September Newsletter

September 6, 2024

As summer winds down, we are excited to kick off a new season of monthly Hudson Heritage programs, beginning on Thursday, September 12. Our featured speaker is Joseph Fenicle, Program Director and Professor at the University of Akron’s Surveying and Mapping Program. He’ll offer a fresh perspective on the historic Clinton Airline Railroad utilizing aerial lidar data. Please note the new start time of 7:00 p.m., moved up to ease the parking crunch at the Barlow Community Center.

September’s program with Dr. Fenicle will delve into the Clinton Airline Railroad, chartered in 1852 as one of the country’s first transcontinental railroads. Intended to stretch from the Pennsylvania state line through Hudson to Rapid City, Iowa, the project was ultimately never realized, though land was acquired and the railbed laid. Modern technology has now revealed new information about Hudson’s abandoned railway, along with discoveries in the nearby Cuyahoga Valley National Park. For the adventurous, two stone arch bridges built for the Clinton Airline Railroad can still be found today: one on private property near Stonebridge Court on the eastern side of town and the other near St. Mary’s Church. Though somewhat hidden, these arches stand as beautiful tributes to the craftsmanship of the era’s stonemasons.

As we look ahead to the coming year, we also reflect on our fabulous annual meeting at the Big Red Barn at Case Barlow Farm. It’s always a pleasure to gather in-person, and even more so in such a stunning example of historic preservation and adaptive reuse. The Case family, who moved to Hudson in 1814, would surely be proud of how their farm and barn remain an integral part of the community. Special guest Tom Vince delivered yet another lively presentation, much to the delight of the attendees. Tom also celebrated a milestone this summer: his retirement from Western Reserve Academy, where he was honored with his own Reserve diploma, earning him the well-deserved status of an honorary alumnus. We are fortunate to count Tom as a friend, and eagerly anticipate his return as our featured speaker in November. For more details about the annual meeting, see the item below.

We also want to highlight the efforts of the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, which has been hard at work for two years gathering input from local residents and stakeholders. Their goal to formulate a long-term vision and policy agenda addressing key issues in Hudson is close to completion. The draft of the plan includes measured future development, strengthening existing residential neighborhoods through code compliance, and exploring adaptive reuse opportunities for historic properties both downtown and in Darrowville. Steering Committee Chair (and our own HHA Co-president) Rebecca Leiter, along with Vice Chair Jessie Obert, fielded questions for the town Planning Commission at the August 12 meeting, bringing the process one step closer to completion, expected this fall.

As always, we thank you for your support of Hudson Heritage Association through your membership and advocacy for the preservation of our community. We look forward to seeing you on the 12th and throughout the year.

Susan Newman and Rebecca Leiter

Co-Presidents

Hudson Heritage Association 

Annual Meeting Recognizes Outstanding Work to Preserve Historic Hudson

Thank you to all members who attended HHA’s annual meeting on May 9, held in Case Barlow Farm’s beautifully restored “Big Red” barn. Outgoing co-president Diccon Ong began the evening by welcoming five new members to the board, including two returning board members. See the item below introducing the first of the five -- part of a series that will share details over the coming months about their backgrounds, their connections to Hudson and their connections to HHA. He then thanked outgoing board members Betsy Lockwood, Kathy Russell and Curt Van Blarcum for their contributions, noting especially Kathy’s work as HHA co-president. 

The evening was highlighted by three important awards established by HHA to recognize outstanding work being done in Hudson to preserve and protect its historic past. Led by Committee Chair Phil Leiter, the Preservation Awards Committee presented awards to the Cemetery Board of the City of Hudson and Western Reserve Academy for their efforts to protect two important pieces of Hudson history: the Old Hudson Township Burying Ground on Chapel Street and the new WRA War Memorial, redesigned and reestablished on a new site between WRA’s Chapel and Seymour Hall in 2022 after first being dedicated in 1951 to the school’s alumni who had served in World War II. Co-President Ong concluded the program by presenting HHA’s Distinguished Contributions to Hudson Award to Catherine Reedy Hoy, known to many Hudsonites as “Katie.” 

