Stories by: Tom Matowitz
Recently retired after a 37-year career teaching public speaking, Tom Matowitz has had a lifelong interest in local and regional history. Working as a freelance author for the past 20 years he has written a number of books and articles about Cleveland’s past. He has a particular interest in the area’s rich architectural history.
Cleveland Masterworks: One of the finest examples of the artisan craftmanship at the turn of the 20th Century can be found in Lake View Cemetery's Wade Memorial Chapel.
Cleveland Masterworks: George Edmondson was a leader in both portrait and landscape photography at a time when art and photo studios were just beginning to emerge as commonplace in Cleveland.
Cleveland Masterworks: Woodland Cemetery in the Central neighborhood is one of the city's earliest examples of the mid-19th Century garden cemeteries—rural landscaped areas that encourage visitors to linger. Woodland Cemetery hosts a large cross-section of Cleveland residents, political leaders, and people involved in about every controversy of the 19th Century.
Cleveland Masterworks: While Great Lakes marine transportation companies have come and gone over the past century, the Interlake Steamship Company has weathered unpredictable Lake Erie since 1913. In fact, today it will launch the MV Mark W. Barker, the first new cargo vessel built on the Great Lakes in 41 years.
Cleveland Masterworks: The 118-year-old Hermit Club in Playhouse Square is one of Cleveland's most enduring social clubs. Dedicated to amateur performing arts, the club continues to build on its traditions.
Cleveland Masterworks: From Glenn Curiss' 1910 flight from Euclid Beach to Cedar Point, to Navy torpedo bombers and the Great Lakes Trainer, few people today realize the prominent role Cleveland played in aviation history.
Established in 1872, the Union Club is one of the oldest social clubs in Cleveland—still standing tall on Euclid Avenue on the eve of its 150th birthday. Founding members included Cleveland notables such as Samuel Mather.
Cleveland Masterworks: In the early 1900s Otto and Elma Poschke made their mark in Cleveland running a refreshment stand at Edgewater Park. That stand evolved into a restaurant that would eventually become Don's Lighthouse Inn—still a hotspot today in the Edgewater neighborhood.
Cleveland Masterworks: Philip Lindsley Small was regarded as one of the top architects of his era in the first half of the 20th Century. From his work with the Van Sweringen brothers on the design of Shaker Square and Daisy Hill, to beautiful homes on South Woodland in Shaker Heights, Small's work is all over the city.
Cleveland Masterworks: There are many memorable dining and entertainment venues that stand out in Cleveland's history, but perhaps one of most memorable is Shondor Birns' Theatrical Grill—a staple on Short Vincent for more than six decades.
The Cleveland Police Department may have a long and colorful history, but the buildings that housed the police headquarters have even more colorful stories on their grounds.
Cleveland Masterworks: Without a day of training as an architect, Clarence Mack made his mark on Northeast Ohio nearly 100 years ago with the 32 impressive Georgian Revival and French Eclectic homes he built in Lakewood and Shaker Heights. All 32 homes stand today as testament to his talents.
The former Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church has quite a history. The newest chapter in the building's 112-year history will come later this year in the form of the Elliot event center.
Cleveland Masterworks: Clevelanders have always had their lists of favorite local eateries. Having perhaps one of the longest runs was Otto Moser's for 125 years.
When the United States entered World War II in December 1941, it was a foregone conclusion that Cleveland local Frank Matowitz would enlist in the Army to defend his country. To honor Memorial Day, this is the story of one local veteran's service.
Cleveland Masterworks: A now-derelict factory on the shores of Lake Erie once housed one of Cleveland’s most successful businesses. For more than 100 years, Richman Brothers produced quality suits that were a rites of passage for many young men graduating or getting married, while also going above and beyond in caring for its 2,000 employees.
Cleveland Masterworks: The Adolphus Druiding-designed St. Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church in Tremont dates back to the 19th Century and remains as Cleveland's tallest church.
Cleveland Masterworks: Rafael Guastavino studied architecture in his native Spain and went on to develop a system of interlocking tiles that greatly facilitated the construction of vaulted ceilings. There are 12 local examples of his work, including the West Side Market, Baldwin Water Treatment Plant, and Cleveland Public Library.
Cleveland Masterworks: In the 1890s, aging Civil War veterans began to reflect on the sacrifices they made as young soldiers and wanted to honor the memory of their fallen comrades. The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument was built in 1894 on Public Square to honor the more than 9,000 Cuyahoga County soldiers who served in the Civil War.
Cleveland Masterworks: The Standard Oil Company and Christian Science were born during the Great Depression—with two structures that continue to grace Cleveland's landscape a century later.