"Pearl Memphis intersection has long history"
Catch "Pearl Memphis intersection has long history," the first in a series of articles about an important piece of downtown Old Brooklyn by Lynette Filips in the Plain Press, January 2024.
https://bit.ly/4aZPGAM
Continue with part two, "Resident reflects on history of Old Brooklyn corner slated for redevelopment" in the February 2024 issue:
https://bit.ly/42Oe30R
Part
three: "Old Brooklyn corner slated for redevelopment has spooky history," March 2024
https://bit.ly/3uYVmuQ
Learn about the National Register of Historic Places designation of the South Brooklyn Commercial District. Registration form | Approval 2005. A great resource for the history of the area, its development and its buildings.
Next meeting March 8 at 7 p.m.
Lennie Stover, founder of the Red Line Greenway, a 2.5 mile urban trail that connects eight racially and economically diverse neighborhoods, will present the history behind this volunteer driven project that spans over 100 years. From the Van Sweringen brothers building of the Cuyahoga Viaduct and Terminal Tower in the 1920's, to RTA's Red Line making Cleveland the first city in America to connect its airport to its downtown in the 1950's. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad closing in the 1970's left the viaduct underutilized and the trackside had become a dump for many residents. Learn how a man riding the train in 1975 for a job interview started a successful volunteer effort to clean up the tracks and how three local men from the suburbs adopted a 200 foot site in 1977 that eventually grew to two miles of trackside, the precursor to the greenway today. Fast forward to 2009 when an idea was born to make the trackside a public green space, partnerships were formed, and $6 million was raised to make the greenway a reality that opened in 2021.
The final chapter of this story has not been written! A brief three minute video will highlight current efforts to build phase III of the greenway known as the Skywalk. The Skywalk will be the highest elevated greenway in America on an active rail line and will connect 58,000 residents to 120,000 jobs downtown. Learn the strategy for achieving this goal and the current status of the project, all volunteer driven.
Our meetings are held at Pearl Road United Methodist Church, 4200 Pearl Road (enter driveway off Memphis Avenue). Questions (216)337-8200.
The future of our past depends on you
Please consider including the Historical Society in your stable of charities. Our membership fees don't cover the cost of "keeping the lights on" so we need to find additional funds each year for our daily operations.
The old neighborhood
Many of you are not currently Old Brooklyn residents but look back to your formative years here. Maybe it was childhood or your early adult years when you first made your way on your own. In any case, Old Brooklyn is a part of what made you who you are. The Historical Society is a homecoming and you're always welcome! We encourage you to keep your memories alive and pay forward to those who will make their own memories here.
A sense of place
A sense of place reflects our history but it also helps imagine a future. When residents develop an identity and form an attachment to a place it informs plans for a sustainable future. A strong historical society helps build community and contributes to the well-being of Old Brooklyn now and for years to come.
Help us provide a bright future by preserving the past.
Old Brooklyn
Old Brooklyn is a roughly 6-square-mile neighborhood on the West Side of Cleveland about 5 miles south of downtown. It is bounded by Big Creek and the Brooklyn Centre neighborhood on the north, the Cuyahoga River and the village of Brooklyn Hts. on the east, the city of Parma on the south, and the city of Brooklyn on the west. Old Brooklyn has its roots in the original Brooklyn Township, organized as a governmental structure in 1818. The first settlers had come from Connecticut in 1812; more settled south of the Big Creek Valley in 1814. Indian trails were the basis for what became Pearl, Broadview and Schaaf Roads. Brighton Village, centered around today’s Pearl-Broadview intersection, was incorporated for one year in 1838. As German farmers moved in, the community grew. Another incorporation in 1889 renamed the village South Brooklyn. Annexation to the City of Cleveland—desirable because of South Brooklyn’s light plant (1902)—occurred in stages, beginning in 1905 and continuing through 1927. Greenhouse gardening began on Schaaf Road in 1887 and in the mid 20th-century gave the area the title of “Greenhouse Capital of the United States.” Old Brooklyn is also home to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (1914).
Meetings and more
Watch Events and Facebook for the latest news on HSOB events and whereabouts and be sure to mark your calendars!
There's a cemetery on Broadview? (Not Brooklyn Hts. Cemetery)
YES! Brooklyn Union Burial Ground. Located on Broadview Road near Spring Road. The Historical Society maintains this historic burying ground. ... Learn more.
Old Brooklyn Collage by Jim Ptacek (a unique and lasting gift, but you'll want your own too!)
The Historical Society of Old Brooklyn along with Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation have collaborated with photographer Jim Ptacek in creating an Old Brooklyn Collage. They are on sale for $20.00/ea. Jim Ptacek is a noted Cleveland artist, widely known for his sepia-toned images of local landmarks. We are pleased to offer this new print along with Jim Ptacek photos, note cards, magnets and lapel pins at the Museum/Store, 3430 Memphis Ave. The museum is open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, from 12 noon till 5 p.m.
Also for sale—Old Brooklyn flags!
Vintage 3' x 5' flags for only $40. Only a few available.
1950s/1960s Photos Wanted
Do you have any photos of the Memphis-Fulton Shopping Center or the shopping district at Pearl and Broadview Roads??? The Historical Society of Old Brooklyn would love to make duplicates of them for our collection. We will return your original photos if you provide your name and full address. Thank you so much.
Also Wanted...
James Ford Rhodes High School yearbooks: 1972, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Our bricks & mortar home!
We are located at 3430 Memphis Avenue (just west of Pearl Road) and are open Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, 12 Noon - 5 p.m.
We can always use a little help! Here's our wish list:
PVC free protector pages for photos
acid free folders
printer ink
computer paper
tissue,
toilet paper
tape for dispenser
guest/register book
office supplies
folding chairs
shelves and display cases
volunteers to greet visitors
Always more to come...
We invite you come along as our organization, our museum, and this website grow. If you share our interest in preserving and sharing the past, we encourage you to join us in our endeavors.
Join Us
Membership is only $10 yearly.
A note on the title: The typeface used in “The Historical Society of Old Brooklyn ” is called "Really Big Shoe NF," based on an offering from the Cleveland Type Foundry, originally named Oxford. It was produced by Nick’s Fonts, a small foundry that seeks to preserve typographic heritage. Cleveland Type Foundry was in business from 1875 to 1892 when they became part of the American Type Founders (ATF). See www.archive.org/details/ATF1893ClevelandSpecimen.