Heights. Klonowski lived and owned land very close to this building and there's a small street named after him (here).
The former Polonia (Poland) Theater at 7135 Broadway was built in 1914 and only showed Polish films. For many years, it was owned by none other than Stanley Klonowski. The building remained in his family's name until 1987 when it was then sold to American Legion. They sold it to a church in 1996 and another church bought it in 2020. Its current active use is unclear.
This is the former Alliance of Poles in America headquarters and auditorium (6966 Broadway Ave). The organization formed in 1895 when 68 dissatisfied members of the Polish National Alliance decided to allow non-Catholic Poles to become members. They formed their own organization which would expand beyond not only Cleveland but Ohio, reaching a membership base of 23,000 by the 1990s. The organization provided life insurance to members; participated with other Polish-American organizations in cultural activities; sponsored clubs for Polish youth (sports, drama, scouting); maintained a library and; provided a scholarship fund. In the 1920s and 1930s, it was the venue for plays from Poland and locally written Polish dramas. In 2005, the organization merged with the Polish National Alliance, thus ending the 110-year split. In 2011, the building was sold to a private event company which continues to host live, authentic Mexican musical performances (photo).
Third Federal Savings & Loan (7007 Broadway Ave) was founded by Ben Stefanski in 1938 with a focus on providing neighborhood home mortgages for the Polish community. As time grew, it began to absorb many of the smaller Polish savings and loan institutions, growing into a major institution not only in Slavic Village but nationally. By the turn of the 21st century, the bank had become the largest savings & loan bank in the U.S. with the highest industry rating attainable. It currently has assets of over $14.5 billion, 45 branches, and 7 loan offices throughout multiple states. Over the years, they also developed a massive 250K square foot headquarters (above) which sits on the location of their first building in 1938. Above is the "front" of the campus near the intersection of Broadway & Aetna Aves. Here's a good article from The Land about the bank and family. Part of the campus was also the site of Wanda Furniture Store (est. 1911), one of the largest and longstanding business in the neighborhood back in the day.
The former beloved Chambers Bakery. It was founded by Stephen and Bertha Szalkowski on Fleet Ave and eventually moved to this location at 3696 E. 69th Street until it closed. RIP.
Broadway Place is a 42-unit senior development apartment complex built in 2001 by Third Federal, across from their campus. It was once home to the Grand Theater and Grabski Auto Dealer. Here's what the block looked like in 1965 (photo).
Like Broadway, Fleet Ave is one of Slavic Village's historic corridors. It was mostly the main commercial district for many Polish businesses, especially butcher shops and bakeries. It's too bad I didn't do this run in warmer weather because the street is also one of Cleveland's first Complete & Green Street projects and features some impressive green infrastructure work.
The Northeast Ohio Sewer District stormwater infiltration basin at the corner of E. 53rd & Fleet. (Here's a photo of what it looks like in warmer weather). It was constructed as part of the roadway project and captures hundreds of thousands of gallons of stormwater per year. Across the street is the Holden Forest & Gardens Green Corps Learning Garden.
Some old-school holiday decorations adorn the light poles on Fleet.
According to Cleveland Public Library: "Fleet’s history is long and storied. Originally the Fullerton School Branch, the building became the Fleet House Community Station in 1928. Materials moved to a leased location at 6522 Fleet Avenue in 1930 and was designated as a branch in 1931. In 1941, the branch was relocated further down Fleet Avenue and in 1981, a new branch was built at 7224 Broadway. The stainless steel terne-coated roof over its 8,900 square feet reflects Cleveland’s industrial heritage. The shiny metal was intended to mellow to a subtle pewter tone over time. The interior used russet color brick, oak wood and clerestory windows to combine warm tones with natural light. In November 2012, Cleveland Public Library’s Fleet and Broadway branches merged, connecting two service areas to provide services and programming out of Fleet."
This building at the northeast corner of Broadway & Fleet Ave was built in 1920 and has been home to Ohio Bell (now Ameritech) the entire time. Fun fact: Ohio Bell was headquartered in Cleveland and introduced dial telephones to residents in 1927.
The old Fleet Bike Shop (5002 Fleet Ave) was in operation for over 5 decades, closing in April of this year. But it wasn't due to lack of business. Quite the opposite, actually. After years of non-stop, 6-day/12-hour work weeks to keep up with sales and repairs, owners Al & Marty Zaleski finally decided to retire. Al's dad opened the shop in 1971 and Al Jr. took over after both his brother and dad died around the time of the store's opening in 1971. Al met his wife Marty at the shop 35 years ago after both flirted it up at the shop one day. They both live above the shop. Here's a nice article on the couple from earlier this year around the time the announced they were closing.
