LYNDHURST, incorporated as the village of Euclidville in 1917, was originally part of EUCLID TWP. It was renamed Lyndhurst in 1920 and incorporated as a city in 1951. The name, chosen in a high school contest, was a salute to Lyndhurst, NJ.
Lyndhurst comprises 4.6 sq. mi. and is situated to the east of S. EUCLID, west of MAYFIELD HTS., north of BEACHWOOD, and south of RICHMOND HTS. and HIGHLAND HTS. The region had been settled by GERMAN immigrants and emphasized AGRICULTURE before World War I. The installation of water mains in 1922, combined with increased availability of automobiles, spurred Lyndhurst’s growth: from 288 in 1920 to 2,400 in 1940. However, most of the suburb’s expansion took place between World War II and 1970 when its population peaked at 19,800. Lyndhurst is principally residential, with a mostly Caucasian population of 15,982 in 1990 and 13,557 in 2018.
In 1923 Lyndhurst residents strongly rejected a move to combine their schools with those of S. Euclid. In 1924, however, a court decision ruled that the broad interests of education should prevail and the school systems were combined. In 1993, the South Euclid Lyndhurst School District had an enrollment of 4,408 in 7 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school. By 2019 enrollment slipped to 3,315 students in 3 elementary, 1 middle, 1 intermediate and 1 high school (Charles F. Brush HS).
Although Lyndhurst was never home to any industry, many retail businesses have been, and continue to be, located east of Richmond along Mayfield Road. In 1983 TRW, INC., constructed its world headquarters in Lyndhurst on the site of the former estate of CHESTER CASTLE BOLTON and FRANCES PAYNE BOLTON, both members of U.S. Congress. In 2000 TRW convinced Lyndhurst residents to support a zoning change to part of its property, claiming that if rezoning to commercial development was not approved, TRW would relocate out of the city. The result was the development of Legacy Village shopping mall, built adjacent to TRW, which pulled up stakes anyway and donated its headquarters building to the CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION. This was a significant loss to the community and its schools because CCF is a non-profit, non-taxed entity. In 2019, the Cleveland Clinic announced plans to vacate the building and sell it, raising hope in Lyndhurst for a tax-paying tenant at the city’s only large commercial site.
In 2019 Lyndhurst’s recreational facilities included a swimming pool, a splash park, 3 tennis courts, a private golf course, and 3 park systems totaling almost 200 acres. The Cleveland Metroparks’ Acacia Reservation, formerly a country club, occupies the city’s southwest corner. Nine churches were located in the city.
Updated by James Lanese
Last updated: 8/13/2019
Keyerleber, Karl. Hometown: The Story of Lyndhurst (1950).