Dunham Tavern

Dunham Tavern
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Dunham Tavern
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Location	6709 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio
Coordinates	41°30′16.4″N 81°38′35.6″W
Area	1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built	1842
NRHP reference No.	74001439[1]
Added to NRHP	July 25, 1974

The Dunham Tavern, also known as the Dunham Tavern Museum, is the oldest building in Cleveland, Ohio, located at 6709 Euclid Avenue. Rufus and Jane Pratt Dunham built their first home on the site in 1824, and the existing taproom was built in 1842.^[2] It is believed to be the first building constructed on Euclid Avenue east of East 55th Street^[3] and the first frame house on the street.^[4] It later became a stagecoach stop and tavern.

Restoration

Cleveland activist and landscape architect, A. Donald Gray purchased the home in 1932, restoring the 19th century architecture and replanting the orchard. Gray later established a non-profit organization tasked with maintaining the property. The home was re-opened as the Dunham Tavern Museum in 1941.^[5]

In 1982, the two non-profit organizations that cared for the property – Dunham Tavern, Inc. (est. by Gray in 1936) and the Society of Collectors, Inc. (which assumed responsibility for the tavern in 1941) – merged into one corporate entity, the Corp. of Dunham Tavern Museum.^[3]

On August 25, 2023, a tornado toppled a tree near the building, damaging the roof and façade.^[6]

Landmark status

The Dunham Tavern was named a Cleveland Landmark in 1973^[3] and added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 25, 1974.^[1]

See also

• List of Registered Historic Places in Cleveland, Ohio

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. Herrick, Clay Jr. (1986). Cleveland Landmarks. Cleveland, Ohio: Landmarks Publishing Company. pp. 68–69.
3. "Dunham Tavern". The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve University. 1997-06-15. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
4. "Rufus Dunham Tavern, 6709 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, OH". Historic American Buildings Survey. Library of Congress. 1934-04-01. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
5. "Dunham Tavern". Cleveland Historical. Cleveland State University. Retrieved 2013-05-13.
6. Holden, Mike (25 August 2023). "Strong storms rip roof off of Euclid Avenue church, damages historic Dunham Tavern Museum". News 5 Cleveland WEWS. WEWS-TV. Retrieved 25 August 2023.

External links

• Dunham Tavern Museum website