Lakewood Lore

Today, not many remember the late Clarence Mack, even though our city owes much to that talented architect who built a parcel of eye-catchingly beautiful homes here during the 1920s.

However, a tribute is on the way as the women's Board of Lakewood Historical Society prepares to highlight one of Mack's numerous residential gems. It is a dwelling of French-chateau design that has smitten thousands of admiring Lakewoodites who, during the last six decades, have driven by it.

The home is located at 13835 Lake Ave. It was originally built for Charles Richman of Richman Brothers clothiers. Now it is the residence of nationally known cartoonist Tom Wilson, creator of "Ziggy" of the comic pages and greeting cards.

"In connection with our forthcoming annual Christmas wreath sale, we will make available for purchase a stock of hand-painted wooden miniature replicas of the home, which can be affixed to the wreaths," board committee chairwoman Sharon Derethik reported.

Architect Mack, a gifted man, was born in 1888. He came here from Detroit where he was a window dresser. He lived on Cleveland's West Side, later moving to Lakewood.

His father, grandfathers and uncles all were in the building trades. Early on, while listening to them converse at the family dinner table, young Mack became absorbed in that kind of work and resolved to pursue the same field when he grew up.

He could not afford college. However, through hard work, a fine sense of proportion, exceptional taste and a vivid imagination, he was able to attain his chief endeavor, that of becoming a good architect.

This calling, combined with land developing, home construction, interior decorating and landscaping, constituted an extraordinary 40-year career for Mack.

He traveled abroad and fell in love with the Georgian style of homes he found in France and England.

He was a bachelor who contended that his 16-hour workdays permitted no time for romance. It was said that he supervised his crews by day and hovered over his drawing board until late each night. He had help from a brother Vincent who, too, was a builder.

Mack did his own landscaping and decorated the interior of almost all of his homes. Furthermore, he made yearly buying trips to Europe for the most elegant and fitting furnishings he could find. He believed interior features had to match exterior architecture.

Most of Mack's 15 Lakewood houses are on Lake Avenue, west of Taft Elementary School. He lived in many of them as he built them. He is also credited with three homes in Rocky River.

The Van Sweringen brothers, learning of Mack's reputation, asked him for assistance in developing of Shaker Heights. Mack responded by building seven homes in the easterly suburb.

Largest of his northern Ohio gems was a 27-room French renaissance country house in Manfield, which he produced for Charles K. King, who headed Ohio Brass Co.

In a letter written 25 years ago to Lakewood's late historian Margaret Manor Butler, Mack said that his interest in building fine-type homes was triggered by the Hungarian Castle on the Lake, created on Edgewater Drive in Lakewood by an uncle of his for Theodor Kundtz at the turn of the century.

Kundtz was a poor immigrant from Hungary who turned manufacturing tycoon here while making 10,000 cabinets a month for White sewing machines.

Some of the property upon which Mack built his Lake Avenue homes was part of the original Kundtz estate. Kundtz relinquished a parcel of land for a modest price, with the stipulation that Mack would not have to pay for it until his houses were completed and sold.

Mack moved to Florida about 1938 to live in Palm Beach, where he did nearly two-score homes and two colonies of outstanding abodes before retiring from construction in 1962 at age 74. He died in the Sunshine State in 1982 when he was 93 years old.

His earmarked chateau in Lakewood has a stucco exterior that was originally buff-colored. Later it was painted a pinkish hue. Other dominant features include a steeply pitched roof of small slates, four front dormers and a large, multiple-flue chimney stack.

The domicile was designed with living and dining rooms, a library and kitchen on the main floor; three bedrooms, two baths and two studies on the second floor; and two bedrooms and a bath over the garage.

Cartoonist Wilson, 64, born in West Virginia and reared in Uniontown, Pa., has lived in the home for the past six years. He retired three years ago from American Greetings Corp. after more than 35 years as a creative head there.

Currently, his comic panels are carried in nearly 600 newspapers. He is also an accomplished painter whose works have appeared in many exhibition halls, including some at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

The miniature ornamental rendering of his home is the 10th such Lakewood landmark edifice in as many years to be spotlighted in this fashion, according to Chairwoman Derethik.

As in the past, miniatures are being produced by Lakewood artists Sari Cantlin and Debbie Cleary. Again, there will be a limited edition of only 325 pieces.

The wreaths, measuring 20-24 inches in diameter and costing $25 without ornament or $35 with, will be hand-crafted by board members with fragrant, fresh-green balsam boughs from Maine. The ornaments alone will be $16 apiece.

Order forms for either or both can be had at most leading stores in Lakewood and Rocky River, or by phoning the Historical Society at (216)221-7343, Derethik pointed out.

The deadline for ordering is Nov. 15. Pickup time is from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. l, at the Skate House behind the Oldest Stone House, 14710 Lake Ave.

This article appeared in the Lakewood Sun Post November 2, 1995. Reprinted with permission. Black and white illustration reproduced from the Sun photo by Tony Derrick.

More Lakewood Lore