US 20 In Ohio: The Dunham Tavern and Museum in Cleveland

Located on Euclid Avenue (US Route 20) in Cleveland, on the stretch between University Circle and downtown Cleveland, is the Dunham Tavern and Museum . It is the oldest building in Cleveland.

Built in 1824, it is a clapboard building that served as a stop along a stagecoach route between Detroit MI and Buffalo NY. At the time, the stretch of US 20, (now Euclid Avenue) midway between Doan's Corners (East 105th Street) and Public Square where Dunham’s was located was also known as part of the “Buffalo-Cleveland-Detroit Road.” The modern day Route 20 follows that same stagecoach route.

Dunham Tavern Postcard
Dunham Tavern was the home of Rufus and Jane Pratt Dunham, who were early settlers to the Western Reserve. As their home was along the stagecoach route, they decided to make their home a tavern, and it remained this way until 1857.

In the 1930s, the house was a studio for artists and printmakers, and later the Society of Collectors worked to restore the house, opening it to the public in 1941. It was named a Cleveland Landmark in 1973, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 25, 1974.

Today, the museum is filled with many period antiques, and the Heritage Trail and gardens also make for a nice outdoor stroll and a peaceful respite from the surrounding industrial and urban neighborhood.

Dunham Tavern and Museum is located at 6709 Euclid Avenue (US Route 20) , in Cleveland, Ohio. More information can be found at the website for Dunham Tavern and Museum. .



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