Browse Interviews

After growing up in Cleveland's east side Hungarian neighborhood, Richard Fleischman went off to college and returned to the city in 1955 to begin his architecture career, eventually starting the firm of Conrad and Fleischman. In this 2006 interview, Fleischman shares his thoughts on Cleveland's post-war development, commenting on what he sees as the city's successes and failures. He praises the Gateway area redevelopment, singling out for praise the mayoral leadership that helped accomplish…

Neal Distad grew up in Beachwood, Ohio and has worked as an architect and preservationist in Cleveland since the 1980s. The focus of this 2006 interview is the historical development of Cleveland's Euclid Avenue and some of its most significant buildings. Distad also talks more broadly about Cleveland's development, discussing topics such as Public Square, the Mall, and the lake and river fronts. In commenting on plans for improving the city, Distad stresses the importance of attracting new…

William Blunden arrived in Cleveland in the mid 1960s, working for architects Dalton & Dalton, as well as Don Hisaka, before starting his own firm. In this 2006 interview, Blunden discusses the development and deterioration of Cleveland's Euclid Avenue and speaks more broadly on how he believes Cleveland can remain a viable city while dealing with the loss of population and business. Blunden stresses the need for strong leadership and creative ideas in carrying out new development plans that…

Paul Volpe served as Commissioner of Architecture in Cleveland from 1983-1989, leaving that position to found City Architecture Inc., an urban design firm located in Cleveland. In this 2006 interview, Volpe talks about the various projects he led while working for Mayor George Voinovich's administration. He also discusses his more recent work with City Architecture Inc. and the philosophy of urban design and city planning that lies behind it. Throughout the interview, Volpe praises Cleveland's…

In this 2006 interview, Cleveland architect and Shaker Heights native Bill Morris discusses the evolution of Cleveland, particularly Euclid Avenue, throughout the twentieth-century from an urban development perspective. He shares childhood memories of Euclid Avenue and laments the decline of Euclid Avenue's Millionaires Row and downtown movie theaters. Morris also points to missed opportunities such as the 1948 Downtown Subway Plan and mistakes like the Erieview Project, while offering…

In this 2006 interview, Nina Gibans, an author and Cleveland arts advocate, discusses some of her memories of working and living in the city and shares her opinions on art and architecture in Cleveland. As the head of the Cleveland Arts Council from 1972-1979, Gibans became familiar with arts advocacy and the struggle to secure public funding for the arts. More recently, she has written a book on community arts councils and created two websites focusing on Cleveland art and architecture. Gibans…

Jim Herman has worked as an architect in Cleveland since 1963 at the firm that is now called Herman, Gibans Fodor. His area of interest is senior housing, and he has worked on a number of such projects in the city, including the Bruening Health Center at Judson Park. In this 2006 interview, Herman discusses his work in Cleveland, focusing on the challenges of building homes for the aging, the construction of the Jewish Community Federation Building on Euclid Avenue, the Tower City/Terminal Tower…

Norman Krumholz, Professor of Urban Studies at the Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University, served as Planning Director for the City of Cleveland from 1969-79. As Planning Director, Krumholz helped establish the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) in 1975. In this 2006 interview, he gives his opinion on some of Cleveland's development projects - past and present - as well as the problems that Cleveland faces in remaining a viable city. Urban sprawl, deindustrialization, and…

Norman Perttula came to Cleveland in 1961 and served as chief designer at the Dalton & Dalton architectural firm until the early 1990s. He also served on the design committee for the Euclid Corridor Transportation Project. In this 2006 interview, Perttula shares his thoughts on Euclid Avenue, discussing the Euclid Corridor Project and some of his favorite buildings on the street. He also speaks more broadly about the urban problems facing Cleveland and offers several possible solutions. In…

Richard Van Petten works as an architect in Cleveland, Ohio, presently running his own architectural firm. In this 2006 interview, Van Petten, a contributor to the Euclid Corridor Transportation Project, describes the history of the project and discusses its implications for the city's future. He also shares his thoughts on the current uses of Cleveland's Public Square and lakefront and outlines possibilities for future improvements. At the end of the interview, Van Petten argues for the…

