Introduction
This document is intended as an informative history of the building located at 11136 Magnolia Dr., currently occupied by Beta Nu chapter of Theta Chi fraternity. It is divided into two main sections, a history of the house, and a “tour” of the major rooms.
While the tone of this document is occasionally tongue-in-cheek, I have attempted to maintain high standards of scholastic rigor in my research. I have cited all references in Appendix A., and any speculations of my own have been clearly marked. Avenues of research I have not yet explored are listed in Appendix B. (Although this list is by no means exhaustive)
I want to express my deep thanks and appreciation to the staff of the Western Reserve Historical Society Library, the Case Western Reserve University Archives, the Cuyahoga County Archives and Records offices, for their tireless efforts on my behalf. I would also like to thank everyone else who aided me, particularly former residents for taking the time to share their experiences with me.
This document is a labor of love. I have been fortunate to live in such a wonderful house for four years. I hope this paper will provide others, residents and nonresidents alike, with a better appreciation for the rich history of the building.
Daniel Alt
August 5, 1996
Frank Billings
The date of construction of the house is variously given as 1916, 1917, and 1918, depending on the source, but there is no doubt that the house was originally built for a Mr. Frank Billings, and his wife, Elizabeth Tod. The following information about Mr. Billings is taken from the Transactions of the Western Reserve Historical Society.
“An interested supporter of this Society, Mr. Frank Billings, died January 19, 1928, in his seventy-fifth year. From his early manhood, Mr. Billings had made his home in Cleveland, where he attained powerful leadership in the iron and steel industry, and was highly valued as an unselfish and progressive citizen. It seems too bad that some of the early names of streets in Cleveland, such as Billings Avenue, now East 87th Street, named in recognition of the family, could not have been retained.”
“Frank Billings was born in Hastings-on-the-Hudson, New York, September 27, 1853. His family took him to Chicago when he was ten years old, where he attended the public schools and the University of Chicago. When he was twenty, he came to Cleveland and then years later formed a partnership with N.D. Chapin, establishing the Billings-Chapin Company, paint dealers.”
“He was married in 1895 to Elizabeth Tod, daughter of John Tod and granddaughter of David Tod, Governor of Ohio during the Civil War. When his father-in-law died, Mr. Billings took over the Presidency of the Tod-Stambaugh Company, iron ore merchants, which position he held until he had to let down a few years before his death, on account of ill health. His striking ability served him also in other positions that he held, such as Director of the Union Trust Company, the Guardian Bank, and in many other capacities. For years he served as a vestryman in Trinity Cathedral, and for a long period he was a member of the Board of Managers of the Lakeside Hospital.”
“Another side to Mr. Billings’ life that gave him happiness was his interest in healthful outdoor sport. Like so many of the captains of Cleveland industries in that generation, close to his heart was the love of nature and outdoor exercise. he delighted in horses and dogs, liked to hunt and fish, and these are the things that made Mr. Billings a fine companion to his associates in sport, as well as in business. These interests kept him keen minded and youthful in outlook.”
“He belonged to the following clubs: The St. Bernard Fishing of Canada, the Clove Valley Rod and Gun, New York; Chagrin Valley Hung, Kirtland Country, and Castalia Trout. In town he was a member of the Union and Mid-Day Clubs, and a life member of the Western Reserve Historical Society.”
“Mr. Billings’ widow and his sister, Elizabeth Nixon Billings, survive him.”
Mr. Billings’ obituaries have further information. There are two obituaries in the CPL’s clippings files, one of which states that he died after a long illness, while the other insists he died suddenly from a heart stroke. Both agree, however, that he did die in the house. It states that the funeral reception was held in the house on January 21, 1928, and that mourners should not send flowers. His entire estate was willed to the Cleveland Clinic Foundation upon the death of Mrs. Billings.
His wife survived him, and continued to live in the house until her death at the Cleveland Clinic on January 17, 1944. Her funeral reception was also held in the house on the following day. (No mention is made about Ms. Billings’ floral preferences.) Both are buried in Lake View Cemetary.
The Forties and Fifties
The history of the property gets a little confused after the death of Elizabeth Billings in 1944. Various sources list different owners and occupants of the buildings. Rather than attempt to draw any conclusion, the available data is simply listed here, in descending order of presumed reliability
Cleveland Property Records
These were taken from official Cuyahoga County Tax Maps, found in the Cuyahoga County Records building in Downtown Cleveland. These maps extend back to well before the house was constructed, and list the official owner of the property for tax purposes. For a time, the parcel of land containing the house, and the one immediately to the south were listed as having a single owner, hence the dual records. On the modern records, they are listed as separate parcels, but it is unclear when they were split again. It is not extremely relevant, as Case Western Reserve University owns them both.
