Arthur R. Johnston House 

The residence at 4585 East 147th Street, in Cleveland's Miles Heights neighborhood, is a simple craftsman bungalow. What makes the house special is it was home to Arthur R. Johnston, the first African American mayor elected in both Cuyahoga County and the state of Ohio. Johnston was elected mayor of the small village of Bella Vista Miles Heights in 1929.

The village of Bella Vista Miles Heights was bordered by Seville Road on the north, East 143rd on the west, Ohio Avenue on the south, and East 153rd Street on the east. While initially settled by Italians, Germans, and African Americans, the village received a large influx of residents relocating from the rural south early in the twentieth century. Incorporated in 1927, the village was annexed into the City of Cleveland in 1932.

According to "Life in the Village: A Survey of Life in Miles Heights Village," by Megan Sweeney, Arthur Johnston had been active in local politics before becoming mayor, serving on both the school board and city council. After his term as mayor, he served in the Ohio Department of Taxation. She writes, "His election was particularly unique be cause of the support given to him by the Republican Party as well as white residents living in Old Miles Heights, the area surrounding the Village." Johnson's contribution to African-American history is now recognized by a street and park that are named in his honor.

CRS formally nominated Johnston's house on East 147th Street as a Cleveland Landmark. This nomination was approved by the Cleveland Landmarks Commission on January 13, 2011.

Images courtesy of the Cleveland Landmark Commission.