The Eccentric Old Funeral Home in Cleveland: House of Wills

An old funeral home on the East 55th has been decaying and almost forgotten for many years. Once part of a successful funeral empire, the House of Wills sits waiting to be restored to its former glory. 

House of Wills has very bizarre information on the date it was initially built. The home was built in 1842, but not as a funeral home. Instead, it was a clubhouse for the German Society, which would host the singing group The Cleveland Gesangverein. The next tenant would be a hospital for Hungarian immigrants. 

In later years, it operated as the Hebrew Institute. Rumors circulated that the basement operated as a speakeasy during Prohibition.  

Finally, in 1941, African-American businessman John Walter Wills purchased the building. He would rename the building as we know it today, The House of Wills. Before buying the East 55th location, he began his work in the funeral industry in 1904 when he opened a location on Central Ave called Gee & Wills with his partner Gee. In 1907, Gee passed away and the partnership dissolved. He originally had opened his business at his father-in-law’s home on 2323 Central Ave, then moved to 529 Central Ave until he was forced to move due to public housing being built. He moved to another location on  2340 E. 55th St in 1935. He moved again due to another plan of redevelopment for public homes. His particular move was the building we are talking about in this article. 

Will's goal was to make the funeral home unique, as, unlike most funeral homes at the time, which had a lot of dark, gloomy colors, he wanted to make funeral homes more welcoming to mourners. The business was a success, as ten funerals were said to be held all at once in the building. As many as fifty employees were running the funeral home.  Many of the families that funerals were held for were African Americans. However, he had some funerals for people with entirely different backgrounds as well. 

The basement of the funeral home was where the speakeasy was supposedly converted into a casket showroom. This was dubbed “The Cloud Room,” painted all white with a row of caskets, giving a calmer appearance. What makes this area unique is the ceiling. If you were to look at it today, you would see this unique architectural choice, and with some paint and love, it would return to its beautiful former glory. Wills was also big into Egyptian architecture and had a room themed. 

On the second floor of the funeral home was a living space for John Wills Sr. and his family. It had a couple of bedrooms, a bath, laundry and a living room. The third floor acted as a community food pantry.

One of the other things the funeral home would be used for is civil rights meetings. It would also be used for music recitals and social clubs. At the time before the civil rights movement, many public places did not allow African Americans to hold any venues. Eventually, in 1971, John Wills Sr. would pass away. 

The House of Wills closed its doors in 2005. At the time, the funeral home was under investigation for fraud. For five years, it remained abandoned, with the occasional homeless person taking residence there. Over the years, the building has suffered damage from leaks and looting. Someone would come in and take copper pipes to sell for scrap. 

In 2010, Eric Freeman purchased House of Wills to restore it and turn it into a youth outreach program where kids can express themselves by directing movies. The building was purchased from the city of Cleveland. There is still much more restoration that needs to be done. A GoFundMe is set up to raise money to restore the funeral home fully. Every October, the House of Wills is opened up for ghost tours. If you're interested in keeping tabs on when a tour is available or even open to paranormal investigations, follow them on Instagram. The next story will be on the alleged hauntings and a book detailing ghastly sightings. I will also be talking about the ghost tour I took.