Run #38: Brooklyn Centre

Run #38: Brooklyn Centre - Part 2

Part 2 of Brooklyn Centre. This run was from Riverside Ave. (north) to Archwood Ave. (south) and from Fulton Ave. (west) to Pearl Rd. (east).

Notable locations include:

Kotecki Family Memorials: This family operated business has produced thousands of headstones and monuments for Cleveland cemeteries since 1896. Of note is their work on the Garfield memorial in Lakeview Cemetery.
Third Church of Christ Scientist: This church was built in 1906 noted architect Frederick Strierbinger and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. It was vacant for period of time and was managed by Kotecki Monuments at one point as well but is now the Iglesia de Restauracion Elim church.
Cleveland Public Library - Brooklyn Branch: This branch has been in continuous use since 1919. It was designed by renowned architect and artist Ora Coltman and is an example of a convertible-type building: it is constructed of plain brick, it is semi-fireproof, and it features factory-type sky lights. These features would allow the building to be leased for light industrial use in the event it was no longer used as a library branch.
Archwood Historic District: Per Metro West CDO, "Archwood Avenue became a local historic district in 1987. Archwood is a wide street, lined with large homes built in the early 20th century. The 57 homes and buildings that make up the historic district are of varying architectural styles. Archwood Avenue is known for the bi-annual Archwood Street Sale. This upbeat and quirky street sale includes food, resale items, and goods from local artists."
Archwood United Church of Christ: Founded in 1819, Archwood is the oldest congregation of the United Church of Christ in Cleveland. In the 1950s, membership topped 1,000 people, most of whom lived in Brooklyn Centre. When the freeways were built in the 1960s, as many as 5,000 homes and businesses in the immediate area were torn down, causing an outward migration. The church declined to 30 members in the 1990s. Around that time, the church voted to recruit an openly gay pastor which brought new members and has allowed the church to continue its ministry and position the church as a center for community activity.
Julia De Burgos Cultural Arts Center: Founded in 1989 and located inside Archwood United Church, the center is a result of the union of the Cultural Educational Institute for Boricua Advancement (CEIBA) and the Hispanic Parents Union who sought to establish a family oriented center to serve the Latino youth and their families through programs and activities designed to foster cultural pride and art appreciation.