Romanian
Neighborhoods They Settled In: Detroit Shoreway, Union.
First Immigrants - Late 1890's
Romanians from the province of Transylvania came to Cleveland in the late 1800's. Other Cleveland Romanians came from the province of Bucovina and there were also a number of Jews from the Old Kingdom of Romania. The largest concentration of Romanians could be found between W. 45th and W. 65th, immediately north and south of Detroit Avenue. Most worked in nearby commercial and industrial businesses, such as the ore docks, stockyards, meat-packing houses, and knitting mills. There was another large group located in the E. 65th and St. Clair area. There were other groups of Romanians farther east in Collinwood, in the Buckeye Road section, in Bedford and in Lakewood. The majority of Romanians belonged to the Orthodox Christian Church. Others were Byzantine Rite Catholics. In 1904 they organized St. Mary's Romanian Orthodox Church. They built a church at 6201 Detroit Avenue. In 1960 the church moved to 3256 Warren Rd. In 1936 a group broke away to form Buna Vestire Parish on W. 57th. Two Byzantine Rite Romanian Church were founded in Cleveland. They were St. Helena Romanian Byzantine Catholic Church and Most Holy Trinity located in Chesterland.
1942 Report by the WPA:
The first Rumanians arrived in Cleveland in 1888 and settled on Waverly St. (W. 58) between Detroit Avenue and the Lake Erie Railroad. The earliest Rumanians established the location of Cleveland’s present Rumanian settlement which lies between W. 45th and W. 65th Streets in the vicinity of Detroit. Other settlements are in the vicinity of E. 55th Street and St. Clair Avenue and near Woodland Avenue and Buckeye Avenue and E. 89th Street. Most Rumanians attend the Rumanian Orthodox Church. There are five Rumanian Churches in Cleveland today. In 1904 the West Side Rumanians organized St. Mary’s Parish which was the first Rumanian Orthodox Parish in America. A second Orthodox church, the Rumanian Annunciation Church was leased at 1793 W. 52nd Street. It was dedicated in 1937 and was later purchased. St. Helena Church was organized in 1906 at 1367 W. 65th Street. Holy Trinity Rumanian Greek Catholic Church was built in 1916 on the east side. The Rumanian Baptist Church was built in 1924 at 1418 W. 57th Street.