In 1954, Robert Madison started Robert P. Madison International Inc., Ohio's first architectural firm started by an African-American. In this 2006 interview, Madison discusses the challenges he faced as a black man trying to become an architect and the discrimination he faced at various points in his life. He describes serving in World War II and coming back to Cleveland, where he successfully challenged racial discrimination at Case Western Reserve University, graduating with a degree in…

Jerry Payto grew up in Beford, Ohio and worked for a variety of architectural firms in Cleveland before starting his own firm, Payto Architects. In this 2006 interview, Payto talks extensively about Euclid Avenue, discussing its past glory, recent decline, and contemporary plans for redevelopment, including the Euclid Corridor Transportation Project. Payto also discusses past plans for redevelopment, describes the urban issues hampering the city's revitalization, and offers some ideas on how…

George Dalton grew up in Cleveland Heights and worked as an architect in Cleveland between 1943 and 1984. In this 2006 interview, Dalton discusses his work in the city and offers his thoughts on Cleveland's urban development. Dalton briefly describes his work on the MetroHealth Medical Center and the various architectural firms he has worked for, spending most of the interview in discussion of Euclid Avenue and how it has changed over the years. He laments the death of the streetcar lines and…

In this 2006 interview, Jim Gibans, an architect in Cleveland for over four decades, discusses some of his work and gives his opinion on Cleveland's development - past, present and future. Gibans talks about his firm's role in building and renovating Lakeview Terrace and the Outhwaite Homes - two public housing developments in Cleveland - going into detail on Lakeview Terrace's numerous historic murals. Gibans also gives his opinion on the Euclid Corridor Project, Public Square, and what he sees…

In this 2006 interview, Nina Gibans, a poet, author, and active leader in Cleveland's art community discusses her early life and the work of her husband, architect Jim Gibans. Growing up in Cleveland and Shaker Heights, Ohio in the 1930s and 40s, Gibans was the only Jewish girl in Laurel School. Her father was the head of surgery at Mt. Sinai Hospital. Later on, as editor of the Sara Laurence College newspaper, Gibans had to deal with the censorship of the McCarthy era. Gibans met her husband on…

William Gould was born in Lakewood, Ohio in 1930 and began working as an architect in Cleveland starting in the late 1950s, serving on Cleveland's Planning Commission for a period early in his career. In this 2006 interview, Gould talks extensively about the development of Downtown Cleveland, discussing the 1959 Downtown Plan on which he worked, as well as earlier plans to install a subway beneath Euclid Avenue. In addition, he discusses Cleveland's Euclid Avenue, recalling past memories of the…

Robert Gaede, who grew up in Cleveland Heights, has worked as an architect and historic preservationist in Cleveland since the 1950s. In this 2006 interview, Gaede discusses the historical development of Cleveland as an urban space in the context of its architecture and buildings, giving particular attention to the development of Euclid Avenue. After talking about his youth and education, Gaede describes Cleveland's early history as part of the Western Reserve. He extensively discusses Euclid…

Jennifer Coleman, a native Clevelander, works as an architect in the city and is the founder of CityProwl, which provides free audio tours for downtown Cleveland. In this 2006 interview, Coleman, who resides in Euclid Avenue's Midtown district, provides a unique perspective of the Euclid Corridor Transportation Project. She speaks about the buildings along the whole of Euclid Avenue and the development of the street throughout history. In offering her opinion on the continued improvement of…

Malcolm Cutting grew up in Cleveland Heights and worked at the Cleveland architectural firm of Dalton-Van Dijk-Johnson before becoming the architect in residence at The Cleveland Clinic in 1972, overseeing the development and expansion of the hospital's campus. In this 2006 interview, Cutting discusses his work at the Clinic and the building projects he worked on, most notably the Crile Building. More generally, Cutting shares his memories of Euclid Avenue, describing its past prominence and…

Peter Van Dijk has worked as an architect in Cleveland since arriving in the city in 1961. In this 2006 interview, he talks about some of the architectural renovation projects on which he has worked, including the Huntington Bank restoration and his work in preserving the theaters at Playhouse Square. Van Dijk shares his general thoughts on Cleveland's architecture and development, lamenting the city's development mistakes and stressing that Cleveland's many assets have been misused. Missed…

William Collins, who grew up in Cleveland Heights, worked as an architect in Cleveland throughout most of the second half of the twentieth century. In this 2006 interview, Collins discusses his work on Euclid Avenue and shares his thoughts on other aspects of Cleveland's development. After describing his youth in Cleveland Heights, Collins briefly describes the various buildings he has worked on along Euclid Avenue, from Downtown to University Circle. He also offers his opinion on Cleveland's…

Don Hisaka, the son of Japanese immigrants, grew up on a California farm before leaving to study architecture at Berkeley and Harvard. Arriving in Cleveland in the early 1960s, he eventually started his own architecture firm, designing such buildings as Cleveland State University's University Center and the glass atrium in Thwing Hall on the Case Western Reserve University Campus. In this 2007 interview, conducted over the telephone, Hisaka describes his recollections of architecture and design…

Born in 1918, John Bonebrake grew up in Cleveland Heights. In this 2006 interview, Bonebrake goes into great detail describing his childhood memories of Euclid Avenue and Downtown Cleveland in the 1920s and 1930s, mentioning, among other things, the avenue's stores, theaters, and mansions. Bonebrake provides colorful anecdotes on the wide range of his experiences in the city. He also describes his work as an architect in Post-War Cleveland, discussing his time with the firms of Walker & Weeks…

Jack Bialosky Sr. grew up in Cleveland Heights and has worked as an architect in Cleveland since the early 1950s. In this 2006 interview, Bialosky talks about running his own architecture firm in the city and some of the projects he has worked on, elaborating on issues surrounding his firm's work in building houses in Shaker Heights. Bialosky describes the historical development of Cleveland's Euclid Avenue and offers his take on other parts of the city's development, addressing mistakes made on…

The Wade Chapel in Lakeview Cemetery was built as a monument to Jeptha. H. Wade by his grandson in 1901. The chapel was used as a receiving vault and service chapel and is open to the public for visits or to schedule services (including weddings and other events). The Greek temple design houses the interior by Tiffany featuring a window and side wall glass mosaics produced in New York and shipped to Cleveland during its construction. A detailed description of the interior art and the chapel's…

This interview with Father John T. Lane, Pastor of St. Paschal Baylon Parish was held in the rectory to document the history of the parish. Father Lane has a history with the parish since childhood. There is some discussion about the Blessed Sacrament Order in Cleveland, New York and Chicago. The early part of the interview focuses on the founding of St. Paschal in 1953 in Highland Heights, Ohio and how the Blessed Sacrament Order came to Cleveland and the parish. The Seminary located here in…

Trinity Cathedral is the Cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio and is located in downtown Cleveland.This is an interview about the history of the church in Cleveland from the beginning of its' first structure in 1829 to the present structure consecrated in 1907. The Bifanos give some background to the history of the area and how it relates to the growth of Trinity. Throughout the course of the interview there is discussion related to the previous buildings but the focus is on the present…

Shawn Hoefler created and runs the website clevelandskyscrapers.com where he posts photos and text about the buildings and architecture around the city. He has also published a book on the same subject. In this 2005 interview, he discusses the buildings of Cleveland and some of the history, especially the old post office building. He also discusses the architecture firm of Walker and Weeks and their work in Cleveland.

Robert P. Madison started his architectural firm in Cleveland on July 17, 1954. When it opened its doors it was the first African-American architectural firm in Cleveland and one of the first, if not the first, African-American owned and operated firm in Ohio. Madison's offices were located directly across the street from Cleveland State University and he watched as the campus grew and developed over time. Eventually, after years of working to establish the credentials of his firm in a…

Paul Volpe, President of City Architecture Inc., discusses the company's role in redeveloping Cleveland's Midtown Corridor. Established in 1989, City Architecture's main focus is urban redevelopment in the Northeast Ohio region. Volpe served as the urban architect for the mayoral administrations of George Voinovich and Michael White throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He discusses the ideas within city hall regarding redevelopment during his years working for the government. Volpe also explains how…

Jim Neville has lived in Shaker Heights since 1970 and works for an architectural firm in the city. He talks about the Shaker Heights board of Architectural Review. He, as of 2012, was still serving on the board. He discusses how the board works, the standards they aim to keep in Shaker, and the value of the architecture. He also talks about the challenges of building sympathetic additions, even to his own historic home.

