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Now owned by the Cleveland Clinic, this building was constructed between 1898 and 1901. Today it is one of the four remaining mansions of Cleveland's "Millionaire's Row," the fashionable and exclusive Gilded Era neighborhood of the city's wealthiest families. The mansion was built for the family of Henry Windsor White. Of the remaining mansions, its history is perhaps the least well-documented, leaving aspects of its past shrouded in mystery.

The White Mansion

The White Mansion

Construction of the White Mansion began in 1898 and was completed in 1901. The estate was built in the Victorian Gothic style and designed by architect Frank B. Meade. The house was one of the later ones built on 'Millionaire's Row', a range of houses that ran down Euclid Street in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Henry Windsor White, the home's original owner, and was the treasurer of the White Sewing Machine Company, a company that was later known as the White Manufacturing Company.

Henry Windsor White was one of many members of the White family, one of the city's most influential with business ventures ranged from sewing machines to automobiles. The mansion one of only four extant structures left standing from the days of Millionaire's Row, and its history is perhaps less well-documented than is that of the other three. While most sources seem to agree about the aforementioned information, there are several that differ. In addition, one local rumor speculates that the coach house of the mansion was used as a workplace for researchers who helped to develope the atomic bomb.

Today, the White Mansion, along with the nearby Drury House, is owned and used by Cleveland Clinic. The mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

craig. The Four Millionaire's Row Mansions Still Standing, Cleveland Storyteller. February 8th 2017. Accessed May 21st 2020. https://www.clevelandstoryteller.com/blog/2017/02/the-four-millionaires-row-mansions-still-standing/.

Henry Windsor White , Find A Grave. January 1st 2020. Accessed May 21st 2020. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/67707143/henry-windsor-white.

Nemeth, Sarah. Cleveland Clinic and Historic Fairfax, Cleveland Walks. 2020. Accessed May 21st 2020. https://clevelandwalks.net/cleveland-clinic-and-historic-fairfax/.

Ruminski, Dan and Alan Dutka. Cleveland in the Gilded Age: A Stroll Down Millionaire's Row. 2012.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Nemeth, Sarah. Cleveland Clinic and Historic Fairfax, Cleveland Walks. 2020. Accessed May 21st 2020. https://clevelandwalks.net/cleveland-clinic-and-historic-fairfax/.