Lakewood History Walking/Bike Tour

Lakewood has changed a lot since it's early days. See how!

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Lakewood History Walking/Bike Tour

Lakewood, Ohio 44107, United States

Created By: Lakewood City Schools

Tour Information

This is a historic walking/bike tour of Lakewood, Ohio. It was created to help Grant Elementary 3rd graders recognize how primary and secondary sources can be used to show how communities change over time. Learn some history about Lakewood (the former Rockport Township) and see how it's changed in almost two centuries!

For more information and Lakewood history, check out these resources

http://www.clevelandmemory.org/lakewood/

https://clevelandhistorical.org/


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What You'll See on the Tour

As Cleveland and its surroundings areas grew rapidly. Streetcars made the commute from Cleveland more manageable.The increasingly crowded and polluted big city led those who could afford it to seek greener pastures in the suburbs.In this or... Read more
Harding Middle School was built in 1925 and torn down along with Madison Elementary in 2006 The current Harding Middle School was built on the site that was home to Madison Elementary
The Mathew Hall house was built in 1879Matthew farmed and also served as the supervisor of the Plank Road which ran through the city. The wooden plank road became Detroit Avenue.It was later used as a nursing home and the YMCA.Was ... Read more
The Detroit Theatre was built in 1924 and was operated by Universal Pictures chain.It was closed for three years during World War II.Originally built with a stage as a single auditorium, it was split down the middle in 1989 to become a twin... Read more
Curtis Hall built this house in 1864 and farmed the land north of the house all the way to Lake ErieBy the turn of the 20th-century, as streetcars replaced the wooden Plank Road (Detroit Ave) many of Lakewood's farms were being turned into ... Read more
Looking south from Detroit AvenueThe entrance originally had large stone pillars and walls. They were later torn down to expand the libraryWhen it opened in 1906, it was called "Lakewood's Arts and Crafts Street" possibly because of the new... Read more
Lakewood Public Library was built here in 1916Lakewood Public Library was remodeled in 1981The library was renovated and expanded in 2004
The Andrews family farmhouse was built in this spot in the 1850s. The French-Andrews Fruit farm stretched from Detroit to Lake Erie between Lakeland and Andrews AvenueThe house was torn down in the 1930s to build the Mars Shopping Center. T... Read more
The original Grant school was built right across Victoria Ave from the current Grant in 1904 In 1969 a new school was built and Grant moved across the street to it's current location The current Grant Elementary was built in 2015 ...
The Lakewood Theater can be seen on the right.The cross-over switch on seen on Detroit Avenue was used when streetcar track repairs were made.These buildings were torn down to make way for the present shopping center....
Francis Wagar's house was built here circa 1888 was demolished in 1930Bailey’s Department Store opened here in 1930 and closed in 1965. It was replaced by Neville's Inc. which lasted until 1968. It's been renovated to include retail and... Read more
The Oldest Stone House was originally built in what would now be the middle of St. Charles Avenue in 1832 by John Honam, one of Rockport Township's first settlers. Lakewood was originally called Rockport Township. It was used as a home un... Read more
Lakewood Hospital was organized by Dr. C. Lee Graber who built the original frame house with the idea that, if the hospital project was unsuccessful, could be converted to a doubleLakewood Hospital opened in 1907. It was a small house with ... Read more
Whippororwill was the home of Dr. Jared Potter Kirtland, one of Lakewood's most illustrious citizens: naturalist, botanist, doctor, legislator, teacher, writer, and co-founder of Case Medical School.Construction on the house began in 1839 a... Read more
The Lakewood Tennis Club, built in 1913.1918 Lakewood Lodge No. 1350 of the Elks took control of the building.In the first photo, the building is still a tennis club, and its courts can be seen behind the building on the left. In the foregr... Read more
Built in 1910Residence of John N. Hahn, inventor and President of the J. N. Hahn Company, manufacturers of corrugated paper and paper crates.  
The oldest frame house in LakewoodBuilt in 1835 by James and Betsey NicholsonThe house remained in their family through four generations until 1947.The Nicholsons were very active in the community; James built the first school and first ch... Read more
East School, Number 10 was built on Detroit Avenue on the present site of Garfield Elementary School. Originally a one-room brick building, it was partioned into two rooms in 1891 and was replaced by a four-room brick colonial in 1893.Garfi... Read more

 

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