Berea

Patricia M. Mote, Susan Lee

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9781467113847
• eBook ISBN: 9781439650066
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: 20th Century History
• Index: History

Among southwest Cleveland suburbs, Berea, a community of 19,000, is unique. Berea was once called "The Sandstone Capital of the World," but the area's quarrying industry ceased in the mid-20th century. Immigrant quarrymen and their descendants remained, adding an eclectic and resilient mix to the academic atmosphere. Where blasting once shook the quarries, a pleasant area of lakes, trails, and picnic spots now delights residents and visitors alike. The historic home of the town's first doctor enjoys new life as a bed-and-breakfast, contemporary architecture integrates a historic church as part of the university, a wind turbine generates power for the fairgrounds, and community gardens offer produce to local food pantries.

One

HOLDING ON TO THE PAST

Originally built in 1868 by Berea’s first physician, Dr. Alexander McBride, Riverside Gables Bed & Breakfast opened in 2013—a dream come true for local owners Kevin and Catherine McDonough. Major renovations kept the Victorian-era ambience, offering four guest rooms plus the owners’ residence. Guests can walk to downtown Berea, Coe Lake Park, or the Baldwin Wallace campus after enjoying a hearty breakfast featuring freshly made bakery goods. (Photograph by Susan Lee.)

Dramatic renovation with new construction nearly doubled space for the Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music. The 15-month, $15 million project began in July 2010 and included full renovation of buildings formerly owned by the historic First Congregational United Church of Christ and renovation of Merner-Pfeiffer and Kulas Halls. The stunning new central connecting structure, the Boesel Musical Arts Center, joins the former church complex to Merner-Pfeiffer Hall, presenting a dramatic “front door” to the conservatory. The former First Congregational Church, established in 1855 and listed in the Ohio Register of Historic Places since 2005, played an important role in Berea’s history. The church retains its historic facade, but interior spaces have been transfigured for rehearsal and recital spaces. The Cleveland office of Weber Murphy Fox, based in Erie, Pennsylvania, designed the project. (Courtesy of Baldwin Wallace University.)

This imposing brick home, built in 1902 by Charles Lane, prominent dry goods store owner, featured a ballroom on the third floor and hand-painted murals on the bathroom wall. Since acquiring the house from Lane and his wife, Baldwin Wallace has used it for several purposes, including as a fraternity house, a humanities center, and offices. Presently, it houses students and is headquarters for visiting alumni, who have not yet been known to throw a party in the ballroom. (Courtesy of Baldwin Wallace University.)

Two vital organizations occupy offices in a converted Victorian cottage at 173 Front Street. Under the direction of Judy Groty, the Berea Chamber of Commerce strives to provide benefits to businesses and individual members of the community and to promote Berea in every way. Hanson Services, Inc., established in 1996, employs a network of in-home assisted living providers dedicated to aiding older adults in their daily living while remaining in their own homes. (Photograph by Susan Lee.)

Shown above is Berea’s Victorian Gothic Union Depot, built in 1876 and hailed by the Cleveland Plain Dealer as “the finest passenger facility outside the big cities.” The station’s glory days were over by 1958 when it closed upon the demise of the quarry industry. The building housed railroad freight until a 1980 renovation, when it reemerged as a full-service, moderately priced restaurant known as the Pufferbelly. Pictured below on July 20, 1980, the community celebrated the restaurant’s opening with a champagne social. Current owners have kept the building’s original ambience, a mixture of thick sandstone walls, and the chance to dine while watching speeding trains rush by. They have renamed the restaurant Berea Union Depot Taverne and added a large deck at the east side of the building, a nod to 21st-century demand. (Both, courtesy of the Berea Historical Society.)

The City of Berea bought the former Roll and Bowl in 1993 and converted the vacant roller rink to the Berea Recreation Center. The bowling alley, previously badly damaged by fire, closed in 2006, and the city voted to demolish that portion of the structure. (Courtesy of the Berea Historical Society.)

“Berea Rec” is now an active community hub, offering fitness and enrichment activities for Bereans of all ages. The Active Senior Network, housed at Berea Rec, offers events and programs to increase senior citizens’ daily activity and socialization. (Photograph by Susan Lee.)

The Berea Little Red Schoolhouse Foundation, Inc. has restored the vintage-1913 building on Bagley Road. The revived Berea Fine Arts Club used it for meetings and holiday shows until it became an arts center. Aspiring artists of all ages can now can enroll in classes taught by Berea professionals and exhibit their work at shows. (Photograph by Susan Lee.)

Berea encourages art and community pride among even very young citizens. This drawing of the grindstone Coe Lake by fourth-grader Faith Kinglsey was selected as one of twelve drawings by elementary students to illustrate a community calendar for 2013. (Courtesy of the Berea Chamber of Commerce.)

With their backsides perilously close to the Rocky River, decades-old businesses, seen here on the west side of the Triangle, were forced to relocate when urban renewal efforts took place in the 1970s. Many merchants went unhappily, but most thrived in their new locations. (Courtesy of the Berea Historical Society.)

A major engineering task was required to shore up the riverbank in preparation for construction of three-story condominiums to replace the former businesses. (Courtesy of the Berea Historical Society.)

Change is often difficult, and residents took some time getting used to the new condominiums that faced the businesses on the east side of the Triangle. Some naysayers felt they never would. (Courtesy of the Berea Historical Society.)

Owners of these condominiums by the Triangle live only steps away from the heart of Berea. Eateries, parks,...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1. Holding on to the Past
• 2. Building Homes and Neighborhoods
• 3. Continuing Education
• 4. Enjoying the Good Life
• 5. Serving the Community
• 6. Caring for One Another