Forest Hill, Ohio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Forest Hill Historic District
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Houses on Brewster Road
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by Glynn Rd., Northdale Blvd. and Cleviden Rd., Mt. Vernon Blvd. and Wyatt Rd., and Lee Blvd., Cleveland Heights, Ohio |
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| Area | 25 acres (10 ha) |
| Built | 1929 |
| Architect | Andrew J. Thomas |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, French Norman |
| NRHP reference No. | 86001662 |
| Added to NRHP | August 14, 1986 |
Forest Hill is a special historic neighborhood in Ohio. It stretches across parts of two cities: Cleveland Heights and East Cleveland. This area is bordered by Glynn Road to the north, Mayfield Road to the south, Lee Boulevard to the west, and North Taylor Road to the east. Forest Hill has a rich history, especially because it was once the summer home of a very famous family.
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A Famous Summer Home
Forest Hill was once the beloved summer home of John D. Rockefeller. He was a very wealthy businessman who made a lot of money from oil. His family, the Rockefeller family, spent their summers here. Imagine having such a big estate just for your summer vacations!
Rockefeller's Big Plan
Later, in 1923, John D. Rockefeller's son, John D. Rockefeller Jr., bought the estate from his father. He had a big dream for Forest Hill. He wanted to turn it into a fancy new neighborhood. This plan included both homes and shops.
To help with his vision, Rockefeller Jr. worked with a talented architect from New York City named Andrew J. Thomas. They planned to build homes with a special look. These houses would be in the distinctive French Norman style. This style often features stone walls, steep roofs, and round towers, making them look like charming old French country houses.
Challenges and New Beginnings
However, a big economic problem called the Great Depression hit in the 1930s. This was a time when many people lost their jobs and money. Because of this, Rockefeller Jr. had to stop his building plans for a while. It was hard to build new things when the economy was struggling.
After World War II, things started to get better. Other people became interested in Forest Hill. They began to build new homes on the empty land that was left. These new houses included comfortable colonial and modern ranch styles. Even with these new homes, the original ideas from Rockefeller and Thomas were still used.
Forest Hill Today
Today, Forest Hill is a wonderful mix of different things. You can see many types of homes, from the original French Norman designs to newer styles. It's also home to a diverse group of people and beautiful gardens. This blend makes Forest Hill a unique and interesting place to live and visit.
Images for kids
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Houses on Brewster Road, showing some of the unique architecture in Forest Hill.