Some bike-themed art box decor on Fleet Ave near I-77 which was designed by then-Cleveland Institute of Art student Anna Swiatowy in 2019.
St. John Nepomucene Church (3785 Independence Road) was founded by Czech Catholics in the Fleet Ave area in 1898 in an effort to preserve their native culture and also due to overcrowding of Our Lady of Lourdes near E. 55th & Broadway. The church is named after one of the patron saints of the Czechs and the surrounding neighborhood is referred to as 'Karlin', named after a suburb of Prague and given by an early saloon owner in the area in 1891. An initial church and school began construction in 1902. Due to demand, the church above was built in 1920 to accommodate up to 800.
Indoor Gardens (5304 Fleet Ave) is part of a chain of stores that sell indoor gardening products, including hydroponic systems, organic supplies, grow lights, plant nutrients, and more. There are two other locations, one in Columbus and and another in Akron. This Cleveland location was opened in 2019 in the former Karlin Hall, a social hall built in the 20th century by Cleveland's Czech community. Here's a good post about the history and legacy of the hall.
Fortuna Funeral Home (5316 Fleet Ave) is a family owned and operated funeral home founded in 1958 by Joseph and Virginia Fortuna. Their grandson, Anthony, grew up in Slavic Village and is a local attorney and owner of a real estate company who is passionately focused on rehabbing old buildings and attracting new businesses and residents to the neighborhood. Here's an article from when he began his revitalization efforts.
Philomena Bake Shop (5324 Fleet Ave) is another modern success story on Fleet Ave. It's an absolutely delicious gluten-free, vegan bake shop that supplies many Cleveland coffee shops with their product. The business is owned and operated by Catlin Shea, a baker from Toronto, Ottawa and Cleveland. It is named after the two founders’ fathers, who share the name Phil. Philomena took over the space recently occupied by Saucisson, a popular female-owned butcher shop that was part of Fleet Ave's new-wave renaissance but closed in late 2023. The building was originally home to Divoky Hardware and Furniture building (circa 1904) and then, most notably, the original location of Jaworski Meats (circa 1935). Here's a photo of the building from back in the day.
This building at 5212 Fleet Ave. was originally the location of the Washington Park Theater which seated 300 and closed by 1930. Today it's the Shannassie's Roll Call bar. Building was built in 1900.
A little further down the street at 5401 Fleet Ave is a major neighborhood success story. Owner Anthony Andreoli worked with the county land bank to rescue this former commercial property from the demolition list in the late 2010s. Anthony converted it into his business workshop and a community music studio. He and his wife Tiffany have 3 kids and own a 1906 home on E. 69th. Their company (Andreoli Renovations) has rehabbed a number of homes in the neighborhood. Here's a great story about their efforts. They also purchased and are restoring another building on Fleet (here) in which the land bank and Slavic Village Development helped maintain local control.
Next to the Andreoli's property is a fun little community sculpture garden and pocket park created by the couple.
As part of the rehab of their other property on Fleet, they added the old iconic Polish Village Restaurant marquee on E. 71st (which was stolen then returned) which was converted into this Slavic Village-themed sign, welcoming folks to the neighborhood.
Bican Brothers Funeral Home (5215 Fleet Ave) was established in 1922 and is still in operation.
Built in 1913, the Rutkowski Building was originally a shoe store and haberdashery. The Rutkowski's were founding members of St. Stanislaus. Here's comment from social media: "Way back when my brother and I were little, we'd visit our aunt Pauline Grabski in Slavic Village. The exact address was lost to us for a long time, but I finally uncovered that her home was at 6301 Fleet. I remember the staircase up to her home seemed like the tallest and steepest in the world, but Pauline was very kind and gracious and always had Coke and cookies on hand for us. By the way, the Rutkowski name on the pediment? That was Pauline's maiden name." Between 2004-2021, it was home to beloved Seidem Roz (Seven Roses) Cafe, which served up authentic Polish food & baked goods by the late Sophie Tyl.
Vic's Floral (6304 Fleet Ave) was established in 1942 by Vicky Ratajczak. Their original location was Broadway & E. 71st but they outgrew the space and relocated to this one on Fleet Ave in 2020. 'The Land' mural was completed by Kelle Schwab and funded by Destination Cleveland.
The "Slavic Village Sampler" at Red Chimney. This might be my most favorite meal in all my neighborhood running adventures thus far.
Oman Park (8022 Mansfield Ave) is .39 acre park established in 1953. It features a new playground, swings and a few benches. Back in the 1920s, a street with a set of stairs to Union Ave occupied this location.
