A look at the storied building and the promise it holds for the preservation of Cleveland history
In March, members of the West Park Historical Society (WPHS) gathered for an open house, tour and historic presentation of one of the oldest buildings in West Park. The Sherman House – a building that thousands of commuters pass every day – has been closed to the public for many years.
The Sherman House, home to the West Park Masonic Temple, located at 15500 Triskett Road, has been a prominent structure with an interesting past. As fate would have it, WPHS was searching for a new home, preferably in a historic location, when its former lease arrangement was ending.
Ross Bassett, the Society’s vice president and historian, reported that the Masonic Temple graciously agreed to lease storage space and meeting room usage to WPHS. The Historical Society’s move to the new location took place in December 2023. The March tour was the first chance to give WPHS members a visit to its new home base and an exciting look at a building shrouded in mystery. Some of Sherman House’s spaces are not usually open to the public.
The tour
During a tour of the second-floor temple and meeting space, Bassett told the group the lodge had up to 900 members at one time. Currently, membership is around 90 members. He pointed out how modifications changed the original floorplan to accommodate the temple’s use.
His historical tour continued with a verbal presentation about the history of Sherman House in the common meeting space downstairs.
The history of Sherman House
Possibly as early as 1859, William Sixt purchased land from Heman Alger, son of Nathan Alger, West Park’s first settler.
According to WSPH research:
- Sixt built a two-story hotel named the “Hotel of William Sherman.”
- By 1868, Sixt moved his “Sixt Saloon” into the building from another location nearby. The Saloon occupied the west half of the building and the Sixt family resided on the east side with a center staircase separating them.
- Four of William Sixt’s thirteen children were born in the hotel that was later renamed Sherman House, likely after the Union Civil War general William T. Sherman.
- Bassett noted the hotel’s likely two or three bedrooms shared the second floor with a ballroom. A “grand ball” took place on January 1, 1876, likely one of many formal occasions.
Further research by WPHS shows:
- In 1905, William’s wife, Johanna, died. Her funeral, as well as William’s in 1908, were both likely held in Sherman House. William was 85 years old.
- It was then, in 1908, after 40 years of welcoming guests and travelers who may have visited via stage coach and horse drawn carriages, the Sixt Saloon closed.
- In 1908, the building was modified to create four apartment suites. Likely, the front porch was added at that time. The front door was moved to accommodate the porch structure.
- Significant remodeling was done again with the sale of the property to North Star Lodge No. 638 for $20,000 in 1919-1920. Removal of the central staircase was necessary for the Lodge to create a second floor temple. A rear kitchen addition was added during this time.
“If these walls could talk!” Bassett exclaimed as he mentioned there are parts of the Sherman House he has not seen. He hopes there are historical items or documents yet to be discovered in the basement and attic. As a tenant, WPHS can only access spaces other than the leased space with permission. He hopes that could be granted in the future.
WPHS has applied for a historic designation and certified plaque for Sherman House. The application is pending as further documentation is necessary.
Bassett also shared that Sherman House was listed in a book published by The Ohio Historical Records Survey Project in 1942, “Historic Sites of Cleveland Hotels and Taverns.” At publication, Sherman House was one of 190 historic Hotels and Taverns in the city of Cleveland. He added that he has done significant research on those 190 sites and found that Sherman House is one of only four sites still in existence. The others are Hotel Cleveland on Public Square, White Tavern on Detroit Avenue and Dunham Tavern on Euclid Avenue.
On February 23, 2021, the West Park Masonic Temple was dedicated at the historic Sherman House. The Temple continues good stewardship, with careful rehabilitation of the facade currently taking place.
Although WPHS will only occupy a small part of Sherman House, it is a fitting location for the Society to continue its mission “to promote the preservation, study, interpretation and appreciation of the history of the West Park neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio.”
Interested in the history of West Park and its rich history? Visit https://westparkhistory.org or contact the West Park Historical Society with questions at WestParkHS@gmail.com.
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