I found this old picture of Shaker Square -- when it was a Shaker Circle.

 

Shaker Square appears to be under development and very few apartments can be seen.  My apartment building has not yet been built yet (or the homes of the people who live behind me), only the twin towers and the NE Quadrant had a street all the way thru to Shaker Blvd.

 

The area where the Shaker courts is current standing is dirt.  You can see the original layout of the trains on South Moreland Blvd. (now Van Aken) .  Neither of the castles on Moreland Blvd. can be seen either.

 

Sorry about the quality of the picture.

 

That's cool- I like that picture.  Happy the Square ended up as a square though.

 

Also shows how the Vans were into making places, not just the squigly culdesacs served by collecter and feeder roads that today's crappy developers pump out.

 

BTW, MTS, I hear your courts really shone at the Restoration Society benefit.

Urban Sprawl - almost 100 years.

:wink:

That's cool- I like that picture.  Happy the Square ended up as a square though.

 

Also shows how the Vans were into making places, not just the squigly culdesacs served by collecter and feeder roads that today's crappy developers pump out.

 

BTW, MTS, I hear your courts really shone at the Restoration Society benefit.

 

It is what it is....I'm just glad things turned out as they did.  Although the vans along with Mayor Van Aken designed the Square and Shaker Hts as a white suburban utopia, with a lot or racial and ethnic restrictions...thank goodness things didn't quite work out as planned.

 

I wasn't in town for the RS benefit, and $175 is not enough money to allow people up in my crib!  Although I wasn't asked until the very last minute if I had any interest.  On top of that the RS tried to tie in stores/clothes/styles from the '20s, the time when the building was built, but didn't work with any of the stores on the Square or Larchmere, which I didn't like.

... it was actually Moreland Circle in those days, and Van Aken was Moreland Boulevard until Van Aken's death in the 1940s-early 50s -- hence the oddity of Moreland School (now Shaker Public Library) on Van Aken, when every other Shaker Hts school, sans the High School, was seemingly named for the street on which it was located ... The Vans maintained restrictive covenants barring home sales to blacks AND Jews -- thankfully completely illegal and unconstitutional, today... Interestingly, the Halle Brothers, founders of the famed Dept Store (for which Halle Berry is named), were Jews whom the Vans allowed a bye to come in and build their lavish mansion overlooking the Horseshoe Lake -- I guess they were granted "Honorary Gentile" status (a little wealth + prestige didn't hurt the Bros, I'm sure).

 

Ironically, and thankfully, Shaker today is long-considered one of the nation's few old-line wealthy-yet liberal progressive burbs... the Vans must be spinning in their side-by-side graves at Lakeview.

... it was actually Moreland Circle in those days, and Van Aken was Moreland Boulevard until Van Aken's death in the 1940s-early 50s -- hence the oddity of Moreland School (now Shaker Public Library) on Van Aken, when every other Shaker Hts school, sans the High School, was seemingly named for the street on which it was located ... The Vans maintained restrictive covenants barring home sales to blacks AND Jews -- thankfully completely illegal and unconstitutional, today... Interestingly, the Halle Brothers, founders of the famed Dept Store (for which Halle Berry is named), were Jews whom the Vans allowed a bye to come in and build their lavish mansion overlooking the Horseshoe Lake -- I guess they were granted "Honorary Gentile" status (a little wealth + prestige didn't hurt the Bros, I'm sure).

 

Ironically, and thankfully, Shaker today is long-considered one of the nation's few old-line wealthy-yet liberal progressive burbs... the Vans must be spinning in their side-by-side graves at Lakeview.

 

Clvndr, I was thinking that yesterday about moreland school, I would always ask my Dad, why moreland school is on van aken?  Boulevard is another elementary school not named for the street its on, as it's on Drexmore, and Woodbury Jr. High (the original shaker hts. high school) is on South Woodland.  Most confusing is why Onaway Elementary is on Woodbury  :?