St. Lawrence Parish (3547 E. 81st) was founded in 1901 in response to the growing Slovenian population in Slavic Village, who attended Our Lady of Lourdes up until that time. The parish began in a church that doubled as a school. A wood-framed church was built next to the school and was eventually replaced with the brick church above in 1940. However, in the 40s through the 60s, families began leaving for the suburbs. The school closed in 1973 but the church hung on until 2010 when it closed and was sold to Old Landmark Christian Ministries who occupies it today.
The Slovenian National Home on E. 80th - known as “The Nash” - was founded in 1917-1919 to serve Slovenians who flocked to neighborhood to work in the local industries while also wanting to remain close to their St. Lawrence Parish. Over 100 years later, it remains a popular gathering place for neighborhood events to include their very popular polka & fish frys during Lent. The Nash features a hall which seats up to 450 people and is also home to 12, cool, old school bowling lanes available for any occasion (to include catered, home-cooked meals during rentals). Here are some great photos of the interior. Above is a photo collage of the Nash I took during fish fry season a few years ago.
The 27,000-square-foot Union Market & Community Garden (7308 Union Ave) was established in 2008 and initially operated until about 2014 (plus a stint by Cleveland Blossoms in 2017). It has a hoop house, running water and a utility shed. Slavic Village Development cleaned the site up a bit in 2019 and sought a new operator. It's currently managed by Grai Olesky of Vegetative Works who grows and sells vegetables to local restaurants. The garden is a neighborhood stop on Garden Walk Cleveland.
It seems unlikely but this non-descript building at 3545 W. 76th is the headquarters of Old World Foods. Owner Andy Emrisko created the business in 1994 after the restaurant he owned closed its doors. Folks loved his potato pancakes and a patron suggested he sell them in local grocery stores. So, he bought this building in 2003 and began a wholesale operation, expanding the product line to pierogi, spaetzle, and a few other items (see below). Emrisko also operates a food truck which can be found at regional festivals.
This 250-foot mural along the Morgana Run Trail on the General Machinery building between E. 72nd and E. 74th streets was created in 2009 by artists Noah Hrbek and Alex Nosse (Alex is owner of Joy Machines Bike Shop). It was funded by a Neighborhood Connections grant that was applied for by Slavic Village resident Farai Malianga. Here's a video clip from the installation.
Trailside Slavic Village (Echo Street) is a market-rate housing development that was initiated in 2013 as a response to the foreclosure crisis. Initial plans called for the construction of 95 homes. About 35 or so have been built so far between two phases, both sold out. A third phase is being planned. Third Federal (located next to the development) is the driver of the project, owning any homes ready to be sold and the land for future phases of development. The site was once home to the Superior Foundry Company (maker of ornate benches such as this one).
According to the Slavic Village Historical Society, perhaps the most notable burial at Harvard Grove is that of Alonzo Carter, son of Lorenzo Carter, Cleveland's first permanent settler whose log cabin stood at the Cuyahoga River. Alonzo was born in Vermont in 1790. He moved to the Cuyahoga Town at the age of 17 and lived on land in the Flats where he farmed and, for a time, operated the Red House Tavern. He moved to land near present-day
East 93rd & Loren Ave (photo), married at the age of 25 and had 9 children. Alonzo
died in 1872 and was buried at the old Axtell cemetery (land he sold to then-Newburg township to build the cemetery), then moved in
the reinterment to Harvard Grove in
1882.
Next to Harvard Grove are two old Jewish cemeteries. Pictured above is the Lansing Cemetery, once also known as Fremont Cemetery (the old street name when it was Newburg township). It was established in 1891 and contains thousands of burials. The other, off Harvard Road, is referred to as the "Old Russian Cemetery" or Harvard Jewish Cemetery. It was established in 1889 and has around 750 burials.
The Polish-American Cultural Center (6501 Lansing Ave) was established 25 years ago and is "dedicated to the promotion of Polish culture, traditions, language, history, literature, arts, music, theater, and education." It features a museum, heritage garden and reception hall. They also host many events year-round. The building was previously home to a chapter of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America.
Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (6700 Lansing Ave) was established in May 1894 by Fr. Anton Kolaszewski who splintered off from the diocese (as mentioned above under St. Stans Church). All parties reconciled by 1908. A new church (above) was built in 1914 and a new parochial school building followed in 1925 (today it is home to the Eastside Arts Academy). The church's stained glass windows are of particular noteworthiness. Installed between 1914-1918, they are Germanic Baroque-style European memorial windows and were designed by Munich Studio of Chicago. Some depict Polish saints and ethnic themes.
During my time running Slavic Village, I was able to attend a great history lecture about the church by Slavic Village Historical Society director Glenn Sobola.
