A wide range of wealthy and upper-middle class attorneys, businesspeople, civic leaders, educators, elected officials, government officials, physicians, and others took up residence in the Cedar Glen Apartments after they opened, making it one of Cleveland's most sought-after addresses.
Residents included Feargus B. Squire, former secretary of Standard Oil, who leased the penthouse in 1928.
It was widely considered a Cleveland landmark due to its location, the notability of its residents, its very spacious apartments, and its architectural design.
The Cedar Glen Apartments epitomized apartment living and design for the period 1910 to 1930.
Just over 50 percent of all Americans lived in apartments in the 1920s, and apartments were seen as equivalent to homes: Spacious, comfortable, and with numerous amenities.
Wealthy Americans expected even more from their apartments, and Cedar Glen was designed to accommodate their desires.
By 1960, however, just 38 percent of all Americans lived in apartments, and apartment shifted from 1940 to 1960 by shifting to a "shoebox" design that emphasized inexpensive rent, small spaces, and fewer rooms.

In 1931, the cities of Cleveland and Cleveland Heights significantly widened Cedar Glen Parkway, bringing traffic and associated noise much closer to Cedar Glen Apartments.
The two cities constructed high stone retaining walls on either side of the parkway to hold the hills in place.
The Cedar Glen Apartments were sold in December 1931 to the George M. Forman Realty Trust of Chicago.
No sales price was disclosed.

The Cleveland Transit System, which operated bus, streetcar, and trackless trolley buses in the city of Cleveland, proposed an RTA Rapid Transit at the foot of Cedar Hill in 1947.
Station plans were proposed in January 1952, and approved two months later.
Construction on the station began in May 1954, and it opened on March 15, 1955.
The new station was a three-minute walk from the Cedar Glen Apartments.

In 1951, the Cedar Glen Apartments were acquired by two investors, T.W. Grogan (head of the T.W. Grogan Co., a local construction firm) and R.R. Hollington (of the Marshman, Hollington & Steadman law firm).
No purchase price was reported.

A major fire struck the building on February 27, 1956.
The blaze erupted in the kitchen on the first floor of the empty penthouse at 10 P.M., and spread to the second floor.
Although the fire was contained by 1 A.M., it continued to burn until daylight as firefighters had difficulty accessing the walls and ceilings due to the building's exceptionally strong design.
Heavy water and smoke caused $150,000 ($1,400,000 in 2019 dollars) in damages to central tower.

The Cedar Glen Apartments were sold again in October 1960.
Otto and Vilma Psenicka (west side home builders) purchased the structure from Grogan and Hollington for $400,000 ($3,500,000 in 2019 dollars).
The Psenickas significantly renovated the building the following year.
A wide range of wealthy and upper-middle class attorneys, businesspeople, civic leaders, educators, elected officials, government officials, physicians, and others took up residence in the Cedar Glen Apartments after they opened, making it one of Cleveland's most sought-after addresses. Residents included Feargus B. Squire, former secretary of Standard Oil, who leased the penthouse in 1928. It was widely considered a Cleveland landmark due to its location, the notability of its residents, its very spacious apartments, and its architectural design. The Cedar Glen Apartments epitomized apartment living and design for the period 1910 to 1930. Just over 50 percent of all Americans lived in apartments in the 1920s, and apartments were seen as equivalent to homes: Spacious, comfortable, and with numerous amenities. Wealthy Americans expected even more from their apartments, and Cedar Glen was designed to accommodate their desires. By 1960, however, just 38 percent of all Americans lived in apartments, and apartment shifted from 1940 to 1960 by shifting to a "shoebox" design that emphasized inexpensive rent, small spaces, and fewer rooms.
In 1931, the cities of Cleveland and Cleveland Heights significantly widened Cedar Glen Parkway, bringing traffic and associated noise much closer to Cedar Glen Apartments. The two cities constructed high stone retaining walls on either side of the parkway to hold the hills in place. The Cedar Glen Apartments were sold in December 1931 to the George M. Forman Realty Trust of Chicago. No sales price was disclosed.
The Cleveland Transit System, which operated bus, streetcar, and trackless trolley buses in the city of Cleveland, proposed an RTA Rapid Transit at the foot of Cedar Hill in 1947. Station plans were proposed in January 1952, and approved two months later. Construction on the station began in May 1954, and it opened on March 15, 1955. The new station was a three-minute walk from the Cedar Glen Apartments.
In 1951, the Cedar Glen Apartments were acquired by two investors, T.W. Grogan (head of the T.W. Grogan Co., a local construction firm) and R.R. Hollington (of the Marshman, Hollington & Steadman law firm). No purchase price was reported.
A major fire struck the building on February 27, 1956. The blaze erupted in the kitchen on the first floor of the empty penthouse at 10 P.M., and spread to the second floor. Although the fire was contained by 1 A.M., it continued to burn until daylight as firefighters had difficulty accessing the walls and ceilings due to the building's exceptionally strong design. Heavy water and smoke caused $150,000 ($1,400,000 in 2019 dollars) in damages to central tower.
The Cedar Glen Apartments were sold again in October 1960. Otto and Vilma Psenicka (west side home builders) purchased the structure from Grogan and Hollington for $400,000 ($3,500,000 in 2019 dollars). The Psenickas significantly renovated the building the following year.
Cedar Glen Apartments