Horace Kelley

Biography

Horace Kelley, born in 1819, was a prominent Cleveland businessman whose investments in real estate helped shape the city’s transformation during the nineteenth century. He valued culture and beauty, and his belief in the importance of art led to major gifts intended to ensure Clevelanders could enjoy masterworks for generations.

He left a bequest that played a key role in founding the Cleveland Museum of Art, fulfilling his hope that future citizens would inherit a more enlightened and generous city. He is buried at Lake View Cemetery, where those familiar with his philanthropy still honor the foresight of his giving.