The Superior Schoolhouse opened its doors to many school children during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and during that time underwent many changes. In 1859, the Township Board of Education of East Cleveland purchased the land and we assume that soon thereafter, East Cleveland District 9 School, a one-story brick schoolhouse, was constructed. In about 1882, the brick building was either demolished and rebuilt or, more likely, faced with the sandstone from a nearby quarry. In 1893, a second wood-framed story was added to “Old District No. 9” to accommodate a growing population.

By 1924, the two-room schoolhouse had become too small for the burgeoning community of Cleveland Heights. Classroom uses were moved to “more modern educational” facilities, and the Board of Education used the building for its headquarters until 1928. The building stood largely vacant until 1947, when it was reopened for the education of special needs children. In 1958, the City of Cleveland Heights acquired the schoolhouse from the School Board.

The combination of a sandstone first story with a clapboard second story creates a one-of-a-kind building. Notable are the unique stone coursing, combination of six-over-six and one-over-one sash windows, slate roof, bell tower and slate chalkboards and woodwork inside the building.

Today the Superior Schoolhouse the “Cleveland Heights Historical Center,” which is home to an archival collection and museum committed to the presentation and preservation of Cleveland Heights’ history and architecture. The Historical Center is an education resource to deepen our citizens’ commitment to preserving a rich cultural legacy for future generations.