FAIRVIEW PARK, originally part of ROCKPORT TWP., was incorporated as the village of Fairview in Sept. 1910, following the formation and subsequent division of the hamlet of Goldwood. Most of Goldwood was subsumed into Rocky River. The rest become Fairview, expect for a small southwestern section which remained Goldwood until 1925 when it was renamed PARKVIEW. Fairview became Fairview Park Village in 1948 and was incorporated as a city in 1951. The first city charter was adopted in Nov. 1958. Parkview ceased to exist in 1967 when it became Ward 5 of Fairview Park. Fairview Park is located approx. 8 mi. from downtown Cleveland, bounded on the west by NORTH OLMSTED, on the north by ROCKY RIVER, and on the east and south by the Rocky River Reservation of the CLEVELAND METROPARKS SYSTEM. The city occupies approx. 4.5 sq. mi.
At the turn of the 20th century, transportation to the area was provided by the Cleveland Southwestern Railway Co., which also served 3 amusement parks: PURITAS SPRINGS PARK, Chippewa Lake Park, and Seccaium Park (see INTERURBANS). Many new streets were platted and paved between 1927-30. The North Olmsted municipal bus line began to serve Fairview in 1931. The village’s main street, called at different times Sugar Ridge, Coe Ridge, and State St., finally took the name Lorain Rd., designated State Route 10, in 1934. Utility services in Fairview began with electricity in 1913, gas in 1916, streetlights in 1921, and water service from Cleveland in 1923. The first school was located on what is now Lorain Rd. in 1840. Enrollment peaked at 3,640 in 1969-70 but dropped to 1,769 by 1984. Roughly 1,580 students attended four Fairview Park public schools as of 2020. Minorities made up about 16% of this total.
Much of the city's growth took place after WORLD WAR II. The Fairview Shopping Center opened in 1947 on Lorain Rd., followed by the Westgate Shopping Center in 1954. By 1960 Fairview Park’s population had increased to 14,624; it reached its height in 1970 at 21,681. The population in 1990 was 18,028 with almost 80% born in Ohio. The predominant ethnic groups were GERMAN and IRISH. The city’s population declined slightly to 17,572 by 2000 and since then has remained more or less at that level. Library services were first provided by the county library in 1925, and the Fairview Park Regional Library of the CUYAHOGA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM, currently located at 21255 Lorain Rd.
Updated by Christopher Roy
Last updated 1/16/2023