"Nursery Farm” Lots In High Demand

The land between Larchmont Avenue and Riverside Drive/W. Clifton Boulevard, between Madison and Detroit and overlooking the Rocky River valley – once known as the “Fries Estate” and later known as the “Nursery Farm” – was subdivided and offered for sale by The Cleveland Trust Company in 1916. Out of 200 lots, only three remained unsold two years later. Homes on Fries Avenue, highly desired because of their proximity to the Madison streetcar line, ranged in price from $6,000 to $7,500, and were, “built for the buyer who desires a home embodying all modern innovations in high grade home construction.” Each house was constructed from a separate set of plans, and had features and fixtures that met a buyer’s demand for durability, low maintenance expense, artistry, and, “enough originality to refrain from 'freakishness', plus convenience in every detail,” according to W.H. Troph, Fries Avenue homebuyer and realty manager for Cleveland Trust.