A shot of one of the stained-glass panels. The panels were actually hand-painted on top of the glass, allowing for more intricate detail. After 110 years, the colors haven't faded. This photo doesn't really do it justice because it was dark outside.
Marsha's Soul Food Cafe (3868 E. 71st) is a popular southern food joint that began in 2013. People like their mac n' cheese, ribs and cornbread in particular. It was formally Angelo's Pizza, a longtime and beloved pizza shop (the faded sign is still there as seen in the photo). Fun fact: the restaurant was a recent filming location for the movie 'Eenie Meanie' in 2024 which will be released on Hulu.
Slavic Village chic on Hosmer Ave.
Vacant home in Karlin.
3817 E. 57th Street
Gold Plum (6506 Gertrude Ave) is an artistic picture frame shop owned and operated by neighborhood champion Anne Sherridon. Her building was built in 1890 and was once home to the beloved Gertrude Bakery. Fun fact: Gertrude's bakery racks are now used by Brewnuts in Gordon Square.
Anne is also the founder of a community garden across the street called Gertrude Gardens. Once a vacant lot used as a cut through, it now boasts flagstone paths, fruit trees, perennial flower gardens and art by local artists. Anne also offers a "Free Plant Stand" which is kind of like a Little Free Library but with plants instead of books. Here's a nice story on her efforts.
Golubski Funeral Home (6500 Fullerton Ave) was founded in 1913 by Joseph F. Golubski and Martha Golubski and still maintains its same location on Fullerton Ave. A family-owned business, it's now operated by the grandchildren of Joseph and Martha.
Hoo goes there's, dude?
This artwork adorns the apartment building on the corner of Gertrude Ave & E. 71st.
This home at 3773 E. 71st Street was built in 1890 and is probably the most architecturally notable one on the street.
Warsaw Park (E. 64th north of Harvard Ave) features a pool, tennis and basketball courts and playground area. Although the sign says it was established in 1927, design plans show it was developed in 1941 (although the City still owned the undeveloped land in the 1920s). The park sits on what once was a part of Burke Brook which was eventually removed for development. The brook is also likely why there is a "bend" is this section of nearby Harvard Ave (they built around it back in the 1800s).
In 2021, neighborhood resident Terrence Hubbard painted this basketball court mural in Warsaw Park after receiving funding from SPACES.
Ottawa and Indiana Aves have some of the best tree canopy in all of lower Slavic Village.
In fact, these trees are so mighty that they literally eat signage, like this one on Indiana near the intersection of E. 71st. Thanks to City of Cleveland chief engineer Rick Switalski for the heads up about this one (he grew up on nearby E. 66th Street).
This vacant lot at 3988 E. 71st was home to the New Victory Theater, a 780-seat house that operated until 1950's. Here's a photo of the building around the time of its demolition in 2017. Today, the lot was the location of a recent tree planting by Slavic Village Development and the Western Reserve Land Conservancy.
This non-descript Huntington Bank parking lot at the northwest corner of Harvard Ave & E. 71st actually has some significant cycling history associated with it. Between 1893 to 1907, it was the site of the Newburg Trotting Track. In 1894, the track was selected as the site for the American Cycle Club competition. Louis Gimm - a Cleveland resident born in Germany - set a new world record by riding for 24 hours and logging 383 and 1/4 miles at the event. Grimm would go on to set the 50-mile standing start record in 1896 and take third place in the renowned 6 Days of New York endurance race in 1899.
Jones Road Congregational Church (8000 Jones Road) was a strong force in the Welsh community when it was founded in 1876. It was developed out of Sunday school and home prayer services of William Jones as far back as 1857. Brothers Dave & John Jones - who built the first steel mill in the area that would become Cleveland Rolling Mill - built a small wood-framed church nearby in 1860. This church was built 16 years later. Today, it is still a church and also home to the Jones Road Family Community Development Corporation which was established in 2008 by Ione Parry who previously ran a weekly hunger outreach service for the neighborhood as far back as 1987. Today, the non-profit offers after-school tutoring, music & arts instruction, and a summer camp.
A bit of color on E. 75th between Worley Ave and Ottawa Road.
Albert Bushnell (A.B.) Hart Elementary middle school (3900 E. 75th Street) serves 255 students from Pre-8th. It's located on the site of the former South High School when it operated here between 1932 to 1968 (here's an old photo). The school is named after the notable nationally historian who was raised in Cleveland.
