Ghosts of Euclid: The Briardale Projects

This is an interesting ghost as it was an entire housing project, built during world war II, that's now a golf course called Briardale Greens.

It and another set of projects were built around the same time as the TAPCO plant (Thompson Aircraft Products Company) on Euclid Avenue, a property that when purchased was a 120-acre abandoned vineyard. Ground was broken April 14, 1941 and by December 2 of the same year the first valve was produced at the plant.

The Briardale projects themselves were to be short-lived, however, as the housing was completely torn down by the mid-1970's.

Taken from source:

The litigants stipulated the following facts: Briardale, composed of some 800 rental units, was constructed by the federal government during World War II to provide housing for presons (sic) engaged in national defense activities. 42 U.S.C. 1521. The City purchased this and another project in 1956 for a sum in excess of six million dollars. The City Council at various public meetings since 1967 discussed Briardale's decaying condition and the need to redevelop the project. In 1969 the City filed a proposed plan of redevelopment in the Cuyahoga County Recorder's Office. In 1970 and 1971, the Council passed ordinances providing for the phased demolition of the project.

Mouse over to see what this area looked like before it was a golf course.

The yesteryear picture is from a series of aerial shots taken in 1951 that covered all of Cuyahoga county.

For more information on the Briardale Projects, click the source link above.

And for a more heartfelt take on the Briardale projects ultimate fate...