Baird, Frederick

Biography

Frederick Baird was born in Bangor, Maine and came to Cleveland with his family at the age of three. He was a graduate of West High School in Cleveland. After graduation he went to work in the office of Charles Schweinfurth, as he pursued his studies, for three and a half years. He later went to work for Coburn & Barnum and then became foreman and designer for Lehman and Schmitt. While with that firm he designed many residences, courthouses, and other buildings throughout the country. He married Mamie Zangerle, the sister of county auditor John A. Zangerle. In 1898 he set up an office in the American Trust Building. A motto taken from Longfellow hung over his desk: "In the older days of art / Builders wrought with greatest care / Each minute and unseen part / For the gods see everywhere."He designed a wide variety of structures, including houses, terraces, apartments, and commercial buildings. He designed the Salvation Army Citadel Building, the first reinforced concrete constructed building in Ohio. He submitted two drawings for the proposed Forest City Savings Bank Building on the corner of West 25th Street and Detroit Avenue, although neither of his designs was chosen. Steffens, Searles & Hirsh eventually won the contract. His most famous building is St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral in the Tremont neighborhood. He was a member of the Cleveland Architectural Club. In 1917, he announced his retirement and traveled to Japan, China, Hong Kong, Korea and Manchuria. He died on February 16, 1920 of cancer and is buried in Lake View Cemetery.