 
Steel Construction Pioneer
John Eisenmann (1851-1924) pioneered structural
steel construction in the United States in the late 1800s. It substituted metal
beams and other metal supporting material for the wooden beams that had been
used in the past. With structural steel, buildings could rise higher and take on
new architectural shapes, while being extremely strong. Eisenmann also drafted
the nation’s first comprehensive building code, which was for the city of
Cleveland. Building codes are regulations that control design and construction
of buildings and the kinds of materials that can be used in them. They have
played a major role in making all kinds of buildings – from single-story homes
to the highest skyscrapers – safer and more pleasant. Eisenmann, the first
professor of civil engineering at the Case School of Applied Science,
co-designed the "Arcade," which was the first commercial building in Ohio to be
designated as an historic landmark in architecture.
 Eisenmann was instrumental in helping to erect a famous memorial to Oliver
Hazard Perry. In 1813, Perry had commanded an American fleet that defeated the
British at the Battle of Lake Erie. Eisenmann thought a memorial appropriate and
developed a watercolor proposal. He also selected a spot on the Lake Erie
Islands for construction. While another design was ultimately selected for the
monument, Eisenmann's suggested location of South Bass Island was where the
Perry memorial was erected in 1912.
Eisenmann also designed the Ohio State Flag in 1902. It is unique in the United
States – the only birgee, or pennant shaped state flag.
"Early stereopticon photo card view of
Cleveland Arcade"
Visit the Arcade
Located at 401 Euclid Ave, Cleveland OH 44114,
The Arcade
was the first Cleveland building added to the National Register of Historic
Places.
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