| Date | Owner |
| Parcel 68 (Current Property) | |
| 5/7/17 | Frank Billings |
| 5/22/19 | Elizabeth Tod Billings |
| Parcel 69 (Parcel to the South) | |
| 10/18/09 | Charles W. Bingham |
| 1/6/13 | Francis Payne Bolton |
| 6/1/14 | Wade Realty Co. |
| 6/16/20 | Elizabeth Tod Billings |
| Parcels 68 & 69 Together | |
| 6/24/38 12/14/37 4/3/39 3/19/40 2/8/41 | Cleveland Clinic Foundation (1/5 interest) |
| 9/26/44 | Charles A. & Rhea G. Snow |
| 1/26/45 | Beatrice B. Baird |
| 4/3/46 | Joseph G. Ames & Constance M. Brazis |
| 2/1/50 | John & C.M. Brazis |
| 6/2/54 | Ralph Schmitt |
| 2/19/60 | University Circle Development Foundation |
| 1/10/69 | Case Western Reserve University |
| 5/1/85 | Ohio Higher Educational Faculty Commission |
| 10/31/86 | Case Western Reserve University |
I am unclear on what is meant by the Cleveland Clinic having a 1/5 interest in the house from 1938-1941. One interesting fact: According to the title, when the house was sold to CWRU in 1986, it was purchased for the sum of $1.00. (In other words, the sale was probably a formality to transfer the title to CWRU)
Property Assessments
The Cuyahoga County Archives has copies of two assessments conducted on the house, and one conducted on the carriage house for tax purposes. These include a small photo of the buildings (of which only a photocopy is distributed, reducing image quality to just about nil) and itemized valuations.
The first assessment is undated (!) but lists Beatrice Baird as the owner, which presumably puts it between January, 1945 and April, 1946. It lists the date of construction of the house as 1916, (with 1917 for the carriage house) and gives the total value of the house as $18, 793. (However, it estimates the cost to rebuild the house from scratch as $69,603). Additionally, it lists the value of the carriage house as $2,900).
The second assessment is also undated. The date on the photograph is July, 1959, but the owner is listed as the University Circle Development Foundation, placing the date after 1960. Additionally, some changes are listed as having been made in the 1961-62 tax year, but it is unclear what those changes were. The assessed value of the property is given as $22,240, with a physical value for the main house of $88,977
There are a number of cryptic markings on this assessment, which are difficult to interpret:
What does “sold to Cleveland Institute of Music” mean? Why is the purchase date listed as 1952, when, according to the tax records, the property didn’t change hands in that year? Additional weirdness: the date of construction of the house is given as 1918.
The third assessment is again undated, but is only for the carriage house. It is likely a supplemental assessment to #2 above, but this is uncertain. It is, however, supported by the phrase “2 of 2” written at the top of the card, which is matched by a “1 of 2” written on the top of #2. However, there is no guarantee that the companions to both cards are not missing. The picture on the assessment is dated July, 1960. The value of the carriage house was given as $3,100, with a physical value of $6,200, and a replacement value of $9,539
There is a fourth assessment from 1975, described in the next section.
Cleveland City Directory
The Cleveland City Directory is a reverse telephone directory which lists the occupants of a building by address. It is, however, sporadically accurate. The occupants listed for 1626 Magnolia Drive are as follows: (years for which there is no entry indicates that there was no copy of the directory at the WRHS for that year.)
| Year | Occupant |
| 1947 | Brazis, John (Constance) h Tailor |
| 1951 | Brazis, John (Constance) h Brazis Bros Clothes |
| 1954 | Hupertz, William A. (Mary) h @ furn rms |
| 1955 | Hupertz, William A. Jones, Lowell h |
| 1956 | Hupertz, William A. Jones, Lowell h |
| 1957 | Hupertz, William A. (Mary) |
| 1958 | Jones, Lowell E. Associates Cons eng |
| 1959 | Jones, Lowell E. @ Cons eng Hupertz, William A. (Mary) furn rm. |
| 1960-1963 | Under Construction |
| 1965 | Not Listed |
| 1965-1969 | Western Reserve University (Dormitory) |
| 1970-1972 | Andrews House (CWRU) 368-3040 |
| 1974 | Spraker, Elizabeth |
| 1977 | (11136 Magnolia Dr.) Ecumenical Institute 421-8545 |
The code “@” supposedly indicates that the person indicated was the owner, but according to the tax records, the Directory has missed it in every case. “h” means “Householder,” again a claim of dubious accuracy. Presumably, “furn. rooms” indicates that the house was a boarding house, and the rooms rented were furnished. Finally, Lowell Jones is listed as a Construction engineer in the 1958 business section, and a Consulting engineer in the 1959 business section.
Andrews House, 1960-1985
In 1960, the house was purchased by the University Circle Development Corporation, the land bank for University Circle, Inc. It was renovated for use as a women’s dormitory to be named Andrews House. Emily Andrews was a professor of physical education at Mather College for Women from 1936 until 1958, serving for a time as head of the department.
During the 1960 renovation, many changes were made that brought the house more or less to the form it is in today. A wall was erected behind the bannister on the second floor balcony, leaving a fairly odd-looking railing protecting a blank wall. Several closets were removed in 301, and the front stairs were added to give the third floor two fire exits. Room 308 was shrunk to make room for said stairs. 101 was sealed off from the kitchen and converted from a panty into a bedroom. However the dumbwaiter was at that time still in place, according to a resident of the house from the era.
