The village of MORELAND HILLS (inc. 9 Sept. 1929), is a 7.5 sq. mi. residential suburb located approx. 14 miles east of Cleveland. It is bounded on the north by HUNTING VALLEY and PEPPER PIKE, on the south by SOLON and BENTLEYVILLE, on the east by CHAGRIN FALLS TWP. and CHAGRIN FALLS, and on the west by ORANGE VILLAGE. Moreland Hills is one of 7 communities that formed out of the original Orange Twp., established in 1820. A village charter was adopted on 7 Nov. 1972, with a mayor-council form of government. Settlement began in 1815 in the areas where the road that became Ohio Route 87 crosses the CHAGRIN RIVER. The families of Serenus Burnett, C. L. Jackson, and Seth Mapes were among the early settlers. In 1831 JAMES A. GARFIELD, second son of Abram Garfield and 20th president of the U.S., was born in Moreland Hills near SOM Center and Jackson roads. During the 19th century, Orange Twp. was known for its steam sawmills, cheese factories, and productive farms (see AGRICULTURE). Beginning in 1897, the Cleveland-Chagrin Falls Railway contributed to the suburban development of Moreland Hills, bringing residents back and forth to employment in Cleveland, and visitors to an amusement park built by John Stoneman and the adjoining Crystal Lake. The village began to change from a predominantly residential suburb with the subdivision of homesites in 1935 by real-estate developer Robert L. Stern. The population in 1930 was 141; in 1940, it was 561. By 1956 it had risen to 1,700; in 1990 it reached 3,354, and in 2018 was 3,305. The children of Moreland Hills have attended school in the Orange or Chagrin Falls school districts. In addition to containing recreational facilities, churches, service clubs, polo fields, and riding trails, Moreland Hills is the location of Hiram House Camp (see HIRAM HOUSE). The South Chagrin Reservation of the CLEVELAND METROPARKS SYSTEM runs through the village along the Chagrin Valley. The Abram Garfield Farmsite Park commemorates the birthplace of Pres. Garfield.
Last updated: 10/6/2019
Schregardus, Robert E., ed. Things Remembered—Moreland Hills at 50 Years (1979).
See also SUBURBS.