Shaker Heights Looks to Past Present and Future for Centennial Celebration

One hundred years ago, two developers had a dream for a planned community in the heart of Northeast Ohio, a piece of land they would transform into a residential suburb with two commuter rail lines to shuttle residents to and from downtown Cleveland.

That plan became Shaker Heights, and today the community is planning again.

Planning a party, that is. Starting with an opening ceremony back in January, Shaker has been celebrating its centennial with a string of community events, and the calendar is chock full of activities for the summer months.

Victoria Blank, marketing communications manager for the city, says the theme of “past, present and future” is what links the events together.

 “The thing that the centennial volunteers and their coordinator have focused on has been that the city was a planned city, and that it has a kind of rich historical background,” Blank said. “But it also had a population that was committed to keeping it growing from a civic-minded perspective.”

An event like “Hands-On Planting Veggies and Fruits,” held back on May 20, naturally looked forward to a future harvest. Other events, like “Come Back to Shaker Weekend,” planned for the first weekend of September, look to the past, aiming to reignite the deep connection residents have with their community. That event, which will offer current and former Shakerites a tour of the and a party at Thornton Park, is one of the planned celebrations Blank is most excited about.

“That gives us an opportunity to show off the town since the people moved away, since they graduated,” she said. “Some of them are going to be local, but we also have heard from people who are coming from far away, who have a very special place in their hearts for Shaker.”

Blank said the enthusiasm for the centennial has been “astonishing.” She knew the year-long celebration would be a hit when the attendance for the opening ceremony was through the roof.

Mary Mulligan, a Shaker Heights resident for almost 30 years, said the fact that so many kids are coming back to live in Shaker after college makes the community a “special” place, and one that deserves to be celebrated.

"I just think in our society it is very difficult to go home, to go back to a place and have it be intrinsically the same," Mulligan said. "To me, Shaker Heights is that kind of place. To be able to celebrate the legacy and all of those people who worked hard and volunteered to lead this community forward I think is a real privilege.” 

Blank echoes that sentiment.

“There is a tremendous sense of affection for this community among its population, and the idea of celebrating 100 years of the city's existence has just really made people feel really good about their community,” Blank said. “It's been really nice.”