Places
Homes Past
11404 Lake Shore Boulevard
Parcel No. 631-20-002
The Home was Listed in the Ohio Historic Inventory
Charles B. Coit, the grandson of the first Coit family to settle in the area, built an Italian Villa style home in 1866. The property consisted of a two-story brick and frame house, a frame greenhouse, a 1-½ story stone building, and a one-story stucco garage. Coit added a large wing to the mansion around 1900.
Elizabeth Coit Kirby acquired the property on April 8, 1910.
Albert and Jane Ingalls rented the home while their home at 11908 Lake Shore Boulevard was in the building process.
George and Francis Ford purchased the home from Cleveland Trust on August 15, 1922. The Lakeland Freeway took four acres of the estate along with the garage at 226 Eddy Road for the extension of the Lakeland Freeway in 1941.
Daniel and Ann Ford inherited the home in 1959, following the death of Daniel’s mother. The Fords moved out of the house, and a gardener cared for the property.
The Bratenahl Board of Education acquired the property on December 30, 1971, to build a high school. The property, including the mansion, was deeded to the Bratenahl Board of Education on December 30, 1971, to build a high school.
The Cleveland Board of Education acquired the property on September 4, 1979, along with the Bratenahl High School, when the Ohio Supreme Court ordered the Bratenahl School System to merge with Cleveland Schools.
Geoffrey Badger had been negotiating with the Cleveland Board of Education to purchase the mansion. He had planned to restore the house for its historical importance and aesthetics.
The mansion, vacant and without electricity, was gutted by fire May 1, 1988. Arson investigators believed the fire was deliberately set, but that was never confirmed.