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His name is all over Lake Road—the Huntington Water Tower at Huntington Beach, the Huntington Playhouse, Huntington Reservation, but how much do you actually know about John Huntington's connection to Bay Village?
John Huntington was born in 1832 in Preston, England. He worked in a mill and was a passionate leader of their union. Demands for better working conditions led to a lockout, and John ended up blacklisted by every mill boss in the area. Since he needed a new career, he decided to take his wife and child to America, where they moved to Cleveland. He quickly became an involved resident, serving on the Cleveland City Council for over a decade.
John Huntington's home on Prospect Ave in Downtown Cleveland
Image source: Western Reserve Historical Society
John turned to the oil business and became friends with John D. Rockefeller, who lived on Euclid Ave. at the time. Rockefeller then put him in contact with business partner James T. Clark, who owned 100 acres of land in Dover Township. Huntington purchased the land from the Clark family in 1880. At the time, Dover (which encompassed Bay Village, Westlake, and parts of North Olmsted) was a rural area, so Huntington used his new property as a summer home and hobby farm.
John built a mansion on Lake Erie, pictured above. There is little lasting knowledge about this house because it burned down only three years later, in February 1889. The Huntington family wasn't home at the time, since it happened during the winter.
Image source: CMA Archives
Article from The Plain Dealer, Feb. 19 1889
Huntington & Art
Huntington & Art
John was a stamp collector for much of his life, but after he married his second wife Marriett Leek Huntington he became more passionate about collecting art of all kinds. When they traveled to Europe, he took interest in a variety of artwork, especially "Egyptian art, art of the east and far east, Colonial paintings, Renaissance and Gothic Art," according to The Frick Museum. His home on Prospect Ave was full of paintings and sculptures.
A section of his will was dedicated to the creation of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust, and he wanted the money to go toward building a new art museum in Cleveland. John was passionate about making education accessible, and this wasn't just limited to art—he also founded the John Huntington Polytechnic Institute, a tuition-free alternative to college education.
The founders plaque in the CMA's atrium
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
As for his personal art collection, John wanted it to stay in his home for Marriett to enjoy. After her death, they would be displayed in the museum or sold, with proceeds going back to the museum. John Huntington died in 1893, and twenty years later his endowment was combined with three other Clevelanders to found the Cleveland Museum of Art. Hundreds of artworks in the CMA collection are gifts from his Trust.
It's serendipitous that the estate of a man so passionate about the arts ended up becoming the future home of BAYarts.
(Homepage image source: CMA Archives)
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