The West Side Market officially opened its doors in 1912, but its lineage dates nearly 100 years prior to that. The Market as we’ve grown to love her has taken many forms and visions over the last two centuries.
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Blueprint map from 1911, Cleveland Public Library/Map Collection
Before the Build
West Side Market got its start as an outdoor Market in Market Square Park before 1840. After harsh elements and vendor complaints, a rough wooden structure, named Pearl Street Market, was built to house the vendors in 1868.
Smoke Signals
In the early 1900s, fear of fire was at an all-time high. Hundreds of buildings had been reduced to ash on account of their flammability. Market workers and government officials began fearing the same fate for the wooden Market.
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Cleveland Memory Project
“If it had not been built so well, it would likely have been torn down like so many other markets around the country.
But the place has an eternal beauty, plus an earned character that people value and the patina of time that cannot be duplicated. The Market should be protected, loved and celebrated.”
-Paul Volpe, architect
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Cleveland Public Library/Photograph Collection
In 1908, they commissioned a new market; one built to endure the elements. The cornerstone was placed in 1910, and work continued up until the official opening ceremony of the new West Side Market on October 31st, 1912.
Fresh Produce and Fresh… Customers?
The original Market proposal included plans for a bathhouse within the building! In the early 20th century, many families did not have access to running water. This was especially true for the many immigrant vendors and customers who visited the Market.
Having a bathhouse on site would situate West Side Market as the third space it was already intending to be. While the bath house never made it into the official Market build, it was built nearby. This made the neighborhood a one-stop-shop for daily essentials and hygene.
people from above 1946
Cleveland Memory Project