Van Sweringen Brothers
Oris Paxton Van Sweringen (24 April 1879–November 22, 1936) and Mantis James Van Sweringen (July 8, 1881–December 12, 1935) were brothers who became railroad barons in order to develop Shaker Heights, Ohio. They are better known as O.P. Van Sweringen and M.J. Van Sweringen, or by their collective nickname, the Vans. The brothers came from a farming area near Wooster, Ohio. Their father was for a time an engineer in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, fought in the Civil War and was wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg. The family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, in about 1890.
Neither brother married; the two shared a common bedroom in their 54-room mansion, Roundwood Manor, on the grounds of their estate, Daisy Hill, in Hunting Valley, Ohio. During their lifetimes, they seldom gave interviews or made appearances in public; however, when they did, it was always together. An overview of their accomplishments cannot be done separately as the two were inseparable during their lives.
Read more about Van Sweringen Brothers: Real Estate and Shaker Heights, From Trolley To Rapid To Terminal Tower, The Terminal Tower, Brothers To The End
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