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Middleburg Heights is a southwest suburb of Cleveland located Cuyahoga County. Surrounded by the suburbs of Parma Heights, Parma, Brookpark, Berea and Strongsville, this community enjoys close proximity to shopping, schools, medical facilities, and freeway access. Community amenities include a fantastic rec center with indoor and outdoor pools, work out facilities and meeting rooms. Located in the near the community center is a public library and the Big Creek Parkway which is part of the Metro Park system complete with walking trails. As of the census in 2000, there are approximately 15500 people and over 6500 households.
HISTORY: Middleburg Heights, occupying 8 square miles located 13 miles southwest of Cleveland and is bounded by Brook Park on the north, Parma on the east, Strongsville on the south, and Berea on the west. It was originally part of Middleburg Township which received its name from the families
migrating to the area from Middleburg, New York. The first settler in the area, Jared Hickox, arrived in 1809. The settlement grew slowly. Low, wet terrain and numerous swamps, breeding grounds for mosquitoes, retarded development. Agriculture was the mainstay of the early settlers, and cleared fields were mainly used for growing beans and as pasture. During the mid-1800s, 75% of Middleburg Township remained a tense, unsettled woodland. The construction of railroads in the late 1840s opened the area to neighboring communities, particularly Olmsted Falls and Berea. In 1842 the quarry industry began, attracting many German and later Polish families. The incorporation of Berea as a village in 1850 led to the partitioning of the township, and Berea took the quarry industry with it. An attempt by the village of Berea to annex Middleburg Township in the 1920s led to the incorporation of Middleburg as a village. |