South Euclid in Cuyahoga County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
William E. Telling
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William E. Telling Mansion
Photographed by J. J. Prats, June 22, 2019
1. William E. Telling Marker
William E. Telling (18691938) was one of ten children born in a farmhouse on this property. As a boy he sold strawberries and milk door-to -door and worked in a local sandstone quarry until at age 23 he purchased a milk route. He and four brothers formed the Telling Brothers Ice Cream Company in 1895 with William as president. A merger in 1915 formed the Telling Belle Vernon Dairy Company that was the first local distributor of pasteurized, glass bottled milk. Their unique bacteriological laboratory (later Sealtest Laboratories) developed the baby food S.M.A. His recipe for success was just work and work and work some more, do the work of two and draw the pay of one.
In 1928, William E. Telling began construction of the 26-room, 20,000 square foot mansion designed by John Sherwood Kelly. The residence is on the original Telling family homestead. Its style is a mix of English Tudor and French Normandy. The interior includes an abundance of marble, hand-carved wood door panels, and hand-adzed beams and rafters. Telling enjoyed the greenhouse, aviary for exotic birds, mushroom cellar, and conservatory for tropical plants. The house was the first air-cooled residence in the area. Telling occupied the home until his death in 1939. The Cuyahoga County Public Library System purchased the property in 1951. The
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Erected 2003 by the Ohio Bicentennial Commission, the Longaberger Company, South Euclid Historical Society and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 52-18.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1895.
Location. 41° 31.208′ N, 81° 30.776′ W. Marker is in South Euclid, Ohio, in Cuyahoga County. It is on Mayfield Road (U.S. 322) east of Oakmount Road, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4645 Mayfield Rd, Cleveland OH 44121, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Cleveland, on the 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 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: John Carroll University (approx. 2.3 miles away); Florence E. Allen (approx. 2.6 miles away); Gates of Hope for Jewish Immigrants (approx. 2.7 miles away); Saint Angela Merici (approx. 3 miles away); Forest Hill Estate / Forest Hill Park (approx. 3.1 miles away); Ursuline College (approx. 3.1 miles away); Curtis-Preyer Stone House / Lake View Wine Farm (approx. 3.1 miles away); David Berger Memorial (approx. 3.3 miles away).
Regarding William E. Telling / William E. Telling Mansion.
Photographed by J. J. Prats, June 22, 2019
2. William E. Telling Mansion Marker
Also see . . . Museum of American Porcelain Art. “Established in 2014 by Richard A. Barone, a private collector, the Museum of American Porcelain Art is a registered not-for-profit organization. Considered to be the first museum of its kind, it is located in South Euclid, Ohio, less than four miles from University Circle, Clevelands great cultural district, which includes the Museum of Art; the Cleveland Orchestra; the Institute of Art; and the Institute of Music.” (Submitted on July 24, 2019.)
Photographed by J. J. Prats, June 22, 2019
3. William E. Telling Mansion and Marker
This is the first view as you turn in from the street. The porte cochere leads through to the courtyard, now the parking area.
Photographed by J. J. Prats, June 22, 2019
4. William E. Telling Mansion Gatehouse Marker
Mayfield Road is in the distance.
Photographed by J. J. Prats, June 22, 2019
5. William E. Telling Mansion and Marker
Photographed by J. J. Prats, June 22, 2019
6. William E. Telling Mansion Courtyard
The porte cochere is on the right. The opening on the left leads to additional parking at the rear of the mansion.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 6, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 24, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 3,079 times since then and 149 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on July 24, 2019, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
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