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The Summit County Historical Society of Akron, Ohio, abbreviated SCHS, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Akron, Ohio. It focuses on the history of the City of Akron and Summit County, Ohio.
The mission of SCHS is to preserve and interpret the history of Summit County and Akron, and to educate communities about the people and events that have shaped the local history. The Society owns and manages three properties: the Perkins Stone Mansion, John Brown House, and Old Stone School in downtown Akron—a joint project with Akron Public Schools. Two properties are open to visitors, the John Brown House and the Perkins Stone Mansion. They are open for tours, educational programs, special events, and other appropriate uses. The Summit County Historical Society is a member of The Ohio Local History Alliance, the Northeast Ohio Inter-Museum Council and the American Association for State and Local History. [1]
Sheep were a vital part of the Perkins farm in the past. So, currently, each summer a flock of sheep are loaned from a local farm and brought to the property. Shepherding demonstrations are offered during this season.
The Summit County Historical Society (SCHS) was founded in 1924 by the Cuyahoga Portage chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to celebrate the centennial of the City of Akron. In 1929, the Society acquired its first property, the Old Stone School on South Broadway. The 1840 stone school building was donated by the City of Akron. In 1939, Carl Pockrandt was elected president of the Society, a post he held for over thirty years. Under his leadership membership swelled to almost 2,000. At the death of May Perkins, widow of Charles Perkins, in 1943 the John Brown House was bequeathed to the Society, with $10,000 (~$140,864 in 2023) for its upkeep. The one-time home of the famed abolitionist was to be used for historical purposes. In 1945, the Society purchased the Perkins Stone Mansion from George Perkins Raymond for $25,000 (~$335,538 in 2023). [2]
A time capsule was buried in the porch of the Perkins Stone Mansion in 1950. It was opened in 2000 and contained several historic documents and artifacts relating to local history. In 1965, SCHS acquired Bronson Memorial Church in Peninsula. The 1839 church was maintained by the Cuyahoga Valley Association until 1982. It was deeded to the Peninsula Valley Historic & Education Foundation in 2003.
In 1967, during a joint effort with Akron Public Schools, the Society restored the Old Stone School. Today, Akron Public Schools and The Society host school visits and special events at the site. [3]
In 1976, SCHS hired its first Executive Director, James D. Strider. In 1981, the Society sponsored the publication of Akron: City at the Summit by George Knepper and in 1983, SCHS renovated the former wood shed into exhibit space and offices. A bequest by Carl Pockrandt of $11,000 was used for the renovation. The building was named in his honor. The space continues to house the staff offices and Mutton Hill Gift Shop.
In 1986, the Perkins Stone Mansion was completely restored and in 1992 the Carriage house was renovated for the use of exhibits and meeting space.
The Wash House was renovated in 1994. In 1998, the John Brown House and Perkins Stone Mansion and a portion of the stone wall were renovated followed by a renovation of the Pockrandt Visitor Center in 2001. In 2006, the interior restoration was part of a project guided by the Junior League of Akron and a replica of the original Perkins Gazebo was erected on the grounds.
The Summit County Historical Society continues to provide historical information and research to the Akron area. It loans "Discovery Trunks" to individuals and groups free of charge. These trunks focus on World War I, the Victorian woman, American consumerism of the early 20th century, the Lighter Than Air industry, The Perkins Stone Mansion, African-American history, the 1960s, the Cascade Locks in Akron, the Ohio and Erie Canal, and John Brown (abolitionist). Educational programs are provided to local schools on The Ohio and Erie Canal and Prehistoric life in Summit County. "Remember When..." programs are available to clubs, senior groups, libraries, churches, and independent/assisted living facilities. These programs cover World War I, World War II, the Victorian Woman, Inventions, The Hobo, Grandma's Attic / Grandpa's Garage, The Baby Boom Years, Victorian Valentines, Doctor's Black Bag, Christmas Traditions, Reliving Christmas Through Music, and the Ohio and Erie Canal. "Remember When..." programs are provided for a fee and are made possible by grants. Two programs are provided to fourth grade classes in the Akron Public School system, "Towpath to the Past" and "River Through Time." [4]
The Society maintains a collection of thousands of donated artifacts including clothing, tools, furniture, personal belongings, and artwork relating to Akron and Summit County. Its extensive archival collection is housed at the Special Collections Division at the Main Branch of the Akron-Summit County Public Library.
The Society currently employs six staff members with assistance to the staff provided by volunteers. Monetary support is provided by membership, donations, and grants.
Akron is a city in and the county seat of Summit County, Ohio, United States. At the 2020 census, the city proper had a total population of 190,469, making it the fifth-most populous city in Ohio and 136th-most populous city in the United States. The Akron metropolitan area, covering Summit and Portage counties, had a population of 702,219. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau in Northeast Ohio about 40 miles (64 km) south of downtown Cleveland.
Peninsula is a village in northern Summit County, Ohio, United States, along the Cuyahoga River. The population was 536 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Akron metropolitan area. Peninsula is located in the middle of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The Boston Mills/Brandywine Ski Resorts are located near Peninsula.
