A Neighborhood with a Newer Name and an Older Story
Lake Forest is one of Westlake’s more modern residential neighborhoods, but its story is rooted in a landscape and community history that reaches back more than two centuries. Tucked along the western side of the city near Schwartz Road and Bradley Road, Lake Forest is known today for spacious custom homes, quiet streets, wooded views, and a strong sense of neighborhood identity.
The subdivision itself began taking shape in the mid-1980s, with early phases approved by the city in 1986 and 1987. Later phases continued to expand the community, including Lake Forest V, whose final plat was approved in 2023. City records show that the neighborhood developed in stages rather than appearing all at once, giving it a gradual, settled character.
Although Lake Forest is relatively young compared with Westlake’s pioneer-era landmarks, it belongs to a part of the city where the past is never far away. The roads, cemeteries, farms, and older homes surrounding it all reflect the history of the former Dover Township.
How Lake Forest Got Its Name
The name “Lake Forest” appears to have been chosen as a development name rather than inherited from an earlier village, farm, or historic institution. Unlike Crocker Road, Porter Road, or Schwartz Road—streets named for pioneer families—the subdivision’s name is more descriptive and evocative.
It suggests two qualities that have long appealed to Westlake residents: the proximity of Lake Erie and the wooded, semi-rural character of the land. The neighborhood is not directly on the lakefront, and there is no evidence that it was named after a specific historic lake within the subdivision. Instead, “Lake Forest” seems to capture the atmosphere developers wanted to convey: a private residential setting with room, trees, and a connection to the natural landscape.
That kind of naming was common during the suburban building boom of the late twentieth century. Developers often selected names that promised a particular lifestyle, and Lake Forest’s name fit Westlake especially well. The city’s location west of Cleveland, its history of farms and orchards, and its proximity to Lake Erie all helped give the name a natural local resonance.
The Land Before the Subdivision
Long before Lake Forest’s streets were laid out, the area was part of Dover Township, established in 1811 within the Connecticut Western Reserve. Early settlers included the Johnson, Cahoon, Porter, Crocker, Smith, Hurst, Clemens, and Sperry families. Many current Westlake streets preserve those family names, creating a direct link between today’s neighborhoods and the community’s earliest households.
Westlake’s first settler, Leverett Johnson, arrived in 1811 at age 16. He later built a log cabin near Porter and Center Ridge roads, served in several local and state offices, and donated land for Evergreen Cemetery. Johnson and his wife, Abigail, are buried there, and an Ohio Historical Marker at the cemetery commemorates his role in Westlake’s beginnings.
The surrounding countryside was once a mixture of dense forest, family farms, pastureland, and small agricultural businesses. Creeks powered sawmills and gristmills, while later generations cultivated grain, fruit, and grapes. By the late nineteenth century, Dover Township had become an important grape-shipping center, aided by the arrival of the Nickel Plate Railroad in 1881.
It is easy to imagine how different the land beneath Lake Forest looked in those years: open fields bordered by woods, farm lanes instead of paved streets, and families whose names eventually became part of the local map.
From Dover Township to Westlake
The larger community changed dramatically during the twentieth century. Dover Village was incorporated in 1911, but confusion with another Dover in Tuscarawas County led residents to consider a new name. In 1940, the community became Westlake Village, and in 1957 it became the City of Westlake.
The biggest transformation came after World War II. Westlake’s population grew from 4,912 in 1950 to 12,906 in 1960 as families moved outward from Cleveland and new roads, schools, businesses, and subdivisions followed. City officials adopted planning and zoning measures in the early 1960s to guide residential, commercial, and industrial growth.
Lake Forest belongs to the later chapter of that suburban story. By the 1980s, much of Westlake’s remaining open land was being converted into carefully planned residential communities. The Lake Forest development introduced a more spacious, custom-home style than many of the postwar neighborhoods built a generation earlier.
Streets That Define the Neighborhood
For longtime residents, Lake Forest is best understood by its streets. The neighborhood is associated with Forest Lake Drive, Deer Run Lane, Rocky Ridge Drive, Turtle Creek Drive, and Waterfall Way, along with homes facing Schwartz Road. The street names reinforce the community’s natural theme, suggesting woods, streams, wildlife, and changing terrain.
The neighborhood is located off the north side of Schwartz Road, west of Bradley Road. Early descriptions identified approximately 148 custom-built homes, while later phases have expanded the planned community toward a total of roughly 180 residences.
The architecture varies from traditional brick colonials and Tudor-inspired homes to larger contemporary designs. That variety reflects the neighborhood’s long development period. A home built in the first phase may have a distinctly 1980s profile, while a newer residence from a later phase may feature open-concept interiors, larger windows, and updated materials.
Yet the neighborhood feels cohesive because of its generous lots, mature landscaping, winding streets, and careful transitions between homes and open areas.
Historic Places Nearby
Lake Forest does not contain Westlake’s oldest buildings, but several nearby landmarks help place it within the city’s broader heritage.
- Evergreen Cemetery, near Center Ridge Road, includes the graves of Leverett and Abigail Johnson and other early Westlake families.
- The Clague House Museum preserves local history and offers a glimpse into the community’s nineteenth-century roots.
- The Crocker House, located at 29242 Detroit Road, is one of Westlake’s surviving pioneer-era homes.
- The Abner Smith House, at 27748 Center Ridge Road, is another historic residence dating to the early 1800s.
- Westlake Porter Public Library continues the city’s long tradition of civic and educational institutions; the library occupied the former Ohio Bell Trinity Exchange on Center Ridge Road beginning in 1952.
Westlake Recreation Center and the city’s parks also contribute to the quality of life around Lake Forest. Residents can enjoy nearby recreation while remaining close to major roads, schools, shopping, and the wider Cleveland metropolitan area.
Lake Forest Today
What makes Lake Forest special is the way it balances privacy with connection. It has the quiet feeling of a tucked-away neighborhood, yet it is part of an active city with strong schools, public services, libraries, recreation programs, and a well-preserved local identity.
The neighborhood has also evolved naturally. Older original homes have been renovated, landscaping has matured, and newer construction has extended the community without erasing its established character. Children who once rode bicycles along the early streets are now raising families of their own, while new residents continue to add their own chapter to the story.
Lake Forest may not date to Westlake’s pioneer era, but it expresses an important part of the city’s heritage: the continuing transformation of farmland and forest into welcoming neighborhoods. Its name evokes the landscape, its streets reflect the natural setting, and its location connects residents to the families and institutions that built Westlake long before the first Lake Forest home was constructed.
For anyone who appreciates a neighborhood with room to breathe and a past worth remembering, Lake Forest remains one of Westlake’s most distinctive places.