• Benjamin Franklin School students celebrate Black History Month with vocal and musical production

    PHOTO BY GREG CZNADEL Wednesday, February 26, 2025; Vocal and musical production in celebration of Black History Month, Benjamin Franklin School, 1905 Spring Road: Seventh grade student Jeanette sings Hit the Road Jack. by Greg Cznadel      (Plain Press April 2025) I had a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Black History Month on February 26th.     …


  • Concern expressed over destruction of old burying ground

    To the editor:    (Plain Press February 2025) My primary concern regarding the Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation’s Pearl Memphis Project is the destruction of the old burying ground which likely still has pioneers interred upon the site. The plans, from what I have seen, are calling for the complete removal of that green space…


  • New developments could influence the future of the corner of Pearl and Memphis

    PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OLD BROOKLYN HISTORICAL SOCIETY Corner of Pearl and Memphis: Buildings in the South Brooklyn Commercial District in one of the photos submitted to the National Register of Historic Places when seeking approval of the historic district application. by Lynette Filips      (Plain Press February 2025) The clock is ticking in the…


  • Tree Stewards welcome Old Brooklyn residents to first workshop of the year

         (Plain Press February 2025) Saturday, January 18th, the Tree Stewards of Old Brooklyn had the first “Tree Workshop-Program” of 2025 at Six Shooter Coffee shop. Hope Fiero introduced professional arborist Amanda Woods Urban Community Forester, Holden Arboretum; Brittney Hooper, Old Brooklyn Community Development’s Tree Steward Coordinator; and Phil Kidd, Mayors Office of Capital Improvements.…


  • Cleveland City Planning Commission approves demolition of buildings in Old Brooklyn’s Historic District

    by Lynette Filips PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF OLD BROOKLYN 2005 Photo that accompanied the application of the South Brooklyn Commercial District to be on the National Register of Historic Places: On Friday, December 6th, the Cleveland Planning Commission approved the demolition of four buildings on the corner of Pearl Road and Memphis…


  • Summer comes to end for Old Brooklyn Tree Stewards

    PHOTO BY GREG CZNADEL Goudreau Park, 4900 W. 14th: Tree dedicated in the memory of Old Brooklyn Tree Steward Kevin Kubovcik: The metal tag reads: “Planted in memory of Kevin Kubovcik, Old Brooklyn Tree Steward, Dedicated on October 14, 2023”. by Greg Cznadel      (Plain Press January 2025) The last buckets of water were emptied…


  • A look at some of the buildings in Old Brooklyn’s Historic District

    PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF OLD BROOKLYN The H. Krather Building, built in 1895, is one of several historic buildings in the South Brooklyn Historic Commercial District, near the corner of Pearl and Memphis. by Lynette Filips    (Plain Press December 2024) This month we continue to look at the history of the…


  • How the corner of Pearl and Memphis came to be included in the National Register of Historic Places in 2005

    GRAPHIC COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE A map of the South Brooklyn Commercial Historic District from the United States Department of Interior National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places. by Lynette Filips      (Plain Press November 2024) This month we continue to look at the history of the northwest corner of Pearl Rd.…


  • Greenline Building has housed a wide variety of businesses over the years

    PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF OLD BROOKLYN 1961; Ken Booth’s House of Flowers, 3426 Memphis Avenue, northwest corner of Memphis and Pearl. by Lynette Filips      (Plain Press October 2024) This month we continue to look at the history of the northwest corner of Pearl Rd. and Memphis Ave. which the Old Brooklyn…


  • Old Brooklyn’s Brookmere Cemetery included in nationwide cemetery tour

    PHOTO BY JOHN RAKAUSKAS Monday, August 5, 2024; Brookmere Cemetery, 3645 Broadview Rd., in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood of Cleveland: Cleveland residents as well as residents of other cities in Ohio and neighboring states attended an outdoor workshop demonstrating how to clean, repair and reposition headstones. The workshop was conducted by Jonathan Appell, founder of…