Downtown in Cleveland in Cuyahoga County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Peter Weddell
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Levi Johnson
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Charles Otis
Warehouse District Anthology
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 19, 2021
1. Peter Weddell / Levi Johnson / Charles Otis Marker
Prominent residents Peter Weddell and Levi Johnson built residences on Superior, between Bank and Water streets. In 1830, Johnson built the city's first lighthouse at the southwest corner of Main and Water streets.
As the commercial city rose, residents began to replace their homes with larger business-oriented buildings. In 1847, Weddell opened Cleveland's greatest mid-19th century hotel, the Weddell House, at Bank and Superior streets, and, a few years later, Johnson built a block of four-story Victorian commercial structures north of the hotel. These commercial structures, stretching along the former Bank Street (now West 6th) to St. Clair, comprise the oldest intact commercial block standing in Cleveland today.
During this same time, several significant wholesale grocers were established along Water Street (West 9th), including the William Edwards Company. Charles Otis, Jr., a prominent entrepreneur and the son of a Cleveland mayor, married Edwards' daughter Lucia and served as president of the company. Otis is the namesake of the Otis Terminal Building, which still stands today.
Around 1850, transient residential uses were still common in the Warehouse District, with 17 of the city's 35 boarding houses being located there. It was at this time that commercial activities began to overtake the district's
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Erected by The Warehouse District Development Corporation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1830.
Location. 41° 30.03′ N, 81° 42.123′ W. Marker is in Cleveland, Ohio, in Cuyahoga County. It is in Downtown. It is on West 9th Street just north of West Lakeside Avenue, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1220 West 9th Street, Cleveland OH 44113, 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 Early Years (here, next to this marker); Nowy Port Lighthouse (here, next to this marker); Warehouse District Anthology (here, next to this marker); Lighthouse Park
2. Marker detail: Levi Johnson
More about this marker. Warehouse District Anthology is a collection of stories that tell the history of Cleveland's first neighborhood. Like street level book pages, each freestanding element was designed by artist Corrie Slawson based on the District's history, curated and written by Thomas Yablonsky.
Regarding Peter Weddell / Levi Johnson / Charles Otis. Cleveland Warehouse District, National Register of Historic Places #82003558 and #07000070.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Cleveland Warehouse District Anthology
Also see . . .
1. Cleveland Warehouse District.
In the first half of the 19th century, this neighborhood was part of Cleveland's original residential area. Later in the century,(Submitted on February 21, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)it became the center of Cleveland's wholesale commercial area, and was occupied by warehousing and distribution terminals for more than 100 years.
3. Marker detail: Charles Otis
2. Peter Martin Weddell.
Peter Weddell was the prominent merchant and owner of Weddell House, Cleveland's most fashionable hotel, during the mid-1800s. He came to Cleveland in 1820 and opened a store which soon became one of the largest in Ohio. Through the 1830s, Peter M. Weddell & Co. was one of Cleveland's leading merchandising firms, offering dry goods, carpets and rugs, and groceries.(Submitted on February 21, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. Levi Johnson.
Levi Johnson, who arrived in Cleveland in 1809 from Herkimer County, N.Y., built ships and constructed homes for the early settlers. He built Cuyahoga County's first courthouse and jail on the northwest corner of Public Square (1812), an inn (Johnson House) in 1852, and Cleveland's first lighthouse (1830).(Submitted on February 21, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
4. Charles Augustus Otis, Jr.
In 1899, Otis purchased the first seat held on the New York Stock Exchange by a Clevelander and formed the banking(Submitted on February 21, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)firm Otis & Hough to market steel securities. He subsequently helped organize and became president of the Cleveland Stock Exchange. Otis acquired the Cleveland World in 1904, the Cleveland Leader and News & Herald in 1905, merged the latter with the World, then added the Evening Plain Dealer to the consolidated afternoon paper which he renamed the Cleveland News.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 19, 20214. Peter Weddell / Levi Johnson / Charles Otis MarkerLooking south. West 9th Street is on left.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 21, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 538 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 21, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