 

I didn't want to just blurt out black/Jews were banned, but as I understand, SH banded Jews and ALL people of color.  I understand the the Vans estate (or their real estate holding company, which operated well into the late 50s/early 60s) held deeded rights to most of shaker hts until the late 50s/early 60s which is why the housing and neighborhoods remain unchanged and unconstitutional  until the mid 60s when blacks moved into the Ludlow area.  My father said a few people said they would sell their homes when my parents bought their home, my father said he told them he'd help them pack if it meant his property value wouldn't fall.  My dad is a trip! 

 

This brings to mind the barriers put up in Shaker to stop people from Cleveland from driving thru shaker.  My fathers sister and brother both owned homes on Scottsdale, practically across the street from one another although one house is in Shaker and the other in Cleveland.  That was the worst thing shaker ever did.

 

Funny, all the elementary schools in the areas considered in the "black" areas of shaker have closed, Moreland, Ludlow and Sussex the only exception is my elementary school, Malvern.

This brings to mind the barriers put up in Shaker to stop people from Cleveland from driving thru shaker.  My fathers sister and brother both owned homes on Scottsdale, practically across the street from one another although one house is in Shaker and the other in Cleveland.  That was the worst thing shaker ever did.

 

Shaker's early legacy re. restrictive covenants (which become unenforceable in 1948) and post war hostility to non-whites are shameful.  It is interesting how the political climate of the suburb changed so much.

 

Regarding the barriers between SH and Cleveland- I have no doubt they were put up with racial animus but I wonder how they're viewed by residents of SW SH now- even though the racial significance of the boarder has disappeared, there is sitll a sizable class difference.

 

Funny, all the elementary schools in the areas considered in the "black" areas of shaker have closed, Moreland, Ludlow and Sussex the only exception is my elementary school, Malvern.

 

Lomond is still open.

 

 

I wasn't in town for the RS benefit, and $175 is not enough money to allow people up in my crib!  Although I wasn't asked until the very last minute if I had any interest.   On top of that the RS tried to tie in stores/clothes/styles from the '20s, the time when the building was built, but didn't work with any of the stores on the Square or Larchmere, which I didn't like.

 

Well somehow they managed to sell out the tickets very early without your unit on view ;)

 

Shaker's early legacy re. restrictive covenants (which become unenforceable in 1948) and post war hostility to non-whites are shameful.  It is interesting how the political climate of the suburb changed so much.

 

Regarding the barriers between SH and Cleveland- I have no doubt they were put up with racial animus but I wonder how they're viewed by residents of SW SH now- even though the racial significance of the boarder has disappeared, there is sitll a sizable class difference.

 

Honestly I don't think there is a big "class" difference.  My fathers brother and sister owned homes on Scottsdale, catty corner from one another.  One was in Shaker the other in Cleveland.  The neighborhood is very mixed, socially and economically on both sides of the border.  To me this area of the Lee-Harvard area is VERY nice.  The homes look exactly the same and to be honest, and well maintained but IMO the people in Cleveland take better care of their homes than those in Shaker.

 

Lomond is still open.

 

I guess that has become the default black school, along with Boulevard.  It amazes me that the majority of elementary schools in the less expense, but higher density portions of shaker were closed.  I think now Shaker regrets closing Moreland.  If anything they should have closed Onaway, and kept Moreland, Ludlow open.  Now everyone who lives south of van aken and west of Lee Rd has to take their kid to Lomond.

 

Well somehow they managed to sell out the tickets very early without your unit on view ;)

 

oh Yeah  :-P..........I think my "tryin to keep up with the Jones" neighbor was apart of it.  I wish I was finished renovating my cousins apartment I would asked that his crib be apart of the tour.  Cause his apartment is going to be the shitnit when I'm done with it.

 

well, i learned somethings.......

well, i learned somethings.......

 

good!

well, i learned somethings.......

 

good!

 

My elders are good for something!

well, i learned somethings.......

 

good!

 

My elders are good for something!

 

Yes I agree!  Those old "fuddy-duddies" can teach you "whippersnappers" something, every now and again.

 

So what did you learn or take away from this thread?

that the Vans were some racist SOBs, the PBS special on them never covered that subject.