Per Garden Walk Cleveland, "this collection of upcycled, recycled, and repurposed features at 7413 Canton Ave create a lovely vegetable and flower garden retreat". The site includes upcycled art and a dining gazebo built from an old trampoline frame plus a row of trees planted by the Western Reserve Land Conservancy. Notes also say there was a plan to build a greenhouse out of old salvaged windows and doors but it doesn't appear to have happened. Hart elementary school is background/left.
Just a bit further north on Spattford Ave is a home with a tragic recent past. It is a home owned by Robert Perkins, an Army veteran who became a physical therapy assistant, lighting decorator and youth volunteer and appeared to move to Cleveland around 2020 where he bought this home and another in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood. On January 18, 2024, Robert began firing shots at nearby homes and passing vehicles from the second story of the home above which led to an 8-hour standoff with SWAT and ended with him losing his life in an exchange of gunfire. Fortunately, no one else was injured. Some say Perkins was a highly intelligent, civic-minded individual and could be seen cleaning up trash in the neighborhood regularly. Others reported he was a dangerous individual who clearly suffered from mental illness which was evident by his erratic behavior (such as decor on the exterior of his house above). Regardless, the tragic incident raised the issue about the need for Ohio to adopt a Red Flag law which would allow law enforcement to seek a court hearing to remove guns from a home in which an individual suffers mental illness and, through access to the gun, poses significant risk to themselves or others (courts can also refer the person for mental health evaluation and services).
This cool flat iron-type building was built in 1920 and was home to Konrad's Deli back in mid-20th century. Today, it's the cooking headquarters for Smokin' Babes food truck.
This building at 7205 Fullerton Ave was built in 1921 and was home to the Polish National Alliance. The organization initially only permitted Catholic Poles to be members, but at the 1895 national convention, policy was changed to allow all Poles. In protest, local Catholic Poles left and formed their own group called Alliance of Poles of Ohio (later, of America) as noted in photo a little further above. The P.N.C. sold this building in 1998 and has become home to several churches since that time.
Back-alley Browns fan on Spafford Place.
This building at (7460 Broadway Ave) is home the Gurdjieff Foundation of Ohio. In his youth, Georgi Gurdjieff studied science, medicine and the ministry but found that these disciplines could not answer his questions about the essential nature of humanity and its possibilities. He traveled the world to study various cultures and eventually founded the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man. Activities include cooking, gardening, construction and maintenance, music, meetings (social time) plus a self-created, sacred dance called The Movements. Collectively, it's called The Works and is meant to serve as a way to practice what might be called mindfulness today. Members meet regularly in groups to exchange thoughts about their observations and study of ideas. Prior to Gurdjieff Foundation, the building was home to Holy Trinity Polish National Catholic Church. Immediately to the right of this building was the old Trinity Baptist Church (ca. 1910) who served non-Catholic Poles. It sold its building in the 1940s to the Catholic Diocese who converted it to Transfiguration Church. The church suffered a fire in 1990 and was closed and demolished a few years later. Today, it's the site of an Advanced Auto Parts.
Holy Name Parish (8328 Broadway Ave) began in April 1854 when the first bishop of Cleveland celebrated a Mass at the home of the Thomas Byrne family in what was then Newburgh. An elementary school was established in the 1860s and remains active today (Holy Name HS also started here but moved to Parma). The church above was built in 1920.
Newburgh Park is a pocket just south of Holy Name Parish at the corner of Harvard & Broadway Ave. Back in the late 1800s, it was a little development called Woodbridge which was home to a Cleveland Trust Bank branch right where this sculpture is located. Here's a image of the park in greener times.
The Stella Walsh Recreation Center (7345 Broadway Ave, brick building in the background) opened in 1972 and is named after the 100-meter female Olympic champion of the same name. Born Stanisława Walasiewicz, her family immigrated to Cleveland from Poland in 1911. Walsh was a standout in athletics, qualifying for the U.S. Olympic team in 1927 but ultimately competed for Poland in 1932 (setting the 100m world record) and 1936. She competed into her 50s, won over 5,000 track and field events during her career, and is considered one of the greatest female athletes of the 20th century. In 1980, she was tragically shot and killed during a robbery on Broadway Ave while purchasing ribbons for Poland basketball players visiting Cleveland. There are books, movies, articles, and even podcasts about her life story. The rec center was built in 1967. This new playground equipment was added in 2024 and a new indoor gymnasium was built in 2023.
Next to Stella Wash is the old South High School. The original school building on this site opened on September 10, 1894 (here's a photo from 1909). When it opened, it was only the second high school built in Cleveland. In 1932, the school was moved to 3901 E. 74th where it served 1,300 students for over 30 years. In 1968, the school above was built at the original school site. After nearly 115 years of operation, it closed in 2010 and now serves as a joint public safety training facility for City of Cleveland police, fire and EMS. Here's a video with some school photos over the years. Oddly and somewhat eerily, the school sign in the photo above has not been taken down and still lists the date and time for the last graduation which took place 15 years ago.
