Lakewood Park is being honored tonight with an Ohio Historical Marker to commemorate the history of the recreational landscape. A small reception will immediately follow the dedication, slated to begin at 5:30 p.m.

The public is invited to both events at the lakefront park.

Here's a sneak peek. The front of the marker reads: 

The changing use of this land, now Lakewood Park, reflects the development of Lakewood, Ohio from a small agricultural community to a thriving modern suburb. Early settler John Honam’s property stretched north from Detroit Avenue to Lake Erie, between Belle and Cook Avenues. His 1834 home was restored by the Lakewood Historical Society and now serves as the Oldest Stone House Museum. Later, the property was the site of the lavish Robert Russell Rhodes estate, “The Hickories.” As the population grew, so di the need for civic amenities. In 1919, the City of Lakewood purchased the estate, using the land for Lakewood Park and the mansion as a hospital during the Flu Epidemic and then as City Hall until 1959. Only one piece of “The Hickories” remains: the original stone wall engraved with the estate name.