Fort Huntington Park — Attraction in Cleveland

An excellent historical site that is a must see in Cleveland. This was the site of Fort Huntington, a small blockhouse built in the War of 1812 to defend Cleveland. Now, it is the site of a monument to the Battle of Lake Erie. The current statue is a bronze version of the original monument. The original monument, made of marble, was erected in 1860 in the center of Public Square. Later it was moved to the current site of the Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Monument to the Civil War. After a court battle between the commissioners of that monument and the city the monument was removed. The present bronze monument may have been cast at this time. The original marble monument now resides, appropriately, indoors on display at the Perry Monument in Put-in-Bay.

The cannon in the park inaccurately and ludicrously described as being from the War of 1812 is in fact a Civil War cannon. The gun is a 20 pdr Parrot rifled iron cannon made for the Navy during the Civil War. The large reinforcing band around the breech of the gun gives it a distinctive and easily identifiable. The gun is one of two original Civil War cannons in Cleveland, the other belonging to the Cleveland Grays.

There was, originally, a War of 1812 cannon in Cleveland which for many years was displayed on Public Square. It now resides indoors, at the Battle of Lake Erie Museum in Erie, Pennsylvania and has been fully restored.

The park overlooks the new river channel, created by the Ohio and Erie Canal in the 1820s, and the Blockhouse would have originally overlooked an Native American Mound which supposedly subsided when the new harbor...

From a brass plaque on a stone at the Lakeside Avenue edge of the park (not far from the Perry Memorial): "Fort Huntington Park is named for Samuel Huntington (1765-1817), Governor of Ohio (1808-1810) and member of the Huntington Family that founded the Huntington National Bank in 1866. He settled in Cleveland in 1801 and eventually held many political offices. After serving as Paymaster in the War of 1812, he retired to his farm in Painesville. Fort Huntington, erected in 1813, was named in his honor" There is also a stone locating Fort Huntington near this site erected by the Cleveland Commodore Perry Chapter of the U.S. Daughters of 1812.

The park is dominated by the tall plinth with Com. Oliver Hazzard Perry and a pair of cabin boys on the sides. (This has its own Google Maps entry.) There is a captured British cannon from the Battle of Lake Erie. There is a statue to 1936 Olympic (four) gold medalist, Jesse Owens by the sculptor William McVey. (The same artist created the half statue (thighs up?) of the poet, Hart Crane, in University Circle). (This has its own Google Maps entry) In the North East corner is Greater Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial Society Park. (This has its own Google Maps entry.) There is also a plaza and statue of Cuyahoga County Prosecutor (1957-1991), John T. Corrigan. "He served an unprecedented 35 years as the chief law enforcement officer for...

Fun afternoon walk with lots to see! Beautiful old trees and soft green grass makes a perfect relaxation or destressing zone and a great place to take a picnic lunch on your work break! Very historic area, great learning experience for kids of any age! Honor those who gave some and thank God for those...