Cozad-Bates House

Set back on a deep front lawn, the Cozad-Bates House, built in 1853, is one of the finest examples of Italianate architecture and the only pre-Civil War structure still standing in the University Circle area. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1974, it stands empty, abandoned, neglected for the last 15-20 years.

The Cozad and Ford families owned much of the land that is now known as University Circle. These families were prominent members in the anti-slavery effort when Cleveland was an active station on the Underground Railroad.

The City of Cleveland Landmarks Commission documented that the University Circle area was a major center of Abolitionist and Underground Railroad activity during the three decades preceding the Civil War.

The Cleveland Restoration Society and the City of Cleveland Landmarks Commission have been working to preserve the Cozad-Bates House for years. Restore Cleveland Hope's mission is to preserve and transform Cozad-Bates from a house to a teaching center celebrating Cleveland's Underground Railroad history.

• Timeline
• Virtual Tour
• Progress Reports issued by the Building Committee (to come)
• Cozad-Bates Rehabilitation Project Committees (to come)
• Cozads-Doans-Fords (to come)