Millionaires' Row in Cleveland used to be home to the country's rich and famous, including John D. Rockefeller. Mary takes us on a stroll down the mansion-lined street, which no longer exists.
Class Discussion Questions:
1) Design your own home for Millionaire's Row.
Read the Script:
We all need a place to call home, our little space in the world where we can go to just chillax. It's no different for the very wealthy, and when you think about the homes of the fantastically rich, you probably picture a mansion on a private island or an exclusive beachfront home in Malibu. But for a time, some of the richest people in the world called Ohio "Home."
In fact, they live just blocks from where I'm standing now, in a little stretch near downtown Cleveland called Millionaires' Row. This was during the 1870s and early 20th century, a time in history known as the Gilded Age. Iron, steel and oil production were booming in America, and the Ohio businessmen at the forefront of those industries certainly didn't shy away from lavish living.
The mansions and large home estates that they built along Euclid Avenue were something for the average worker to marvel at. Many of these architectural gems look like castles from picture books on the outside, and on the inside, they contain seemingly endless rooms for entertaining guests, filled with luxurious furniture, imported from all around the world.
Some of the wealthy people that called Millionaires' Row home were railroad magnate Amasa Stone, an influential businessman and US Senator Marcus Hanna, but perhaps the best known was John D. Rockefeller, a wealthy oil tycoon who was one of the first to buy a home on the street in 1868.
Rockefeller learned from childhood how to make wise business decisions, and got into business early. At 20 years old, he and a partner began a business reselling hay, meats and other items. They made $450,000 in their first year. In 1863, Rockefeller opened an oil refinery in Cleveland. A few years later, he began The Standard Oil Company. Rockefeller's business savvy skyrocketed his company, and he bought up his competitors companies along the way.
Throughout his life, Rockefeller was generous with his money, helping many charities that focused on education and public health. In fact, he donated more than 530 million dollars to different organizations, and his imprint is still very much a part of the fabric of the Forest City. In addition to the Rockefeller building on the corner of West Sixth Street and Superior Avenue, J.D. helped open The Arcade in 1890, which still stands on Superior Avenue. The Rockefeller family are also buried at Lake View cemetery in Cleveland, the city that he transformed into the center of American oil production.
Although he touched many buildings that still stand downtown, J.D. Rockefeller's glamorous home is long gone. Many homes in Millionaires' Row were demolished in the coming decades to make room for businesses and the growing city. Since the businessmen have been replaced with businesses, today we can only use our imaginations to recreate the splendor of Millionaires' Row.
One of the only surviving Millionaires' Row homes belongs to Samuel Mather, who owned a dominant shipping and iron mining company called Pickands Mather and Company. His 43 room mansion cost $1.2 million when it was built in 1910. Cleveland State University currently owns the building, which they renovated and currently use for meetings.
Instructional Links
Magazine Article: Explora, Cobblestone, John D. Rockefeller Oil King, March 2014
May Need Password
Website Article: Cleveland Historical, Millionaires Row
http://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/10#.V_0qIaO-Knc
Website Article: Rockefeller Archive Center, The Rockefellers Virtual Family Tree
http://rockarch.org/bio/famtree.php
Website Article: PBS American Experience, Gallery, Millionaires Row
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carnegie/gallery/