Presrite Corporation (3665 W. 78th Street) was founded in 1971 by Donald Diemer. The company provides industrial metal forging services at four regional locations in northeast Ohio. This is one of two locations in Slavic Village. The other in on Bessemer Road, land which was once owned by U.S. Steel. Both sites have over 180,000 square feet of forging presses, respectively.
The Hotdog Cafe (7529 Broadway Ave) is owned by Alvin Trace who opened the shop in late 2023. He has a full-time job but still finds time to work the grill himself on Fridays and Saturdays. The space was previously the longtime home of the Broadway Diner.
Fire Station No. 11 (7629 Broadway Ave) was built in 1989. In 2021, it served as a pilot for a retrofit that included separate bathroom and sleeping areas for female firefighters.
An old ghost sign advertisement for Gund's beer. Gund Brewing Company was the original family business for Cleveland’s well-known Gund family. Starting in 1916, they introduced a beer called the "Clevelander" with a label that depicted a jubilant Moses Cleaveland overlooking the city and holding a mug of the beer with the slogan "A Wonderful City—A Wonderful Beer." Prohibition ceased operations and George Gund II decided to take his company's profits and invest it into a coffee brand that he eventually sold to Kellogg's (this would eventually become Sanka). Gund would go on to become president of the board of Cleveland Trust, the largest bank in Ohio for decades. When he died in 1966, he was worth $600 million and left most of that wealth to charity. The brewery would continue operations after Prohibition but under different ownership and ceased operations in 1944. Here's a great article by BeerHistory.com about the company and Gund. As for this building, it was home to the beloved Zosia's restaurant in the 70s through 90s and was known for their "duck blood soup", a traditional Polish dish.
This incredible mural on Wire Ave depicts the industrial evolution of the Slavic Village area. It was done in 2014 by John Rivera-Resto, a Clevelander with roots in Puerto Rico. Here's a great article on him by Ideastream.
The mural is so large that I had to take photos of it in sections. Here's the middle.
And here's the end.
Bum's Saloon (7771 Broadway Ave) is a popular neighborhood bar on the corner of E. 78th & Broadway Ave. It's been owned by Angie and Willy "Bum" Pulling since 1989. Bum's is known for cheap drinks, their tasty lunchtime "Bum's Burger", and a bowling-machine league (members take annual trips to Niagara Falls). Some describe it as the Cheers of Slavic Village. Here's a great article on the Bum's by Edible Cleveland. Before Bum's, the bar was home to Butch's Tavern in the 1960s and 70s.
I found this random mural on the back of a building along tiny Skyrm Ct. These are my favorite type of finds.
The former Sacred Heart of Jesus (4312 E. 71st) which began construction in 1889, was completed in 1949, and closed in 2010. It would serve as the spiritual epicenter of the Krakowa neighborhood of Slavic Village. The neighborhood - located south of Harvard Avenue along E. 71st Street to Grant St (Cuyahoga Heights border) - was first settled by Poles in the late 1870s. These early settlers farmed small plots of land or worked in the rolling and woolen mills. Many of the residents kept poultry, and the area acquired the nickname “Goosetown” due to the large number of geese that would roam freely in the neighborhood.
The former parochial school next to Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was built in 1917 and is now home to Hope Academy Northcoast which serves 266 students.
This is the Rathburn Playground (Rathbun & E. 71st). It's also the site of the former Marcelline School which dated back to at least 1858! Today it's officially a City park, however, they lease the land from the Catholic Diocese.
Garden of Faith (4146 E. 71st Street) is a community garden located next to a beauty salon owned by LaToyia Okere, a Case Western Reserve University grad, former social worker, and major civic booster of Slavic Village. The lot was overgrown and unsightly but is now a positive community space for Goosetown.
DaVia Garth was a 12-year-old killed in 2014 in an act of domestic violence by her step-father who received life in prison for the act. In 2022, the street was named in her memory.
The Master Products Company (6400 Park Ave) was founded in 1919 by Walter Bohn and brothers Carl and Cornelius Walters in the wake of WWI. The company produces stamped washers and custom stamped products in the 66,000 sqft building above. It remains a family-managed business and many employees are second or third-generation.
