Cooley Farms
The pin is a point inside the NPS boundary polygon, not a surveyed location.
Why it's listed
Seven surviving buildings in Warrensville Township recall Cooley Farms, Cleveland's first farm colony, begun in 1904 with the purchase of 850 acres. Mayor Tom L. Johnson's administration and Dr. Harris Cooley, Director of Charities, built a program on the belief that country life and useful work would help the poor, the aged, the ill and offenders. Architect J. Milton Dyer designed six of the buildings in Spanish Mission style, with stuccoed brick walls and low tile roofs, after a formal Beaux Arts plan was set aside. They include the Workhouse, its boiler-house, and the Colony Farm halls. The seventh building, the Walkden House, is a late nineteenth century Italianate farmhouse used as a tuberculosis sanatorium from 1906 to 1913. Many planned buildings were never built, others have been demolished, and the rest have been altered to varying degrees.
Significance in brief: The buildings survive from the founding and first major building period (1904-1915) of Cooley Farms, Cleveland's first farm colony and a progressive reform program under Mayor Tom L. Johnson. The Walkden House is also a good example of a late nineteenth century brick Italianate farmhouse. Dyer's Spanish Mission buildings reflect the economical, informal approach adopted over an earlier Beaux Arts plan.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79001823, listed August 8, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N of Warrensville Heights off OH 175, Warrensville Heights |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | August 8, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001823 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1904-1915 |
| Architect / builder | J. Milton Dyer (architect); Reaugh Construction Co. (contractor) |
| Architectural style | Spanish Mission (Dyer buildings); Victorian Italianate (Walkden House) |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Politics/Government, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Several Dyer buildings at Cooley Farms have been demolished or altered; some surveyed buildings are listed as vacant, and the Workhouse is listed as vacant with fair condition. |
| Acreage | 14.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.45051, -81.51923 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 79001823.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.