October Newsletter

October 6, 2023

We were pleased to see so many members and guests at our September general meeting. Those who attended heard a fascinating account of the work John and DeeDee Bedell undertook to rebuild their 1880s home on Hudson-Aurora Road after it was destroyed by fire in 2020. This month, we are looking forward to an equally engaging presentation when Rebecca Rogers will be our featured speaker. On October 12, Rebecca will describe the research she conducted in 1973 for Hudson Village Council that paved the way for the subsequent plans officials adopted for new construction, as well as commercial and industrial development in both the then-Village and Township. Suffice it to say that without this pivotal and preemptive work, Hudson today would not in any way resemble the city we know and love! 

Speaking of past programs, many members may recall the program HHA hosted in November 2021, when Brad Lepper, Senior Archaeologist for Ohio History Connection’s World Heritage Program, spoke about the Great Serpent Mound, an internationally recognized icon of ancient Ohio located in Adams County. You can watch the recording of the program, here. There is big news related to this site on the global front, covered recently by Ideastream. Listen or read more, here.

And speaking of Ohio History Connection, board member Phil Leiter recently learned of the organization’s work involving Hudson’s Old Burying Ground, the city’s oldest cemetery. Read what he found out, below.

Also with this issue, we are pleased to take a close look at the First Congregational Church of Hudson as part of our Properties with Pedigrees series. As you will read below, not only is the church one of Hudson’s most important pieces of architecture, but its members also played a very significant role in the abolition movement – a movement that galvanized the citizens of Hudson in the decades leading up to the Civil War.

Finally, given the subject of our October meeting, it seems appropriate to update our members about the status of Hudson’s comprehensive planning process – a process it is fair to say has its roots in the planning work our city’s leaders started 50 years ago. Over the summer, members of the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee have been reviewing the feedback provided by 1,200 Hudson households in response to the community survey mailed in June, along with results of the community meeting held to gain resident input on topics including housing and recreation. Plans for the fall include focus groups with business owners, non-profit organizations and Hudson youth to better understand the perspectives of these groups, as well as another open house and community workshop.

The document that is created as a result of all this work will guide the development of Hudson for the next 10 years. To appreciate the significance of this effort, one only needs to look back to 1973 and consider how different Hudson would be today if the city’s leadership had taken a different path then. We urge everyone to participate in this process and monitor its progress. For more information and ways to provide input, click here. 

We hope to see you on October 12, and we wish you a wonderful autumn as Hudson’s streets and parks show off their beautiful fall colors. 

Diccon Ong & Nora Jacobs Snider

Co-Presidents

Hudson Heritage Association

Join us for October 12 Program

HHA Hosts Author of Study That Changed the Course of Hudson's Future

Those who attend the October 12 general meeting of Hudson Heritage Association will learn how a single decision by Hudson officials in 1973 laid the foundation for the following 50 years of planning, land use and preservation that created the Hudson that residents and visitors enjoy today.

The meeting will feature speaker Rebecca Rogers, whose research work for Hudson Village Council was pivotal to the subsequent plans Hudson officials adopted for new construction, as well as commercial and industrial development. It also focused a new urgency on preserving and protecting the historical buildings and open space of Hudson – both at risk as Hudson began to grow exponentially following decades as a sleepy village.   

In March 1973, it was exactly the threats posed by unregulated growth that prompted a group of citizens to persuade Hudson Village Council to undertake a formal study to guide decisions related to historic preservation in the context of residential and commercial growth. A month later, the Council established a five-person Architectural Study Commission to supervise the project and hired Ms. Rogers to conduct the study. Four months later, the Commission presented the results of her study to Hudson’s mayor and council, and the report, Hudson, Ohio, an Architectural and Historical Study, was accepted as a Village ordinance in June 1974.

The 127-page study, which was later published as a book, provided an extensive history of Hudson’s early years, an analysis of current economics and land use trends, recommendations for using green space and historical buildings, recommendations for protecting Hudson’s downtown and creating historic district legislation, guidelines for researching historical buildings, and sources for preservation funding. It included 18 specific recommendations for officials to consider going forward.

