The City Sights Network


Shaker Heights

After being part successively of Warrensville township and then of Cleveland Heights , Shaker Heights was incorporated as a village in 1911 and as a city in 1931. One of the eastern suburbs of Cleveland , it is located 8 miles southeast of downtown. The name of Shaker Heights comes from the North Union Shaker community, a religious community located in the area as early as 1822 under the name of the "the Valley of God 's Pleasure." Originating in England where they were persecuted, their order was founded by “Mother” Ann Lee who arrived in America in 1774. The concept of male-female equality, the vision of God as a father-mother God and their industriousness was well-known about the Shakers who have left a humanitarian legacy to the area. The buildings the First North Union of Shakers had erected before their disband were all torn down to make space to the new suburb of Shaker Heights and only few artifacts remain in the actual city today. The journals of James Prescott, a well-known North Union Shaker, constitute a testimonial of their life in the community. Shakerism declined after the Civil War which had triggered the development of Cleveland as a new industrial city. There was no more room for the non-materialistic, agricultural community-based life in the area and the last few members of the community joined their peers in Southern Ohio .

     At the end of the 1920’s, the square was built by Otis and Mantis Van Sweringen, the brothers who developed the downtown area with the Tower City project. The station located under Tower City gave them the idea to develop the city of Shaker Heights , at the outskirts of Cleveland . According to their logic, businessmen on the one hand, would enjoy living outside of the hussle-bussle of the city and their workplace. On the other, they would need to reach the downtown area in the quickest and most comfortable fashion. Consequently, the Van Sweringen acquired the development previously started at what the today the entranceway to Shaker Heights and started train line linking the new township and Cleveland .  This decision contributed to the development of Cleveland as a new city with a downtown and large suburbs.         

     If you are interested in the history of this area, do not miss the Shaker Museum. There are also great walks to take around the Shaker Lakes. It is a great for natural preservation and for children to observe nature. Children and family friendly activities are organized year long around nature and the lakes.  

    Shaker’s proximity to the city’s cultural, educational and health care institutions makes it an ideally located place to live. The Rapid Transit lines established by the Van Sweringen brother still operates and stops right at the Square. Barely 12 minutes away from downtown Cleveland , this rapid line offers a connection to the waterfront and Cleveland - Hopkins airport. It is great to enjoy the ride and practical to avoid traffic in the downtown area, especially during the Holidays. The rapid runs often and pretty late from Tower city. In addition, a new RTA "Circulator" bus offers transportation to and from University Circle .  

     Shaker Heights is a very diverse community ethnically and culturally.  Shaker Square is also the oldest shopping district in Ohio and the second oldest in the nation. This square is octagonal and shaped to accommodate traffic as well as pedestrians. It is an ideal place to shop and dine in a diverse and lively community. There, demanding shoppers and cinemagoers will not only find their happiness, they will also enjoy the experience in a place which was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Surrounding the Square, a very large concentration of condominium apartments and rentals is next door to townhouses and private homes and walking traffic is important. Community events such as farmers markets, arts and crafts markets and concerts are well-attended and bring all the members of the greater Cleveland community together. Shaker really is a staple of the greater Cleveland area.