Euclid Beach Park opened in 1895, incorporated under The Euclid Beach Park Company. They were losing twenty thousand dollars a season, but if they sold the land they would lose more than half of their investment. They leased the park to the Humphrey family and it opened in 1901 under their management. The first "Arch" was constructed entirely of wood. It stood about a quarter of a mile east of where the existing main entrance gate arch stands.
The main entrance gate arch still standing today, was constructed circa 1921. It was constructed entirely of wood and designed to resemble a large letter "H" as in Humphrey. The sign in the crosspiece originally said "Humphrey Park". The public referred to the park as "Euclid Beach Park' rather than "Humphrey Park" and the words in the centerpiece were changed.
The foundations of The Arch are octagonal in shape, each side is approximately 36" long. the distance between parallel sides is approximately 96". Both towers have a door on their back side. Permanent wooden ladders are along one wall of each tower which pass through an opening in the first floor ceiling to allow access to the interior of the centerpiece. Originally a number of incandescent bulbs were used to illuminate the letters spelling out "Euclid Beach Park" in the crosspiece. They were later converted to neon; the wiring insulators are still inside the centerpiece. Around 1942, a contractor was hired to install stone covering called "Permastone" to the outside of the arch. The Arch is a designated Cleveland landmark as authorized by the Cleveland Landmarks Commission.
The Arch is a designated Cleveland landmark as authorized by the Cleveland Landmarks Commission.
On January 11, 2007, an SUV crashed into the east tower of The Arch. The impact tore out about a third of the first story walls of the east tower and caused the tower to shift partially off its foundation, about six inches toward Lake Shore Boulevard, the main street, in front of The Arch. There was damage at the crosspiece where it connects to the east tower. Force of the impact was transferred through the centerpiece and to the west tower causing it to rotate slightly on its base. The City of Cleveland Building Department and Landmarks Commission responded immediately that day. Due to severe damage, they called in a company specializing in structural damage who temporarily installed scaffolding bracing under the crosspiece to prevent a collapse.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the Euclid Beach Arch on Tuesday, June 12, 2007, at 10:00 a.m.
The restoration of The Arch was nominated for the 2008 preservation awards presented by the Cleveland Restoration Society and AIA Cleveland. The awards ceremony was held on May 6, 2008, at the Ohio Theater, part of Cleveland's Playhouse Square complex. An award of merit was presented to:
1949 - 2007
Past Euclid Beach Park Now President Frank Brodnick researched the Arch and the materials used in its construction and the Perma-Stone covering installed in 1927. Perma-Stone is a product which looks very similar to real stone. At the time of the January 11, 2007 damage his research assisted in the Arch's repair.
On July 17, 2025 the Arch, once the entrance to Euclid Beach Park was moved 150 feet west. The new location was once the site of a McDonald's restaurant. McDonald's Real Estate donated the property to the City of Cleveland. In the above "Arch Damaged" there was significant damage. Bollards were installed around the two towers and still they they were getting struck. There was an occurrence in 2020. Ward 8 Cleveland City Councilman Michael D. Polensek has been working for a long time to save the Arch. He would have preferred the Arch be moved to Euclid Beach Park, Villa Angela Park or Wildwood Park. Would Cleveland Metroparks accept it they did not want to maintain it. The Arch is too delicate to move very far from where it stood since it was constructed circa 1921. The edifice was studied by a structural engineer and it was determined that it could not be dismantled and reassembled. Razing the Arch and building a replica was considered. In a News 5 Channel WEWS interview Cleveland City architect Mark Duluk said: ". . . there's no substitute for the real thing. Reproducing history isn't the same as restoring it." The entire project including the new park, is projected to cost about $800,000. The funds are coming from a $54 million city bond issue for capital improvements to city parks, recreation centers, other public facilities and streets. The "Perma-stone" covering was removed to lighten the Arch. The sign "EUCLID BEACH PARK" was also removed to avoid damage and to begin its restoration. Bishop Brothers City Construction Group, hired as contractor, covered the Arch with protective plywood. They ran beams through the reinforced second story windows to create a frame. Atlas Rigging, the day of the move, wrapped slings around the ends of the beams and the curved middle section of the Arch to distribute the weight. A crane then lifted the Arch and swung it around 150 feet to the new foundation. The move, from lift-off to touch-down took only 10 minutes. The roadway under the Arch was an built as the park's entrance, not built to code for a city street and never officially dedicated by the city. With the Arch moved there will be improvements to the roadway.
Damage at the base of the west tower as seen before the move.
September 1, 2025
WORKING AT EUCLID BEACH PARK a reprint of an article that appeared in EBPN's newsletter The Arch. Authored by John Waite a former park employee. Recollection of the Flying Turns. THE ARCH page.
Euclid Beach Park Arch Moved to be Restored
EUCLID BEACH ARCH page.
Promotional "rack card" for Euclid Beach Park Now's annual September event. HOME page.