Next meeting: Friday, March 13. An indoor field trip for a late winter night—rescheduled program.
Winter can feel long in Northeast Ohio, which makes March a perfect time for an indoor escape that still connects us to the outdoors. Let's step back and look at the natural world that has always shaped our region — often in the most unexpected places.
For our March program, the Historical Society of Old Brooklyn welcomes a presentation that blends Cleveland history, landscape change, and urban ecology. From former industrial sites to rail corridors, this program reminds us that history isn't only found in buildings and documents, but also in the land itself — and in what manages to thrive there.
Think of it as a farewell-to-winter, indoors-only field trip: a chance to get outdoorsy without the cold. Please note the new location.
The Museum is closed
Please note that the HSOB Museum at 3430 Memphis Avenue is now closed.
In the meantime, please continue to enjoy our digital gallery. We regret any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding during this transition.
As you may know, HSOB must relocate due to our eviction from the Greenline Building. The Museum Relocation Committee has been working toward securing a new location. At the Nov. 14th meeting the Committee presented an update:
HUD Relocation Assistance and funding;
moving and interim storage of museum holdings; a proposed new museum location with needed modifications.
View an outline of the transition here [pdf].
HSOB may be homeless for the moment, but we're far from hopeless. In this season of gratitude and generosity, your support gives us stability as we prepare for our next home. Your donation—no matter the size—helps protect the stories that define Old Brooklyn.
For more information about the redevelopment of the Greenline Building site see Pearl & Memphis below.
Caring for What Matters
Late winter is a season of patience and reflection—a time when we care for what matters and prepare for what comes next. The Historical Society is in the midst of a major transition as our longtime home is being demolished to make way for new development. While the exact location of our next chapter is still coming into focus, the work of preserving Old Brooklyn's history continues. Establishing a new space for our museum and collections brings real costs, and membership fees alone don't cover even the basics of "keeping the lights on." Your support helps carry us through this moment of change.
The old neighborhood
Even if you're no longer an Old Brooklyn resident, many of you hold this neighborhood close. Whether it was childhood or early adulthood, Old Brooklyn helped shape who you are. The Historical Society is a homecoming—and you're always welcome. We invite you to keep those memories alive and pay forward to those who are creating their own stories here.
A sense of place
Loving a place means understanding its story. Our history is more than a record of the past—it helps shape our future. When people feel connected to where they live (or once lived), it strengthens identity, belonging, and long-term sustainability. A strong Historical Society helps anchor that sense of place for Old Brooklyn now and for generations to come.
As we prepare for the Historical Society's next chapter, your membership or donation helps safeguard Old Brooklyn's history so it can continue to inspire future generations.
Pearl & Memphis
Learn about the history and proposed future of our downtown intersection.
Gothic Revival St. Luke Evangelical and Reformed Church building, built in 1903, with a
school added in 1925. Features include a crenellated corner tower, lancet window openings on sanctuary building and school, and attached buttresses. A "Good Shepherd" stained glass window is found on the original structure's gable section.
Discover Old Brooklyn: A Neighborhood Rich in History
Nestled on the West Side of Cleveland, Old Brooklyn spans about 6 square miles and is just five miles south of downtown. Its borders stretch from Big Creek and the Brooklyn Centre neighborhood to the north, the Cuyahoga River and the village of Brooklyn Hts. to the east, Parma to the south, and Brooklyn to the west.
Old Brooklyn has its roots in the original Brooklyn Township, organized as a governmental structure in 1818. The first settlers, who journeyed here from Connecticut, arrived in 1812, and by 1814, more had settled south of Big Creek Valley. These early pioneers used Indian trails as the foundations for the roads we know today—Pearl, Broadview, and Schaaf.
In 1838, Brighton Village was briefly incorporated around what's now the intersection of Pearl and Broadview Roads. Over the years, as German farmers moved in, the area grew and evolved. By 1889, the village was renamed South Brooklyn. Then, in 1905, the area began to annex into the City of Cleveland, ultimately becoming part of the city by 1927. The move was sparked by South Brooklyn's prized light plant, which was established in 1902.
Old Brooklyn's growth also owes much to its agricultural roots—specifically greenhouse gardening. Beginning in 1887 along Schaaf Road, the area earned the nickname "Greenhouse Capital of the United States" by the mid-20th century. And we can't forget one of the neighborhood's most beloved landmarks: the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, which opened in 1914 and continues to be a major draw for visitors and locals alike.
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.
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 $20 a year.
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 https://luc.devroye.org/fonts-53475.html
