A Very Square Affair

Before Crocker Park, before Legacy Village, and before every other big, trendy "lifestyle center" in the country, there was Shaker Square. Built on land once belonging to the North Union Community of the Society of Believers (a.k.a., the Shakers), the handsome shopping hub was built by Cleveland's famous Van Swerigen brothers in 1929 — making it the second planned shopping center in the country — and, together with its adjacent luxury-apartment complex, has been the anchor of its community ever since. The Shaker Historical Society is celebrating that laudable history with a new exhibit called A Very Square Affair: The Life and Times of Shaker Square and Moreland Courts. On view now through May 29, the exhibition explores the "behind the scenes" drama of the Square's development, complete with architectural drawings, historic photographs, and heaps of memorabilia from all its most notable establishments. It's on view during the museum's normal hours. Admission is $4, with discounts for members and children. The museum is at 16740 South Park Blvd. in Shaker Heights. For more information, visit shakerhistory.org or call 216-921-1201. — Delaney