In the early 1960’s Andrews House was a freshman girls’ dorm and infirmary for Western Reserve University. A Mrs. Foster (no last name given) was the house mother. In 1965 the girls in Andrews house were moved into the newly complete Wade complex. During the summer the house was used as a remedial reading workshop and offices. The house became an upper-class girls co-op in 1966, and in 1969 became the first coed cooperative dormitory at CWRU. (A ledger for the coop exists in the CWRU archives, but it’s pretty dull stuff. Food purchases, etc. Additionally, since it is a financial record, it’s confidential, and isn’t accessible to the public.)
The Ecumenical Institute
Around 1973, CWRU leased the house to a group known as the Ecumenical Institute. (Since leaving the house, they have changed their name to the Institute for Cultural Affairs) The Institute was a residential community outreach group, dedicated to organizing social welfare programs for the community. Not a lot of information is available on the house during this period. Around 1975, however, the houses across the street were demolished to make way for the Leutner dining commons, and Magnolia (which used to extend all the way to East Blvd.) was ended at the driveway to the house. As a result, the house number changed from 1626 to 11136.
A property assessment does exist from this period. This one (the only assessment described here with a date) is dated 12/22/75. It gives the occupant as the Institute of Cultural Affairs, and lists the carriage house as vacant. It also lists the date of construction as 1915. The value given for the house is $82,400, with a replacement value of $206,005.
Theta Chi
In 1985, as part of a plan to construct a soccer field, CWRU demolished the house at 1575 Mistletoe Dr. occupied by Beta Nu chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity. CWRU moved the chapter into the Andrews House, now numbered 11136 Magnolia Dr. The chapter officially began occupancy on March 1, 1986.
Extensive renovations were required at this point. The floors were refinished, the bathrooms redone, extensive painting was done, the parking lot was added, and a the alumni room was assembled in the basement by dedicated alumni of the chapter. Pretty much everything not nailed down, (and a lot of things that were) was removed from the old house.
Since that time, the chapter has continued to care for the house, making improvements and repairs as needed. Some of the more visible upgrades include refinishing the kitchen floor, adding fans to the Living Room, painting the basement hallway, the fountain in the side garden, a volleyball court, and adding a brick path and handicapped access ramp to the front lawn.
Appendix A
References are ordered by location.
Case Western Reserve University Archives
- “Andrews House” file. A one page summary of the history of the house. It is dated September, 1970. The information from before 1959 is clearly taken from the Cleveland City Directory, and is therefore not particularly reliable. From 1960, the information is presumably accurate, and provides most of the information in the Andrews House section.
- “Floor Plans” file. This includes several sets of plans for the house, one of which is oversized, and stored separately. This one is also of interest, because it has the 1960 renovations marked on it in red pencil.
- “WRU Buildings – General” file. “The Names of Buildings of Western Reserve University,” by Frances Stevenson. Includes a brief description of Emily Andrews, for whom the house was named.
- “CWRU Buildings – General” file. A building inventory, dated 1972, which lists the total square footage of the house as 15,031 feet.(quikref)
Western Reserve Historical Society Archives
- The Cleveland City Directory (1948-1975) For more information, see the page on the forties and fifties.
- Walker & Weeks Blueprints File. Includes only plans for the ironwork on the doors from the “airlock” to the lobby.
- Transactions of the Western Reserve Historical Society #110 1929. Contains a long obituary for Frank Billings. (Quoted in the page on Mr. Billings)
- Necrology File. Has capsule obituaries for Mr. & Mrs. Billings, and Mr. Billing’s sister, Elizabeth.
Cuyahoga County Records Office
- Tax Maps. Lists the official property owners.
- Official Deeds. An official deed exists, but may be hard to locate, for each time the property was transferred. The deed lists sale price, buyer, seller, and other information. (The most recent deed, dated 10/31/86, lists the sale price as $1.00. Probably legal weirdness.)
Cuyahoga County Archives
- Tax Assessments. Available with a phone request if you have the permanent parcel number.
Cleveland Public Library
- Clippings File. Includes complete obituaries for Mr. & Mrs. Billings.
Beta Nu chapter of Theta Chi
- Fall 1986 Scrapbook There is a short history of the house in the back of this scrapbook. No author’s name is given, nor are any references cited. The information conflicts with many of the sources cited above, and I am inclined to regard its accuracy as dubious at best.
- The Cleveland Public Library. I have not actually gone to the library, I have only a blurry third-hand copy from their clippings file. There is probably a significant amount of information to be found in their stacks.
- The CWRU University Architect’s Office
- The CWRU University Attorney’s Office
- The Cuyhoga County Records Office. An exhaustive search for all deeds to the house would be extremely informative. I did not have the opportunity to make such a search, but would interested to know the results. For each transfer, you need to know the exact date, which should be given on the forties & fifties page. There may be other information as well.
- The Cuyahoga County Archives. There may be more information in their possession besides just the tax assessments. Then again, there may not.
- Former Occupants. Some of the most interesting information about the house can be had from those who lived there. The University Alumni Association may be able to help you locate them. Additionally, the Institute for Cultural Affairs is still in existence, and may have contact information.