A graduate of Hudson Schools and Smith College, Ms. Rogers holds a Master of Architecture degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She has spent her career as a consultant and volunteer to municipalities, government organizations, non-profit groups, cultural institutions and others focused on documenting and sharing the history of buildings and landscapes throughout Ohio.

The October 12 meeting, which begins at 7:30 p.m., will be held at Barlow Community Center. The meeting is free and open to the public; refreshments will be served following the presentation.

One of the recommendations in Rebecca Rogers' 1973 report was the establishment of an official historic district in Hudson. Subsequent efforts by community volunteers resulted in the designation of two historic districts in Hudson – one for Western Reserve Academy and one for portions of Hudson’s downtown. Both are listed in the Department of the Interior’s National Register of Historic Places. This sign is one of six located throughout Hudson marking the boundaries of the downtown district.

Work Underway at Old Burying Ground

HHA board member Phil Leiter recently noticed activity at Hudson’s oldest “gated community” – Hudson’s Old Township Burying Ground on Chapel Street -- and learned that Ohio History Connection has commissioned Gravestone Guardians of Ohio to do some much-needed repairs and realignments to toppled or misaligned headstones located there. Mark Morton, owner of Gravestone Guardians, transformed a general interest in genealogy into a business, Phil reports, and expects to be working at the site through October.

Hudson’s Old Township Burying Ground contains approximately 200 graves, including those of four Revolutionary War veterans and several who served during the War of 1812. David Hudson, who donated land from his apple orchard to build the cemetery, is buried here, as are other early residents with names including Baldwin, Brown, Case and Oviatt. John Brown’s mother was the first to be buried in the cemetery, which was established in 1808. Photos are courtesy of Phil Leiter and show Mark Morton at work at the site, along with the gravestone of Dr. Gideon Case and the cemetery entrance on Chapel Street.

Properties with Pedigrees

Over the course of the coming year, we will be sharing the histories of some of Hudson’s notable historical buildings.

First Congregational Church of Hudson

Located on the first block of Aurora Street as it climbs up the hill from the Village Green, the First Congregational Church of Hudson is noteworthy for both its distinctive architecture and extraordinary history.

Organized in 1802, the Congregational Church had 13 charter members, with David Hudson serving as one of the first two deacons. It was the first church founded in Hudson and Summit County, and the third founded in the state of Ohio. The congregation met in a log schoolhouse until 1820, when it built a meeting house on the site of the Town Hall on East Main Street. 

The cornerstone for the current building was laid in 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, and the structure was dedicated on March 1, 1865. The bell for the steeple was cast in bronze by the Meneely Company in West Troy, New York and brought to the church by horse-drawn wagon. In the 1830s, members of the congregation became deeply involved in the slavery debate. Abolitionist John Brown first publicly vowed that he would dedicate his life to ending slavery at a prayer meeting held at the church in 1837.  

The church was designed by Simeon Porter, the son of noted architect-builder Lemuel Porter, whose many projects included the Congregational Church located in Tallmadge Circle. Lemuel Porter was also hired to construct the President’s House at Western Reserve Academy and the Baldwin-Buss-Merino House, now under restoration on Hudson’s Village Green. Simeon Porter’s work in Hudson included the Loomis Observatory, North Hall and the Chapel at Western Reserve Academy, as well as Brewster Mansion, also located on Aurora Street. The First Congregational Church has many Romanesque details including long, narrow lancet windows flanking the tower, drip mold window surrounds and curved surrounds at the entry door.

Several years ago, the congregation decided to expand the church in order to make room for a school, kitchen, administrative offices and fellowship hall. The Brick Academy, built in 1847 and located next door at 37 Aurora Street, was moved intact to make room for the expansion and now can be found on Oviatt Street.

The First Congregational Church of Hudson as it looks today. Former members of the congregation included David Hudson and John Brown. 

It's Not Too Late to Renew Your HHA Membership

If you have already joined or renewed your membership to HHA for our 2023-24 season, thank you! If not, we ask that you do it now. This annual appeal is our primary source of income and supports the work we do to provide programming, maintain our website, sponsor the historic home marker program, conduct advocacy work and raise awareness for the importance of preserving the historical character of the buildings, streetscape and architecture of Hudson. Please take a moment to visit https://hudsonheritage.org/membership/ to join or renew online. Your financial support of our mission and activities is greatly appreciated!

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