The Van Sweringen Legacy: Shaker Heights, The Rapid, and Terminal Tower
The new permanent exhibit tells the life story of Oris Paxton and Mantis James Van Sweringen, born in Wooster, Ohio, in 1879 and 1881 respectively. O.P. and M.J., as they came to be known, were inseparable from boyhood through adulthood. Industrious and enterprising, these young men, who with only an 8th grade education, rose to fame and power in the early 1900s in Cleveland. This exhibit explores their humble beginnings and the iconic Cleveland landmarks that resulted from their visionary leadership.
North Union and Early Settler Room
Enjoy viewing a 17-minute informational video about the North Union Shakers and the development of Shaker Heights. Featured here is a collection of artifacts made or used by the North Union Shakers who lived in this area from 1822 until 1889. The room pays tribute to the early settlers’ and Shakers’ daily lives by displaying activities including beekeeping, worshipping, dining, working, and schooling.
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A Shaker Bedroom, Pure and Simple
The re-creation of a Shaker bedroom in a second floor room of the museum is furnished exclusively with artifacts from the SHS’s priceless collection. The room features an 1840 Shaker bed on wheels from New York. The star of the exhibit is the silk quilt given to Phoebe Litzel by the North Union Shaker Sisters when she left to be married to William Stuhler in 1875. Enjoy viewing the beautiful craftsmanship that define the Shakers and Shaker furniture.
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The Collections Room
The Collections Room displays many of the never-before-seen Museum artifacts. Arranged by theme, the room honors the large and small of the lives of the early settlers, the Shakers, and the residents of Shaker Heights.
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