Once the home of Cleveland architect Benjamin Hubbell, the nearly 15,000-square-foot Playmore estate combines 1920s grandeur with a distinctly modern entertainment wing.
A nearly century-old estate with ties to one of Cleveland’s most influential architects has returned to the market, this time asking $5.95 million.
Former JoAnn Stores CEO Wade Miquelon and his wife, Katy Heiden, are offering Playmore, the historic Kirtland, Ohio, property they acquired in 2017 for $2.05 million. The estate at 8900 Eagle Road spans 14,936 square feet across 12.39 acres and includes seven bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a swimming pool, English-style gardens, wooded trails and a 3,000-square-foot entertainment wing.
For californialuxuryhouses readers accustomed to celebrity homes and trophy estates in California, Playmore offers a different interpretation of luxury: rather than relying on a coastal address or a contemporary architectural statement, it derives its appeal from history, scale, privacy and an unusually eclectic approach to entertaining.
A 1929 Estate Designed by Benjamin Hubbell
Playmore was built in 1929 as the personal residence of Benjamin S. Hubbell, a prominent Cleveland architect who lived at the property with his family. The Cleveland Landmarks Commission identifies Hubbell as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and notes his broader role in the development of University Circle. His architectural partnership with W. Dominick Benes was responsible for numerous important Cleveland commissions, including the Cleveland Museum of Art and the West Side Market.
The house itself occupies an elevated position near what listing materials describe as one of the highest points in Lake County, with views toward Lake Erie. The setting is unusually protected: the property is bordered on three sides by the Holden Arboretum, creating a buffer of woodland and gardens around the estate.
Ayers, the property’s co-listing agent with Nick Zawitz of The Agency Cleveland Northcoast, told Homes.com News that the residence has a deliberately contrasting personality. One side is “very tailored, very refined,” he said, while the entertainment spaces become “almost a club” after dark.
That contrast is central to Playmore’s identity.
A Grand Interior Rooted in Craftsmanship
The approach begins with a winding private drive that extends roughly half a mile before the stone residence and steeply pitched rooflines come into view.
Inside, the original architectural character remains evident in hand-carved woodwork, decorative ceilings, patterned stone and marble detailing. A dramatic foyer opens into a three-story reception hall, where carved millwork, chandeliers and marble surfaces create the kind of theatrical arrival associated with America’s grand country estates of the early 20th century.
The formal rooms maintain that sense of history. A richly paneled salon leads toward a museum-style library, while the dining room is positioned beneath a Tiffany glass skylight that adds a particularly distinctive layer to the property’s architectural story.
Some of those details have an even deeper Cleveland connection. According to reporting on the estate, Hubbell incorporated materials from the former Citizens Savings and Trust Bank he designed in downtown Cleveland, including Carrara marble, Tiffany glass and brass teller gates. A bank vault door was also incorporated into the lower level of Playmore.
The kitchen takes a less traditional direction, with dark cabinetry, timber elements, large stainless-steel islands and professional-grade appliances. The juxtaposition is characteristic of the wider renovation: historic materials and formal architecture remain, but contemporary entertaining has been layered into the original structure.
The Part of Playmore Built for Entertainment
If the main residence represents the estate’s formal side, the separate 3,000-square-foot entertainment wing tells a completely different story.
The space includes a cocktail lounge, billiards area, wine cellar, cinema and hookah lounge, creating something closer to a private hospitality venue than a conventional residential amenity package.
The cocktail lounge is particularly theatrical. A Harley-Davidson motorcycle is displayed behind glass, while the room incorporates vintage elements, artwork and converted objects that give it a deliberately unconventional character. Ayers said the sellers had a “very clear vision” for the renovation, although he declined to estimate how much they invested or identify the designer involved.
That willingness to embrace eccentricity is part of what distinguishes Playmore from more restrained historic estates.
Ayers also described Miquelon as an “aficionado of all things beautiful,” noting his collecting interests and eclectic taste. Art and furnishings may be available to the buyer separately, according to the listing materials.
The result is a house that can move from formal entertaining to a highly personalized private club without leaving the property.
12.39 Acres Surrounded by Nature
Outside, Playmore becomes considerably quieter.
The 12.39-acre grounds include a resort-style pool, stone terraces, bocce courts, a koi pond and formal English-inspired gardens. More than 20,000 trees were planted across the estate, according to the current listing, helping create a landscape that feels substantially larger and more secluded than the acreage alone might suggest.
Wooded trails extend away from the main house toward a private campground and firepit. Beyond the property’s boundaries, the Holden Arboretum provides an extraordinary natural backdrop. The arboretum is one of the area’s defining attractions, with extensive trails, gardens and visitor amenities; its grounds currently include a café and seasonal programming.
For a buyer seeking privacy without completely retreating from civilization, that relationship with the surrounding landscape may be one of Playmore’s strongest attributes.
A Rare Piece of Kirtland History
The estate’s history becomes even more notable when its ownership record is considered.
Miquelon and Heiden purchased the property on June 20, 2017, for $2.05 million, according to public property records. At the time, Miquelon was still years away from becoming CEO of JoAnn Stores. He subsequently led the retailer from 2019 through 2023 after spending years as an executive at Walgreens.
Miquelon has previously described himself as only the fourth owner of Playmore in nearly 100 years, an unusually limited ownership history for a property of this age.
The current $5.95 million asking price represents a substantial increase from the couple’s 2017 acquisition price. Public listing records show the property entered the market on April 24, 2026, at $5.95 million, where it remains actively listed.
That pricing places Playmore firmly in the upper tier of the Kirtland market, but the property’s appeal is not really about competing with conventional luxury homes.
Ayers suggested that an out-of-state buyer could view the property as a “trophy residence,” particularly because acquiring an estate of this scale and character in a major metropolitan market would likely command a considerably higher price.
Life Around Playmore
Kirtland offers a lifestyle quite different from Cleveland’s urban core. The community is known for its wooded setting, historic properties and access to outdoor destinations, with the Holden Arboretum serving as its most prominent natural amenity.
Dining and everyday services are more limited than in a major city, but nearby corridors in Kirtland and neighboring communities provide access to restaurants and local businesses. Current dining options around the arboretum include Biga Wood Fired Pizzeria and other independent restaurants, while Willoughby and Mentor provide broader shopping, dining and entertainment options within the surrounding Lake County area.
The location also places residents within reach of the greater Cleveland region, making Playmore more than an isolated country retreat. Its combination of acreage and metropolitan accessibility is part of the property’s proposition: a buyer can have a historic estate surrounded by trees while remaining connected to the cultural and commercial resources of Northeast Ohio.
A Historic Estate With a Modern Personality
Nearly a century after Benjamin Hubbell first created Playmore as his own residence, the estate now occupies an unusual place in the luxury market.
It is historic without being museum-like, formal without being overly restrained and private without being completely disconnected from the surrounding community. The three-story reception hall, carved woodwork and Tiffany glass speak to the home’s 1929 origins, while the cinema, cocktail lounge, wine cellar and entertainment wing reflect a much more contemporary understanding of luxury living.
For its next owner, the opportunity is less about acquiring another large house than taking possession of a piece of Northeast Ohio architectural history—one with enough land, privacy and personality to become a legacy property of its own.
For californialuxuryhouses, Playmore is a reminder that the most compelling luxury estates are not always defined by geography or price alone. Sometimes, the strongest selling point is a story that began nearly 100 years ago and still has room for another chapter