Architect Richard Van Petten reflects on his life on Euclid Avenue and on the Millionares' Row mansions that used to line the street.

Walter Leedy, professor of Art at Cleveland State University, discusses WPA art in Cleveland, as well as the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the importance of architectural preservation.

Walter Leedy, professor of Art at Cleveland State University, discusses WPA art in Cleveland, as well as numerous architectural landmarks in the city, including Terminal Tower, Park Synagogue, and Breuer Building.

Architect Jack A. Bialosky gives an architecturally focused account of living in Cleveland. He begins by describing his early days as a child in Cleveland Heights. He then discusses his education, which was made possible by the Navy, but had twists and turns all the same. Once he graduated, with a degree in architecture, he describes his first major job: Suburban Temple in Beachwood. After talking about Suburban Temple, Bialosky recounts the trials and tribulations, sometimes literally, that…

William H. Collins, successful architect, spends a lot of time discussing the various projects he worked on throughout Cleveland. He begins, however, talking about growing up in Cleveland Heights, a place where he spent 84 years of his life. He recalls going to the Euclid-105th area and spending time at the movie theaters there. He also talks about the streetcars and how he would take them downtown. He remembers how he became an architect, and he continues by talking about his favorite projects…

In this 2005 interview, Raymond Pianka, Judge of the City of Cleveland Housing Court, discusses the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. He first discusses the historical ethnicity of the neighborhood, including the immigration of Irish, and then later Italians and Romanians, into the area. He also discusses his own Polish heritage, and talks about his father and grandfather's industrial employment in Cleveland for a large part of the twentieth century. Judge Pianka also talks about the architecture…

Hunter Morrison, Director of Youngstown State University's Center for Urban and Regional Studies, served as Cleveland City Planning Director throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In this 2006 interview, Morrison describes his work as a city planner in Cleveland and offers his view on Cleveland's needs for the future. After detailing his early work as a planner in Kenya, Morrison discusses the development of the Euclid Avenue Corridor plan. Much of Morrison's work in Cleveland focused on updating the…

Dick Austin discusses the history of the Austin Company which his great grandfather had founded. The company was a large designer and builder of industrial facilities. He relates various major projects of the company through the years including Nela Park, the Boeing factory, and its involvement in a Russian automotive complex.

In this 2006 interview, 87 year old Melvin Rose, son of Martin Rose, the founder of Rose Iron Works, discusses the company that his father founded in Cleveland in 1910 and that still exists in Cleveland. The Rose Iron Works company made many of the best decorative iron products for commercial and residential buildings in the City of Cleveland in the twentieth century, including the clock on the downtown Williamson Building, decorative screens at Severance Hall, and the decorative iron gates at…

In this 2007 interview, Melvin Rose, son of founder Martin Rose, and current president of Rose Iron Works, talks about his family's iron works business in Cleveland since the early twentieth century. He also talks about a competitor, Samuel Yellin. Most of this short interview, however, consists of a discussion between the interviewer and interviewees about producing a story of the Rose Iron Works for the coming kiosks to be place along Euclid Avenue as part of the GCRTA Euclid Corridor project.

Geoffrey Mearns, the Dean of Cleveland Marshall College of Law and Louise Mooney, the communications coordinator stitch together the past, present, and future of Cleveland's public school of law. Mearns, explains what is on the horizon for the law school in terms of community engagement. Mooney provides the history of the law school and how that history has affected the schools present. The Marshall College of Law excels in providing a diverse, well-rounded, and accessible law education for…

Christopher Hubbert grew up in Cleveland Heights and describes the area. Throughout his adult life he has lived in Forest Hills and he discusses the development of this neighborhood. He discusses the community atmosphere inherent in the Forest Hills neighborhood, which he attributes to strong resident associations.

Timothy Daley, Executive Director at Cuyahoga County Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, describes his involvement with the monument, beginning with his time as a volunteer. He passionately describes the monument's architectural details and what they symbolize. He explains why the current location of the monument was chosen and describes its controversial history. In addition, he provides insight as to the future plans for the monument in terms of its maintenance and restoration.