WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

The WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY is Cleveland's oldest existing cultural institution. Founded 28 May 1867 as the Western Reserve; Northern Ohio Historical Society, it was initially a department of the;CLEVELAND LIBRARY ASSN. (CLA) The society's stated purpose was the collection and preservation of materials relating to the history of Cleveland, the WESTERN RESERVE, Ohio, and the "great west." During its early decades, such activity usually centered around the accumulation of manuscripts, books, and other library materials relating to the early history of the community. However, the institution also began to acquire a variety of artifacts relating to local history; these eventually formed the basis of its museum. Leadership and funding were provided by a number of prominent citizens, among them CHAS. WHITTLESEY† and CHAS. C. BALDWIN†. The institution was originally located on the 3rd floor of the Society for Savings Bank building on PUBLIC SQUARE. By 1871 it had garnered enough support to open to the public. However, the increasing size of the collections created a space problem. With the help of a series of wealthy trustees, including JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER† and Rutherford B. Hayes, it was able to purchase the bank building in 1892 and expand its operations to all 3 floors. The library alone occupied the upper 2 stories. On 7 Mar. 1892, the society was incorporated as an independent not-for-profit institution. In 1898 the society moved to a new structure at E. 107th St. and EUCLID AVE.., a 3-story facility that permitted expansion of both the museum and library collections and an increased number of public lectures. Under the direction of WALLACE H. CATHCART†, president of the society 1907-13 and director 1913-42, the society's library expanded greatly, acquiring extensive new collections of local material, CIVIL WAR records, genealogies, and material relating to the Shakers. Beginning in the 1960s, the library instituted special, collecting programs in fields such as urban, African American, ethnic, Jewish, labor, and Gay-Lesbian history, which added significant amounts of material to its holdings. By the 1990s the library's collections included over 14 million manuscript items, 3 million photographic prints and negatives, 238,000 books, and 25,000 volumes of newsprint, as well as one of the largest collections of genealogical sources in the nation.

In the late 1930s the society expanded its facilities, acquiring Lawnfield (1936), the home of Pres. JAS. A. GARFIELD† in Mentor, and Shandy Hall (operated by WRHS beginning in 1936, deeded to WRHS in 1948), a home constructed by the Harper family in Unionville in 1815. Between 1938-41, the institution's main operations were moved to 2 mansions on East Blvd. The museum was relocated in the  Hay House, constructed by Mrs. John Hay in 1910, and the library in the adjacent Hanna House, constructed by Harry Payne Bingham in 1918. By this point the museum's holdings had become extensive and contained the nuclei of the costume and American furniture and decorative-arts collections that would grow to national importance by the 1970s. Further facilities expansion occurred in the 1950s and 1960s. Under the administration of Director MEREDITH B. COLKET, JR.†, a central addition joining the 2 mansions and a 3-floor library stack facility were opened in 1959. In 1963 TRW, INC., donated its collection of historic automobiles and aircraft. An adjoining structure, the Frederick C. Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum, was opened in 1965 to house these collections, which had formerly been exhibited at the Thompson Products Auto Album & Aviation Museum at E. 30th St. and Chester. In 1957 the society acquired the Jonathan Hale homestead in Bath, Summit County, a facility that it developed as an operating early 19th century farm and village. An additional operating farm, Loghurst, in Mahoning County, was acquired in 1978. In 1984, under the leadership of Director Theodore A. Sande (1981-93) the society opened a new 68,000 sq. ft. library building at its East Blvd. headquarters. In 1993 the Reinberger Gallery, which connected the library to the main complex, and the Thomas Lester Annex, which expanded the auto-museum complex, were opened. By the 1990s WRHS had evolved into one of the largest privately supported historical societies in the country. The museums at East Blvd, including The Crawford Auto and Aviation Collection, and outlying sites, including Hale Farm and Village, employed more than 80 full time employees by the late 1990s. In 2007, Gainor B. Davis became the society's first female President and, CEO.

During her tenure the institution retired a substantial debt incurred during an attempt to build a major new facility (The Crawford Museum of Transportation and Industry) on the city’s lakefront in the late 1990s and early 2000s and achieved a balanced operating budget.  The Society also undertook a full remodeling of the Crawford Auto Aviation Museum wing which included a structural addition to house an original 1910 carousel from Euclid Beach Park.  The carousel opened to the public in November 2014.

Kelly Falcone-Hall, who had served as the director of the Society’s Hale Farm and Village became director of the institution in 2014.   During her tenure the Society acquired the Holsey Gates Residence in Bedford, Ohio, in 2016 and began a major campaign to create a new, state-of-the-art core exhibit entitled “Cleveland Starts Here.” slated to open during the institution’s 150 anniversary in 2017.  It also successfully rebranded its facilities on East Boulevard, which consist of the research library, Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum, the Chisholm Halle Costume Wing and the Hay and Hanna Mansions as the Cleveland History Center.  In addition to the Cleveland History Center the Western Reserve Historical Society also operated Hale Farm and Village in Bath, Ohio, Shandy Hall near Unionville, the Holsey Gates House in Bedford, a major storage facility in Macedonia, Ohio, and Loghurst in Canfield, Ohio.  

Related Article(s)

• LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS

Related Link(s)

• Western Reserve Historical Society