Perseverance

             As we walked around Fowlers Mill and Chardon Square in Geauga County last Saturday, I heard two stories that struck a chord with me due to the communities’ perseverance.  The appearance of the area surrounding the 19^th century core of Fowlers Mill was in jeopardy and half the town square in Chardon was lost to fire.  In both cases, the community reaction was remarkable.  The circumstances may have been different, and even the time period was different, but each community put everything they had into saving their town.

A consultant for Nextel supposedly assessed the area and deemed it insignificant.  I’m not sure how anyone can look at a collection of 19^th century structures and not think there may be historical significance that should at least be researched further.  When Nextel moved forward and built a cellular tower on the hill overlooking the hamlet of Fowlers Mill, they had no idea what they were up against.      The community immediately jumped into action.

I found a website with a collection of newspaper stories on the issue.  They told how the neighbors in the area of the tower were enraged by its placement within site of the historic district.  The Township Trustees indicated their helplessness where zoning for communications towers is concerned.  The Fowlers Mill Historical Preservation Association sued Nextel and the FCC for issuing a license to build the tower without following proper procedures for an historic area.  The preservationists prevailed and the tower was moved to another location.

             Chardon is another story of perseverance.  This one involved a community trying to save the town from fire.  In 1868, a fire swept up the west side of the town square, swallowing up one building after another, regardless of the attempts of the townspeople to stop it.  They even used dynamite to blow up a building in an attempt to create a firebreak.  The fire jumped right over it, continuing up the street, eventually engulfing the courthouse, and finally stopping as it reached the church.  The townspeople met immediately to plan reconstruction.  Since the town was rebuilt in the same time period, it has a harmony of style with a balance of shape and size that is somewhat unique. 

Case Western Reserve University Architecture

As usual, whenever I find something that interests me, I check it out online as soon as I can.  After visiting Case Western Reserve University, I began searching the internet for the names of the buildings and I found a lot of information on the university website.  There were details about many of the buildings including when they were built, the original purpose, and the current use.

The eclectic mix of architectural styles at Case Western Reserve University was interesting and beautiful.  There was a wide range of styles, yet they were done in a way that blended together into a cohesive unit on campus, except for one anomaly, the Peter B. Lewis building.  Completed in 2002, it was designed by famed architect Frank Gehry and is a controversy on campus.  As we met in front of the building, we discussed it style, which was difficult to name.  Most people didn’t like it and felt it was out of place on campus. 

My favorite building was Guildford House, part of an area known as the Mather Quad.  It was built in 1892 with a south wing addition in 1894.  The entire cost of construction, including the addition, was covered by Flora Stone Mather. It was first built as a women’s dormitory and is currently housing the English department.  It was painted a sunny yellow and was a beautiful home away from home for young women attending school away from home.

Another building on the Mather Quad is Haydn Hall, designed by distinguished Cleveland architect, Charles F. Schweinfurth. It is described as Collegiate Gothic and built as dormitory and classrooms in 1901.  The building has a prominent center tower and castellations, but my favorite feature is the main doorway. The doors have a low, pointed arch, with square glass panes.  They are surrounded by side lights and transom in matching square panes.  The stone work is very detailed with the name of the building embossed over the doorway.

The Florence Harkness Memorial Chapel, completed in 1902, was also designed by Charles F. Schweinfurth.  It was originally designated as a place for studying the Bible and is now used by the music department.  The CWRU website calls it neo-Gothic style.  I particularly appreciated the interior features even though we didn’t get to see very much.  The fireplace and light fixtures in the lobby area are beautiful.

This is a photo looking straight up into the tower showing another beautiful light fixture, detailed stone work around the windows and the paneled ceiling.

Kirtland

            In the Luppold and Haddad selection Migration to the Western Reserve by George W. Knepper, there is a story about Nathan Muzzey who reportedly moved to the Western Reserve with a broken heart.  His love was supposedly rebuffed by a woman named Emma Hale (33).  Saturday, while at the Kirtland Temple Visitor Center, I was looking at the portraits of the church founders and their wives.  I scanned the faces and name plates on each portrait and my eyes landed on the wife of Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the church.  Her name was Emma Hale Smith.  I couldn’t help but wonder if the connections were making themselves evident again. 

            Knepper doesn’t say where Nathan Muzzey moved from, only that he was a Yale graduate and I believe Dr. Stith mentioned in class that he also attended Dartmouth.  We know that most of the early residents of the Western Reserve came from Connecticut but, of course, that is no guarantee Muzzey came from there as well.  A Wikipedia article states that Joseph Smith met Emma Hale in Pennsylvania and they married in 1827.  A free Google book called Sketches of the Alumni of Dartmouth College published by the school states that Muzzey was born in 1762 in Massachusetts.  He would have been 65 in 1827 when Joseph Smith married his Emma Hale.  I find it difficult to believe it was the same Emma.  But, it sure was interesting learning about them.

             The field trip to the Kirtland Temple was my first experience learning about the history of the Mormon people and their struggles in the Western Reserve.  I really enjoyed hearing how the people built their church, using everything they had, monetarily and spiritually.  As interesting as their story was, I was really interested in the structure of the church.  I was glad our tour guide included some of the facts of the construction and issues they’ve dealt with over the years.  It really helped to understand some of the issues that preservationists will encounter in the field.  It helped that Nick pointed out several architectural elements to look for before we went into the church.  We had a good reference point when he talked about them after the tour. 

            I also enjoyed the tour of Kirtland Village. It was interesting to hear how they found the original locations of many of the original structures and reconstructed them to tell the story of the early Mormon people.  My favorite structure was Newel K. Whitney general store.  It was one of the original structures, restored to its original condition and stocked with items Whitney would have stocked.  They took great care in recreating the environment of the Western Reserve in the 1830’s.