Tell Cleveland Foundation, NO!

The Cleveland Foundation is attempting to buy and build new headquarters on Dunham Tavern Museum’s property, against the wishes of the Tavern Museum’s members, and against the best interest of the community. Dunham Tavern is the oldest building in Cleveland. The restored buildings and grounds at 6709 Euclid Avenue are used for educational programs, community events, and the Cleveland Botanical Garden’s teen work-study program Green Corps garden. If you have never been in the Tavern Museum , you are in for a wonderful surprise. The buildings are beautifully restored and the amount and kinds of antique furniture inside is breathtaking.

The Museum purchased the property in question in 2012, demolished the vacant industrial building, creating greenspace, in keeping with the Museum’s strategic plan to restore the original footprint of the Dunham farm and provide much-needed greenspace to the region. Now some of the Board is trying to sell the land, against the wishes of many Museum members and many Board members. A lawsuit has been filed with the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.

The proposed sale is troubling. There is something wrong here. The Museum does not need the money. Cleveland Foundation has $2.3 Billion in assets and can afford to build anywhere or reconfigure any building—there are huge amounts of vacant land and buildings that Cleveland Foundation could use for a new home. Why go after the Museum's land?

Most concerning is that Dunham Museum members report that the Museum’s Board attempted to keep this deal out of sight and knowledge of the Museum’s members. I attended the annual meeting on June 9, and witnessed the Board continuing to stonewall and obfuscate the members.

What is the purpose of the Cleveland Foundation if not to support the efforts of the Dunham Tavern Museum and similar organizations’ efforts to improve the quality of life for all of us? Please contact the Cleveland Foundation and ask them to do the right thing for all of us –do not buy Dunham Tavern Museum land.

The community has the power to stop this sale. When we tell people about this issue, people thank us and wish us good luck. We appreciate that, but we need more than that, we need your help, i.e.: please contact the Cleveland Foundation and tell them what you think.

Cleveland Foundation contact info: 216-861-3810; email Hello@CleveFnd.org; 1422 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115

For the Dunham Tavern Museum's hours and for further information visit their website.

Thank you.