This building at 6000 Harvard Ave was built in the early 1920s and was originally home to the Harvard Lumber Company (here's an old company share certificate). In the late 1960s, it became the headquarters of the Dougherty Lumber Company which was founded in 1931 by Tom Dougherty, the last individual to be laid off from the lumber yard at that site. Dougherty started with a small office and yard on Euclid Ave but created his main headquarters on W. 68th a few blocks south of site above. This was until a massive fire in 1946 destroyed the facility and 10 homes on nearby Kazimir Ave (photos here and here). At the time, it was second worst fire in the history of Cleveland (only the famous East Ohio Gas explosion was worse). The company would rebound and even expand, purchasing other lumber companies throughout the nation. One was in California which Dougherty's daughter ran, making her the first woman in the U.S. to run a sawmill. The business operated until 2011 when it closed. The factory was purchased at public auction by a family member and former employee (Tiffany Binkowsky-Williams) who converted it into a wholesale building material supply company which is still in operation today.
This building located at 6200 Harvard Ave was built around 1920 and was originally home to the C.O. Bartlett & Snow Company which formed in 1895 and made elevating, conveyor and related machinery. In 1961 the firm was sold to the Pacific Foundry & Metallurgy Company and the operation was moved to San Francisco, California under the name Bartlett-Snow Pacific, Inc. The original corporate entity in Cleveland changed its name to the Cobasco Corporation, which dissolved in 1968. The plant shut down in 1972. Today, the building's tenants include the American Mine Door (est. 1906) and VIP Party Bus.
Interesting DYI tree-themed landscaping on Claasen Ave.
This cool, old garage at 4127 E. 64th St. was built in 1910.
This house at 6700 Claasen was built in 1890 and was purchased by Michelle Schwertner & Doug Neyman in 2012 for $5,500. It was really beat up but they totally transformed it and, by extension, created stability for this whole corner of the block. Here's a great story about the couple.
Here's some fun art on their back garage. Gives you a sense of the personality they bring to the neighborhood.
"Attention Slavic Village residents: This vacant Gyro George on Harvard Ave is now the possession of the Imperial Starfleet."
This is the old Harvard School which was built in three sections between 1903 and 1927 due to the rapid growth of the surrounding neighborhood during that time. The school closed in the late 1990s and was converted into affording housing for seniors (Harvard Village). It was listed with the National Register of Historic Places on May 22, 2002.
This building was once known as the Reid Building, named after Isaac Reid who was born in 1798, two years after the founding of Cleveland. Reid lived on Harvard Ave and owned a lot of farmland in this area, part of which was sold to Cleveland to establish Harvard Grove Cemetery. His homestead is on what is now the Drug Mart on E. 71st. The building pictured above was built in 1900 according to county records. Here's a photo from its glory days in 1943. And here's a photo from 1874 of the building that preceded it.
This building at 8104 Harvard Ave was built in 1910 as was originally a Cleveland Railway Company sub-station.
R&K Sausage is a fourth-generation, family-owned company located at 7700 Harvard Ave in the heart of Slavic Village. They are famous for their Cleveland smokies (but are also a catering company who specialize in old-fashioned Polish-American recipes; you can pick up numerous ready-to-go meals at the store). Founded by Joseph Radecki in 1917, the business operated out of a makeshift operation of two homes near E. 64th & Lansing Ave. After 85 years of business, Joseph's great-grand children successfully transitioned to the current location in 2000 which was once home to Chas. E. Phipps Concrete Company (est. 1921 and still in operation down the road in Cuyahoga Heights).
The Newburg & South Shore Railway opened in 1904 to primarily service most of the industrial plants in the area although it only had 7 miles of total track. It initially was built to haul molten metal between steel mills. In the 40s, it became the first rail line in Ohio to abandon steam entirely. Service declined after WWII and when U.S. Steel shut down the Cuyahoga Works in 1984, the route closed a few years later. About 2.2. miles were sold to the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. It's currently under the ownership of OmniTrax which has reactivated portions of the route due to revival and expansion of Charter Steel in Cuyahoga Heights. The track received a several million dollar matching grant from the state in 2023 for line improvements (however this bridge deck above over Harvard Ave remains deactivated). Note: It's hard to make out the text but that sign on the bridge is for the old Phipps Concrete Company (mentioned above) which was on the other side of the bridge. Immediately to the south of this location is the old Harvard Landfill which - after years of struggle to stabilize and repurpose the land into something productive - received grant funding from the EPA to develop a solar farm in 2024. However, this funding was paused by the Trump administration.
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| A swing tire is all that remains on this vacant lot at 4081 E. 78th. The house that stood here was built in 1875 and was home to the Hawthorne family for many decades. |
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| Irma Park (corner of E. 74th & Irma Ave) was built in 1921 and features a playground and a neighborhood splash pad. Its sign appears to be the victim of some turf war tagging between a group from E. 65th. |
The old Harpster's Market, a neighborhood convenience store on the corner of Park Ave & E. 71st which closed just a few years ago. The building was built in 1900.
