The Lakewood Historical Society
SMALL WONDERS
MINIATURES SHOW
You are cordially invited to a wonderful exhibit
at the Nicholson House
Saturdays and Sundays, September 11 and 12, September 18 and 19, September 25 and 26, and October 2 and 3, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
Tickets are $15.00 for adults and $5.00 for children (ages 3-12). No strollers are permitted.
Email lhsminiaturesshow@gmail.com or call 216-221-7343 for more information.
From Jim Robinson, Board President
It's been a remarkably beautiful summer in many ways for the Historical Society. We've steadily and thoughtfully been returning to life as it was before COVID, although it's still very much a reality around which we have to responsibly work. We're very happy to have reopened the Oldest Stone House Museum, and to have done that with both the help of our most loyal and capable docents and some new members among their ranks! And we had a great participation in the Lakewood Arts Festivals earlier this month with a very attractive and well supplied tent, delightfully staffed by present and former Trustees and good friends of the Society, with lots of visitors all day. A sincere thank you to Norine Prim for organizing that from start to finish.
We've recently completed the recordings of over thirty hours of interviews for our Oral Histories Project. Summer campers from H20 interviewed residents of EnnisCourt with the wonderful goals of bridging several generations and creating an oral narrative of history for a serial podcast that will be published this winter and then become part of our permanent archives. It was a fun and rewarding experience for everyone involved, and certainly gave an understanding of "history" being something as immediate as the memories of the person living across the street. We owe a great debt of gratitude to H20's summer camper/interviewers and to the high school volunteers and H20 staff, particularly Emmie Hutchison and Amy Chodzin who did an exceptional job of preparing the student participants for something they'd never done before in a very short space of time! It's going to be exciting to see the podcasts; the interviews are remarkably interesting, and many are really quite entertaining! Great thanks also to our very good friends at EnnisCourt, notably Becky Mercer, Andy McLinden and, of course, Patrice Campbell who made the project a delightful experience for the students and the residents who were interviewed. There were immediate requests to do this again next year, and we very much hope to do just that.
Just weeks away, all of a sudden, is the Small Wonders Miniatures Show which will be at the Nicholson House the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th weekends in September and the 1st weekend in October, showcasing an extraordinary array of miniature cottages and buildings, manor houses and castles, room boxes and other miniatures.
The public events coming up soon will be the Lakewood Community Festival in Madison Park, September 11, 11 AM - 5 PM. Please plan to stop by!
Enjoy the last weeks of summer, and we'll look forward to seeing you at Small Wonders!
Jim
VISIT LAKEWOOD'S OLDEST STONE HOUSE MUSEUM
Open for tours:
Sundays, July 18 & 25, August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, from 2:00 - 5:00 PM,
Wednesdays, August 4, 11, 18, 25, from 1:00 - 4:00 PM.
Our furnished 1838 house accurately interprets the everyday lives of the people living in Lakewood from 1838 to 1879. There is no charge for guided tours of the house and its collection.
Current COVID safety recommendations are observed.
Call for the reopening schedules,
Lakewood Historical Society buildings.
Our buildings have officially reopened. Feel free to call the office at (216) 221-7343 as we continue to update schedules over the coming weeks. The office is staffed Monday -Friday.
A "Home of Our Own" Capital Campaign Reaching for the Finish Line!
Since the Haber Family Center for History opened as the Society's headquarters only a few years ago we have been able to serve researchers, students, family historians, and curious community passers by. Our collection is settling in to its new secure, dry, and flexible space with more complete and accessible cataloging and storage. We've been very grateful for the help of volunteers and interns as well as our Curator.
As well as everything has gone we still need your help to permanently securing this very special archival space for the future. It's your help that will take us across the finish line in our Capital Campaign. It will ensure that the Lakewood Historical Society and the Haber Center will continue to care for Lakewood's history for generations to come.
Two New National Historic Districts in Lakewood!
Thank you to the Ohio CARES Act from the Ohio Humanities and National Endowment for the Arts for your support.
Thank you to the Ohio History Fund COVID-19 Emergency Grant from the Ohio History Connection.
Thank you to the Cuyahoga Arts and Culture Ohio CARES Act Grant for your support.
Council Contemplates Future of City Landmark Curtis Block Building
Read More About the Curtis Block Discussions - Click to Expand
On November 24, 2020 Lakewood City Council began a discussion about the current status and future of the Curtis Block building located at the corner of Detroit and Marlowe Avenues. In 2015 the City designated the Curtis Block as historic under City of Lakewood Ordinance Chapter 1134 ,you can read the designation HERE. When the City took possession of the former Lakewood Hospital site in 2016 the Curtis Block was included in that transfer. At that time an assessment was done of the property. In the subsequent four years there has been dramatic deterioration due to unaddressed roof and foundation issues that were exacerbated by the demolition of the hospital.
While the assessment presented to Council was a drudgery of images and descriptions of deterioration and failures with large dollar amounts tied to them, this is only one assessment of a very complicated issue. One that had a large range when discussing potential costs. When the City took possession of the property there was an opportunity to mitigate some of these issues but with the project tied to the hospital site development many of those manageable issues have spun into larger crises. Hope is not lost. Intervention now can revitalize this Lakewood treasure and sustainably reuse the property.
On Monday, December 7, 2020 Council will again discuss the condition of the Curtis Block and what they will be doing as the owners of this neglected property. We encourage all concerned residents to contact their council person to voice their wish for the City to stabilize and revitalize this Lakewood Landmark. Those that would like to express themselves in person at the meeting should contact council to be added to the meeting credentials. Contact City Council through their site HERE.
Curtis Block Links
Nice to be at home? We think so too.
Check out our "History at Home" page. We have activities and tidbits for all of our history lovers that are "staying home," particularly our students as well as he whole family.
Featured Pages
Lakewood Historical Society celebrates our 100 year and older housing stock with this program.
Look forward to a renewed and marvelous Ohio Heritage Summer Camp next summer!
For now you'll find some great at-home instructions for some of our favorite camp activities.
