The birthplace of Superman unveiled

The house where Superman was “born” is located in east Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood at 10622 Kimberly Ave (near the intersection of East 105th and St. Clair). It was in this house 75 years ago that Jerry Siegel and his friend Joe Shuster brought their superhero to life. The nonprofit Siegel and Shuster Society spend $70,000 to renovate the house, which was unveiled on Saturday, July 11, in conjunction with Screaming Tiki Cleveland SuperCon 2009, a comic book convention.

We weren’t able to make it to the 10am ceremony, but we did a drive-by that evening as we were going to a party on the east side. We paused outside for this photo, but the owner saw us and invited us in for a tour.

When Jefferson and Hattie Mae Gray bought the house, they had no idea of its significance until two years later, when they received a letter from the city. Jefferson hoped as a kid that he might develop superhuman powers, like his comic book hero, but he’s happy being custodian to the legacy of the last son of Krypton. It gives him an excuse to wear his Superman t-shirt regularly.

So far, there are no plans to open the house to visitors on a regular schedule, but if you’re lucky, Jefferson or Hattie will beckon you inside.

Check out this video that was made before renovations started: