The Marquard family built thousands of homes throughout Greater Cleveland and were pioneer developers of the west side and suburbs. Dating back to 1869, they were known as builders of "Homes Beautiful" and as Cleveland's oldest home builder. Phil H. Marquard was the entrepreneur behind this vast undertaking. Along with with his family, he created a lasting business, architectural and philanthropic legacy. That legacy is embodied in the West Park mansion he built for his large family. Known as "The Big House," its roots go back to the Civil War era and it was home to many hundreds of Clevelanders throughout its storied history. The author is campaigning to preserve this stately relic from Cleveland's Gilded Age. This is the story of the man, his family, the business and that big old house against a historic backdrop of some of the best and worst times in the country's history. The book includes over 350 historic photos and images.