The Home
for All America
How the Jaffe-Flament house on
South Park Boulevard ushered in
the era of Mid-Century Modern
residential architecture.
By Michael Peters
Photography by Kevin G. Reeves
Adhering to architectural guidelines put in place
by the Van Sweringen Company, each house had
to be designed by an architect (not a common
practice at the time), be approved by the company,
and be unique in its design.
By the time the Architectural Board of Review
assumed stewardship of the City’s housing design
approval process, many of the former restrictions had
From its founding
in 1912, Shaker
Heights grew at
an astonishing
pace through the
1920s and ‘30s.
been relaxed, opening a pathway for more contemporary designs.
Enter Joseph Jaffe and his wife Virginia, who were eager to
build a modern house in Shaker Heights. The Jaffes had relocated
from California – Mrs. Jaffe was originally from Northeast Ohio –
together with their young daughter. Mr. Jaffe was in the lighting
business, and was likely familiar with the popular designs of
architects such as Cliff May, who were building in the “California
Ranch” style in the late 1940s. The style included short but wide
awning windows set high on the walls, minimal decoration, and
open multi-purpose rooms.
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