Before the establishment of Shaker Heights, Ohio, the brothers were land and building speculators in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1909, the Van Sweringen brothers began exercising options on 1,399 acres (5.7 km2) of land formerly owned by the North Union Community of the Society of Believers, better known as the Shakers. Conceived and planned as a garden community similar to Baltimore's Roland Park, Shaker Village soon became Cleveland's most sought-after address. This was achieved through a combination of planning, design review, and convenience - all of which fell under the strict supervision of the Van Sweringens.