Clevelands University Circle

From art exhibitions and natural wonders of the planet to world-class music and dazzling theater, University Circle is Cleveland's cultural, educational, and civic showpiece. Found in its one square mile are arts and sciences, museums and parks, galleries and restaurants. The circle area began as the turnaround for the Euclid Avenue streetcar in the 19th century and has developed into the cultural capital of Cleveland, as it is home to the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Cultural Gardens, Case Western Reserve University, and the Cleveland Orchestra. Its buildings and gardens are only part of the story; the people are at the real heart of the circle--from such philanthropists as John D. Rockefeller and Jeptha Wade to Dr. George Crile and the Mathers family. And then there are the multitudes of students, immigrants, and workers who have called the circle their home.

"This book uses the concepts and processes of community-building, philanthropic activity, and city planning to frame the 200-year history of University Circle, the educational, medical, and cultural center of Cleveland, Ohio. While written for the general reader, it draws substantially on archival sources, interviews, and a wide range of scholarship for documentation. Referring to broader trends in urban America, the book also considers the role of racial and ethnic tensions, of wealthy movers and shakers, and of scientific and business activities in shaping the Circle." -- Book description from website.