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University Circle in Cleveland in Cuyahoga County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
 

The Cozad-Bates House
⎯⎯⎯
Anti-Slavery and Abolition

 
 
The Cozad-Bates House / Anti-Slavery and Abolition Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Christopher Busta-Peck, September 27, 2008
1. The Cozad-Bates House / Anti-Slavery and Abolition Marker
Inscription. The Cozad-Bates House is one of the oldest remaining structures in Cleveland's University Circle. The original section, built circa 1853, is the only pre-Civil War residential structure left in the neighborhood. Built by Samuel and Jane Cozad's son, Andrew Cozad, the first section used locally made brick to form a simple two-story, one-room-deep, vernacular English-I house. The family owned a large portion of the land which is now occupied by University Circle. Justus Cozad, Andrew's son, returning from the west where he worked as a railroad superintendent and civil engineer, built the later section on Mayfield Road for his larger family in 1872. It is a rare surviving example of Italianate-influenced residential architecture, including a hipped roof, curved bay windows, paired eave brackets, and prominent belvedere. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and designated as a Cleveland Landmark in 2006.

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Anti-Slavery and Abolition

Many Cleveland settlers were anti-slavery and abolitionists. After the opening of the Ohio and Erie Canal, Cleveland became a destination for fugitive
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slaves and the bondsmen who tracked them. Before the Civil War, slaves moved through Ohio's Underground Railroad network that extended two hundred and fifty miles from Ripley to Cleveland. Known by the secret code name "Hope," Cleveland became a destination for freedom seekers making their way north to Canada. Persons seeking freedom were often aided by abolitionists in University Circle, formerly a part of East Cleveland Township. To celebrate Cleveland's story of antislavery, the courageous people who sought freedom, and the station operators who helped them, this home was saved through the advocacy efforts of the Cleveland Restoration Society, Restore Cleveland Hope Inc., and University Circle Inc. Donated by University Hospitals in 2006, the home is reflective of Cleveland's anti-slavery era and legacy of abolition.
 
Erected 2007 by University Circle, Inc. and the Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 87-18.)
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RRAfrican AmericansNotable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection
The Cozad-Bates House / Anti-Slavery and Abolition Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Christopher Busta-Peck, September 27, 2008
2. The Cozad-Bates House / Anti-Slavery and Abolition Marker
series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1853.
 
Location. 41° 30.512′ N, 81° 36.185′ W. Marker is in Cleveland, Ohio, in Cuyahoga County. It is in University Circle. It is at the intersection of Mayfield Road (U.S. 322) and East 115th Street, on the right when traveling east on Mayfield Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 11508 Mayfield Road, Cleveland OH 44106, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Ohio’s Lake Erie Shore and in the Western Reserve. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Cozad-Bates House Interpretive Center (here, next to this marker); Cozad-Bates House (here, next to this marker); To Stand Up (here, next to this marker); To Decide (here, next to this
The Cozad-Bates House image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Christopher Busta-Peck, September 27, 2008
3. The Cozad-Bates House
The older part of the house is the rectangular wing to the back.
marker); To Risk (a few steps from this marker); A Bench by the Road (within shouting distance of this marker); Sculptors of Guardians / Scultori Dei Guardiani (approx. 0.2 miles away); Site of the Home of the Poet Harold Hart Crane (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cleveland.
 
Also see . . .  Cozad-Bates House website. (Submitted on October 17, 2008, by Christopher Busta-Peck of Shaker Heights, Ohio.)
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 27, 2008, by Christopher Busta-Peck of Shaker Heights, Ohio. This page has been viewed 3,958 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on September 27, 2008, by Christopher Busta-Peck of Shaker Heights, Ohio.
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Jul. 12, 2026