CLEVELAND — The Cleveland home of Jesse Owens, the pioneering Black athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics, is set to be declared a city landmark.
Cleveland City Council voted to designate the house on East 100th Street as a Cleveland landmark during their meeting Monday night.
The Owens family moved to Cleveland in 1922, when Jesse was nine. They lived in several houses before moving into 2178 East 100th Street in 1934. While the Owens family lived in the Fairfax neighborhood home, Jesse's track career flourished.
In 1935, he set three world records and tied another at the Big Ten Track and Field Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Sports Illustrated would later refer to Owens' performance at the University of Michigan as "The Greatest 45 Minutes in Sports History."
The following year, Owens dominated the Berlin Olympics and humiliated Adolf Hitler, winning gold medals in the 100 and 200 meters, the long jump and the 4x100 relay.
While living at East 100th Street, Owens also married longtime girlfriend Minnie Solomon in 1935. The two remained together until Jesse Owens' death in 1980 at the age of 66.
The Cleveland Landmarks Commission approved the designation of the Owens home as a landmark in December. Cleveland City Council’s Development, Planning, and Sustainability Committee has also signed off on the proposal.