Cleveland Restoration Society

06/23/2026

Bravo and congratulations to Brent Leggs, the new President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation!

Under his leadership, the National Trust launched its African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund in 2017. The Action Fund and its Preserving Black Churches fund have since supported CRS’s work to preserve Cleveland’s historic Black churches. We are grateful for our association with Mr. Leggs, who was the keynote speaker at our 2021 Community Luncheon, held at Cory United Methodist Church.

Then, as now, Brent brings passion and commitment to empower Black and diverse communities to promote the role of cultural heritage preservation and tell the full American story.

In April of this year, Mr. Leggs returned to Cory to talk about the importance of preserving historic Black churches at the National Trust Council Weekend.

We thank Mr. Leggs for his leadership, vision, and partnership, and look forward to continuing this important work with him and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

06/22/2026

For generations, Cleveland’s historic churches have anchored their neighborhoods, providing essential services and trusted community leadership. Expanding into affordable housing is a natural extension of that work.

We’re proud to share that CRS partner Shiloh Baptist Church, Cleveland’s oldest Black Baptist congregation, is one of six East Side churches selected for Enterprise Community Partners’ Faith-Based Development Initiative. This grant provides $50,000 in pre-development support to explore affordable and mixed-income housing on church-owned land.

CRS has been honored to partner with Shiloh on its preservation needs in recent years, including support for plaster repair and restoration of the church’s stained-glass dome.

A big thank you to CRS Trustee Ayonna Blue Donald, Enterprise’s vice president and Ohio market leader, for her leadership in bringing this opportunity to Cleveland’s faith communities.

Read more from Signal Cleveland’s Olivera Perkins: https://signalcleveland.org/six-cleveland-churches-get-help-to-build-affordable-housing/

06/17/2026

A beautiful evening, a historic home, and a community that believes Cleveland’s stories are worth preserving.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2026 Annual Benefit at the Sarah Benedict House, and to our sponsors, trustees, guests, and friends for making the night such a success.

Together, we celebrated the places that carry our city’s history forward and supported the continued care of the Sarah Benedict House, CRS’s home and one of the clearest examples of our mission in action.

We look forward to seeing you next year!

06/16/2026

06/08/2026

Each year Crain’s Cleveland Business honors Northeast Ohio’s notable leaders in architecture, engineering, and construction. This year, three of Cleveland Restoration Society’s Trustees are being recognized! Please join us in congratulating Glen Shumate, Todd Mayher, and Scott Bindel for their contributions to the built environment and their impact on the greater Cleveland community.

To read the full Notable Leaders in Architecture, Engineering & Construction 2026 list, please go to www.crainscleveland.com/recognitions/notable/leaders-architecture-engineering-construction/2026/

05/28/2026

Try your luck and support CRS. Our Annual Benefit Raffle is now open and packed with fun prizes featuring a fantastic lineup of historic preservation-themed prizes, hotel stays, arts & sports tickets, tours of iconic places and more! Tickets are $10 each or 6 for $50, and you can purchase tickets for the specific item you’re hoping to win at https://clevelandrestoration.org/ben26-raffle

05/19/2026

The City of Cleveland Department of Development, in partnership with Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) and Cleveland City Council, is seeking qualifications from professional development teams to redevelop four former school properties: Audubon (3.1 acres), Mount Auburn (1.6 acres), Central (4.5 acres), and Empire (2.1 acres). RFPs are due Wednesday, June 10th, 2026.

If this interests you, learn more at https://www.clevelandohio.gov/news/city-cleveland-and-cmsd-issue-rfq-redevelop-four-landmark-school-buildings“

05/18/2026

On Saturday, Cleveland Restoration Society members toured the The Bell Apartments with Architect Randy Doi and Historic Preservation Director Peter Ketter from Sandvick Architects. Members were able to see several floors of this creative readaptation and learned how The Bell Apartments fit into the Erieview Historic District.

If you’re not a member of CRS, you missed out. Become a member today! Visit www.clevelandrestoration.org/join

05/14/2026

Drawings like this help us understand how Cleveland used to be, especially Euclid and Prospect Avenue. However, art can only communicate so much. For our 2026 Annual Benefit, we are offering you the opportunity to step inside an example of Gilded Age architecture for yourself!

Make sure to seize the opportunity to view the Sarah Benedict House & Garden by becoming a sponsor or purchasing a ticket to our America 250 celebration on Friday, June 12th! Register today, by going to clevelandrestoration.org/benefit2026/

05/07/2026

Cleveland Restoration Society invites its members to a SNOOP! tour at 45 Erieview Plaza, now The Bell Apartments, with Sandvick Architects to see up-close the adaptive reuse of the sleek Ohio Bell headquarters on Saturday, May 16th at 10am.

Register for this event today at clevelandrestoration.org/snoop-tour-at-the-bell-apartments/