Northeast Ohio is a geographic and cultural region that comprises the northeastern counties of the U.S. state of Ohio. Definitions of the region consist of 16 to 23 counties between the southern shore of Lake Erie and the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, home to over 4.5 million people. It is anchored by the metropolitan area of Cleveland, the most populous city in the region with over 372,000 residents in 2020. Other metropolitan centers include Akron, Canton, Mansfield, Sandusky, and Youngstown. Northeast Ohio includes most of the area known historically as the Connecticut Western Reserve.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park is an American national park in Ohio that preserves and reclaims the rural landscape along the Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cleveland in Northeast Ohio.
The Ohio and Erie Canal was a canal constructed during the 1820s and early 1830s in Ohio. It connected Akron with the Cuyahoga River near its outlet on Lake Erie in Cleveland, and a few years later, with the Ohio River near Portsmouth. It also had connections to other canal systems in Pennsylvania.
Botzum was a hamlet in Northampton Township, Summit County, Ohio around what is now the intersection of Bath and Riverview Roads in Akron and Cuyahoga Falls.
Franklin Township is a civil township in Portage County, Ohio, United States. It is on the Cuyahoga River in Northeast Ohio on the western edge of the county. The 2010 Census found 5,527 people in the township and the 2020 census recorded 6,283 people. The township is part of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area and the larger Cleveland–Akron–Canton Combined Statistical Area.
Gibraltar Island is an island in Ohio, located within Lake Erie. This small 6.55-acre (0.026 km2) island is just offshore of South Bass Island. It is part of Put-in-Bay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio.
Summit Metro Parks is a Metroparks system serving the citizens of Summit County, Ohio by managing 14,000 acres (5,700 ha) in 16 developed parks, six conservation areas and more than 150 miles (240 km) of trails, with 22.4 miles (36.0 km) of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.
This is a list of properties and districts in Ohio that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are over 4.000 in total. Of these, 73 are National Historic Landmarks. There are listings in each of Ohio's 88 counties.
The Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal, also known as the P & O Canal, the Cross Cut Canal and the Mahoning Canal, was a shipping canal which operated from 1840 until 1877, though the canal was completely abandoned by 1872. It connected canals in two states, the Ohio and Erie Canal in Ohio and the Beaver and Erie Canal in Pennsylvania, and was funded by private interests.
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Cleveland, Ohio.
Tinkers Creek Aqueduct is an aqueduct that was constructed to bridge the Ohio and Erie Canal over Tinkers Creek near its confluence with the Cuyahoga River in Valley View, Ohio. It is a relatively rare surviving example of an Ohio and Erie Canal aqueduct. It was originally constructed in 1825-1827 by, and re-built due to flood damage in 1845 and 1905. Tinkers Creek Aqueduct was included in a National Historic Landmark district established in 1966, and it was separately listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The original Tinkers Creek Aqueduct was a wood plank, steel truss, and Ashlar-sandstone structure constructed in 1827, south of the present aqueduct's location. Cuyahoga River and Tinkers Creek flooding caused continual damage to the original aqueduct, so successive structures were built in 1845 and 1905 in the present location. Today, Tinkers Creek Aqueduct is the only aqueduct which remains of the four original aqueducts in the Cuyahoga Valley. Of Furnace Run Aqueduct, Mill Creek Aqueduct, Peninsula Aqueduct, and Aqueduct; Mill Creek Aqueduct, of newer construction, is the only aqueduct which still carries Ohio and Erie Canal water. After 102 years of flooding, weathering, and deterioration, Tinkers Creek Aqueduct was removed in 2007. The National Park Service is currently working on Phase II of the project to reconstruct it from newer materials.
The Akron, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, sometimes referred to as Greater Akron, is defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget as an area consisting of two counties, Summit and Portage, in Northeast Ohio and anchored by the city of Akron. As of the 2020 census, the MSA had a population of 702,219. The Akron MSA is also part of the larger Cleveland–Akron–Canton, OH Combined Statistical Area, which has a population of 3,633,962 people as of the 2020 census, the largest metropolitan area in Ohio.
General Simon Perkins was an early settler, businessman and surveyor of the Western Reserve of Connecticut, which would later become northeast Ohio. He co-founded Akron, Ohio, with Paul Williams in 1825. He served as a brigadier-general during the War of 1812.
The Perkins Stone Mansion is a historic house museum in Akron, Ohio, United States.
"Colonel" Simon Perkins (1805–1887) was an American businessman, farmer, state senator, and entrepreneur. He was born in Warren, Ohio, in 1805, but spent most of his life in Akron, Ohio. He was the oldest son of Simon Perkins, the founder of the City of Akron. The title "Colonel" was honorary; no records exist that show he served in the military.
The Cascade Locks Historic District is a historic district located in Akron, Ohio. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
The Alfred Kelley mansion was a historic house in Downtown Columbus, Ohio. It was the home of Alfred Kelley, built in 1838. The house stayed in the family for decades, and was later an Ohio governor's mansion, and further on, a Catholic school. It was abandoned in the 1950s, and was deconstructed in 1961 in order to build the Christopher Inn. A preservation committee tried to move and rebuild the house; after years and several moves, the stone remnants were placed at the Hale Farm and Village near Akron in 1973, where they remain today.
