Join us for the Ludlow marker unveiling ceremony

Ludlow Historic Marker Unveiling

Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022

4 p.m.

Intersection of Corby Road and Hampton Road

Cleveland, OH 44120

You are invited to join the Cleveland Restoration Society for the unveiling of an historical marker on Cleveland’s Civil Rights Trail. This marker recognizes the Ludlow Community Association (LCA), incorporated in 1959, that became a national model for community activism toward racial integration. The marker also recognizes the tragic event that caused the LCA to form, the bombing at the home of John and Dorothy Pegg on Corby Road in 1956.

The outdoor ceremony, under a tent in the median at the intersection of Corby and Hampton Roads in Cleveland, will include remarks by Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish; the Honorable David E. Weiss, Mayor of Shaker Heights; Cleveland City Councilwoman Deborah A. Gray, Ward 4; and Ludlow Community Association Co-President Susan Rotatori, who will also recognize individuals who made a special contribution to Ludlow Community Association.

Ludlow, a neighborhood straddling Shaker Heights and Cleveland, originally imposed restrictive deed covenants that implicitly excluded racial and religious groups deemed as “undesirables” in the community. However, in 1948, the Supreme Court ruled in Shelley v. Kraemer that restrictive covenants were a violation of the “equal protection clause” of the 14th Amendment, paving the way for African American families to begin moving to Ludlow in the 1950s.

On Jan. 3, 1956, a bomb exploded in the garage of a Black-owned home under construction on Corby Road. “For Sale” signs cropped up as realtors panicked long-time residents and began refusing to show Ludlow Homes to White buyers.

The bombing sparked the “turning point” in Ludlow’s integration. Black and White neighbors gathered in each other’s homes to build trust, which led to the creation of Ludlow Community Association. The group helped stem the tide of white flight and helped to maintain a well-balanced, integrated Ludlow neighborhood for more than 30 years.

The Cleveland Restoration Society is leading a community effort to create an African American Civil Rights Trail in Cleveland (the Trail), the first of its kind in a northern city. It will include at least 10 sites, including Ludlow Community Association.

Contact Peggy Sexton, CRS Events Coordinator, at 216-426-3102 or email [email protected] with questions.

Thank you!

$10,000 Sponsorship for an Ohio Historical Marker on the Cleveland Civil Rights Trail

Additional support is provided by a generous anonymous donor, and Maxine Isaacs, daughter of Bernard Isaacs, co-founder of the Ludlow Community Association.

The Cleveland Civil Rights Trail was produced with assistance from the African American Civil Rights Grant Program, administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.

This project is also made possible, in part, by Ohio Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.