Sharp-looking set of businesses on E. 71st.
This funeral home on the corner of Claassen & E. 71st is home to the original Komorowski Funeral Home (which also had a presence in Tremont). It was founded by Florian Komorowski in 1939. The building underwent a series of additions in the mid-20th century but here's a photo of the original home which, according to county records, was built in 1870.
This handsome home at 4079 E. 71st was built in 1904.
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| The Harvard Inn Restaurant has been a staple of Slavic Village for decades. Known for their fast and friendly service, this is a popular breakfast and lunch spot in the neighborhood. The building was built in 1900. |
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| This beautiful home on the corner of Harvard Ave & E. 72nd was built in 1884. |
The Mill Creek Falls community of Slavic Village is located along Turney and Warner roads in the very southern section that borders Garfield Heights. It gets its name from the historic neighborhood landmark (see below).
At 48' tall, Mill Creek Falls (also known as Cataract Falls) is the tallest waterfall in Cuyahoga County. It initially powered the first grist and saw mill in Northeast Ohio (built in 1799) enabling the early settlement of the village of Newburgh. It wasn't until the Ohio & Erie Canal opened in 1827 that the population of Cleveland actually outpaced Newburgh (Cleveland eventually annexed most of it). However, this isn't the actual location of the original falls! It was 300 feet north but was painstakingly rebuilt by hand in 1905 when the Pennsylvania Railroad was built and run through the old falls location.
Between Mill Creek and Turney Road is a 222-home development called MillCreek (more on that below). However, the land on which the development sits was once the Northern Ohio Lunatic Asylum (later renamed Cleveland State Hospital) which opened on March 5, 1855. The land was donated by the family of future president James A. Garfield. The first hospital building was destroyed by fire in 1872. The state dedicated funds to rebuild a much larger hospital which opened in January 1875. It eventually closed and was demolished a century later in the 1970s. The info board above sits along the Mill Creek bike trail and tells this story. In the background is one of the last remaining relicts from the old hospital site.
The MillCreek development is a suburban-style HOA created in the late 1990s which features over 200 market-rate homes on nearly 60 acres of the former state hospital site. (Sen. Sherrod Brown and his wife Connie were among its residents until recently moving to Columbus). It was the single-largest new home community built in Cleveland since the 1940s.
This building at 8602 Bancroft Ave near the border of Garfield Heights was built in 1927 and, in recent times, was a popular neighborhood ice cream shop called The Big Dipper. It ran from the mid-1990s to 2014. Another individual opened up a shop in 2017 but sadly it, too, closed a few years ago.
This church building at 4509 Warner Road was built in 1926 and is home to Community Friends Church, a congregation with Quaker roots. However, the location was originally home to Orchard Grove Church which formed around 1902.
The Warner School (8315 Jefferies Road) was first built in the early 1900s at this location on land that was owned by John D. Rockefeller (here's a photo of the school from 1910). This modern building was built in 2006 and is now home to all-girls leadership academy.
Mill Creek Falls Family Park - previously known as the Tioga Tot Lot - was formally made a City of Cleveland park in 2008 thanks to the efforts of the Warner Turney Neighborhood Organization (WTNO), Connecticut Ave Block Club and longtime resident Patricia Hook. Starting in 2006, Hook and the community orgs worked with Slavic Village Development to acquire a few vacant lots and expand the park. Then, over the course of the next 10+ years, they secured additional funding from Reimagine Cleveland, Neighborhood Connections, the Hershey Foundation and then-Councilman Zach Reed to make an additional $150,000+ improvements such as a new playground, a fence, and programing. The park served as the location for the annual neighborhood block party over the years.
Tiaoga Ave is honorarily named after the Warner Turney Neighborhood Organization for their efforts to improve the park and the neighborhood.
These two homes at 4350 & 4352 Turney Road were built in 1875 and are likely oldest houses still standing in the Mill Creek Falls neighborhood.
This multi-use path and park near the intersection of Broadway & Miles Park Ave just north of Mill Creek Falls was once the location of the Cataract House (est. 1840), a popular hotel, restaurant and meeting place. A fire destroyed the wood-framed building 1852 and a new brick one replaced it after. Due to the grand events that would be held there, folks would take a train to the site then stay overnight in the hotel and return home the next day. Eventually, the Pennsylvania Railroad bought the property when they built a new rail line through that area. It closed in 1917 and was demolished in 1931. The green space and trail will soon become part of the Cleveland Metroparks Morgana Run Trail Extension project in which folks will be able to comfortably ride from downtown Cleveland all the way to Garfield Reservation.