Article published March 11, 2007
Toledo's first gated community turns 100
Birckhead Place fights problems of aging
Situated off Cherry Street near St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, the Victorian name and ornate iron and brick entrance of Birckhead Place bring to mind old Hollywood rather than inner-city Toledo.
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By GARY T. PAKULSKI
BLADE BUSINESS WRITER
TODAY, subdivision trustees wrestle with whether to allow portable basketball hoops and permanent clotheslines.
When Toledo's Birckhead Place was formed, one resident waged a long court fight to try to keep neighbors from building shelters for contraptions then known as "horseless carriages."
One hundred years have passed since developers sold the first lot in what is believed to be Toledo's first gated community.
Situated off Cherry Street near St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, the Victorian name and ornate iron and brick entrance bring to mind old Hollywood rather than inner-city Toledo.
Dave Mitchell, president of the homeowners association, says his teenage children think the neighborhood is too quiet.
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With parks, narrow brick-paved lanes, converted gas lamps, and a six-foot black iron fence, the enclave drips with stateliness. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
But Birckhead is often overshadowed by its nearby neighbor, the Old West End Historic District.And a century after its inception, it struggles with problems ranging from rutted roads to neglected houses and sagging property values.
David Mitchell, recently elected president of the homeowners' association in the 68-home community, is determined to improve things.
"We've got about five properties that have some problems and, as summer comes, we're going to be addressing those issues," he said.
Mr. Mitchell and wife, Shawna, who have teenaged children, don't regret their decision to move to Birckhead Place from the nearby Polish Village a year ago.
"There are some absolutely beautiful homes in here," the Toledo autoworker said.
"My kids complain that it's too quiet," his wife interjected. "But that's what I like about it. It's safe."
Once the domain of white doctors, lawyers, and business owners, the development today is more ethnically diverse and includes many more blue-collar families, according to residents.
Selling prices for houses vary widely there. Over the past couple of years, three fetched between $88,000 and $110,000, Lucas County records show. But two others, needing extensive repairs, sold for $25,000 and $38,750. A handful of houses are for sale now, although turnover is typically not high in the development. For tax purposes, the county lists the value of most properties at under $100,000.
The homes are large and ornate. Popular architectural styles include Tudor revival, Craftsman, and colonial revival. Typical homes are two stories, with 2,000 to 3,000 square feet of living space and three or four bedrooms.
"It's like being in another world," said Terry Glazer, president of the nonprofit Lagrange Development Corp. He attended the recent homeowners meeting, which attracted about 15 people.
"All of the homes are historical," he continued. "Birckhead has almost a European feel to it. But big homes require maintenance and have higher utility bills.
"It would be a real shame if we were to lose Birckhead Place. I don't think that we're in danger of that yet. But there is a little deterioration and there are some challenges."
The worst home, at 57 Birckhead, is at risk of demolition. Its collapsing porch roof is propped up by temporary braces. A blue tarp covers a portion of the roof.
Lagrange Development, at the request of residents, looked into renovating and selling the house. Mr. Glazer has submitted a proposal to Toledo officials for assistance, but noted that the property has termite damage and he questions whether the $200,000 in needed repairs could be recouped.
Because Birckhead is a privately owned development, its residents are responsible for snow-plowing and tree-trimming as well as upkeep of roads, parks, and streetlights.
Each homeowner is supposed to contribute $316 annually for maintenance, but the association president said that collection is another issue that must be addressed.
Before the development's 24 acres had houses, it was an orchard and cow pasture. It was part of a huge farm owned by Charles F. Curtis. His farmhouse was on the site of Central Catholic High School, which is adjacent to Birckhead.
After his death in 1900, planning began for the building of Birckhead on a portion of the property. The development was recorded in 1906. And the first lot was sold a year later. The aim of planners? An enclave that would be "high class in every respect," a historical account states.
Early deeds prohibited barns and garages. Although some people thought at the time the restriction was primarily meant to keep out farm animals, early owner Charles Fox insisted that it applied to automobile garages.
And when construction materials for a garage were dropped off at a home site in 1914, he saw red. He sued the developers to try to stop the building. The case went all the way to the Ohio Court of Appeals. Mr. Fox's claims were rejected, and in 1917 the automobile age arrived at Birckhead.
Sales of lots in the development were slow until the end of World War I. By 1922, however, more than half of the parcels were taken.
Another controversy arose in the mid-1920s when residents got word that Standard Oil of Ohio planned to build a gas station within the gated community along Cherry Street.
The city of Toledo inadvertently opened the way for the business in 1923 when, as part of its first zoning ordinance, it classified lots along Cherry as "light commercial."
But Standard Oil never arrived because concerned residents persuaded the lot owner to sell to them instead.
In the 1950s and '60s, Birckhead held Easter egg hunts, Fourth of July parades, Christmas caroling, and barbecues in the summer.
"We're trying to get some of that back," said longtime resident Mary Ann Binkowski, who is trying to arrange a celebration of the centennial.
She is not unhappy about the changes at Birckhead. "It's just regular folks now," she said. "But we seem to get along well." She likes the neighborhood because, with a single entrance and iron fencing, it is "secluded and private."
The homeowners association plans to fix a large stretch of road this summer. That will require removing bricks and smoothing the roadbed, said Mr. Mitchell.
But there is an upshot to the poor road conditions. "You can't speed," observed Mrs. Binkowski. "If you do you'll lose your exhaust system or get a flat tire."
Years ago, residents talked about trying to get the city of Toledo to take over streets and parks. "We found out that they would likely open the parks to the public and possibly tear down a house on the back side to put in another entrance," said longtime resident Larry Kish. Nobody liked the idea.
Birckhead has changed greatly since he moved in with wife, Mary Alice, and their children in 1968. "When it first started, it was a place where people with means could come in and build a house and have a private area," he said.
Toledoans once thought about Birckhead the way they did other high-end neighborhoods such as Old Orchard, Ottawa Hills, and Westmoreland.
"These are big houses," said Mr. Kish. "There are people who move in here and get overwhelmed …
"Economic conditions have changed," he added.
Contact Gary Pakulski at:
gpakulski@theblade.com
or 419-724-6082.
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