Katie Hoy and her late husband George were co-presidents of HHA in 1984 when the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced its plans to convert Route 91 through downtown Hudson into a four-lane highway – a plan Hudson’s Village Council had already been working on, including plans to move the Hudson Clocktower six feet to the east to accommodate the widening of the road. With the Hoys leading the effort, HHA immediately organized a community effort to block the ODOT plan and preserve the heart of Hudson’s downtown. Countless hours and years went into the effort, but local residents were finally successful in stopping ODOT’s plan – a plan that would have forever altered the historic center of Hudson. To learn more about that campaign, watch this video featuring Katie.

Katie Hoy (center) with HHA co-presidents Diccon Ong and Nora Jacobs Snider following the presentation of the Distinguished Contributions to Hudson Award at the HHA Annual Meeting.

In addition to her work with HHA, Katie has done research for and served with the James Ellsworth Chapter of the Questers, a nonprofit international organization dedicated to the study, conservation and preservation of historical objects. In the mid-1970s, she climbed the stairs of the Hudson Clocktower regularly to wind the weights that made the clock work while two Hudson engineers developed an electric system to keep the clock running. For a look inside the clock tower, join Katie on this video tour. 

In addition to their many years in Hudson and their countless contributions to historic preservation here, the Hoys are also well-known for their decision to lease a Greek Revival farmhouse next to Brandywine Falls from the National Park Service, which they restored and operated for 35 years as the Inn at Brandywine Falls. 

Following the presentations, guests enjoyed a wine and dessert reception surrounded by the Barn’s original timbers and framing – a beautiful setting and a unique example of work by countless individuals to preserve Hudson’s past. A special thanks goes to Program Committee Chair Linda Matty and her committee members for a memorable evening!

Seeking a New Owner

Known as the Saywell House, this 1840 property owned by the Hudson City Schools needs a new home as the school district makes plans to expand the access drive located next to it. 

Time is ticking -- the Hudson Board of Education will decide in October what to do with the house and is accepting proposals from individuals interested in moving it to another location. The house is being offered for free, but all moving costs and related expenses would be the responsibility of the new owner. 

Located at 80 Oviatt Street, this house has great bones, architectural amenities, and is a wonderful candidate for relocation and restoration.

Please share this information with landowners, builders, preservationists, etc. to give our community its best opportunity to save another imperiled historical structure. 

Contact Curt Van Blarcum at 330-903-5626 for additional information.

Welcome New Board Members!

Five individuals joined the HHA board effective July 1 to begin three-year terms with our association. Starting with this month’s newsletter, we will be introducing each of them and sharing a little bit about their background and interests – especially their interests in historic Hudson and their connections to HHA. 

John Bedell, along with his wife DeeDee, have been residents of Hudson since 1999. Their two grown children spent the majority of their primary education in Hudson and graduated from Hudson High School in 2008 and 2010. Both John and DeeDee have an avid interest in historical architecture and in 2017, they purchased the 1880 Greek Revival Elisha M. Ellsworth House on Hudson-Aurora Road. Just three years later, the house was destroyed by fire. The couple immediately decided to rebuild the house in a way that would honor its architectural past and the generations of Ellsworth family members who had lived there for than 80 years. Their hands-on efforts, and the team they assembled to help them, were the topic of the September 2023 HHA monthly meeting, which you can watch here. 

John is an avid woodworker, beekeeper, and enjoys fly-fishing and gardening. He is a graduate of the University of Akron with a BS in Chemical Engineering and spent his business career in engineering management. He retired in 2021 after 25 years with Saint-Gobain, a French multinational producer of flat glass and other building products. 

We are pleased to welcome him to the HHA board!

Have You Renewed Your Membership?

Thank you to all who have already joined for the 2024/2025 year!

For those of you have not yet joined Hudson Heritage Association, it is not too late to join or renew your membership and enjoy its many benefits for the 2024/25 year. Be among the first to know about issues that impact our historic community, learn from the many resources available through our monthly newsletter, our website, and speakers' series, and gain access to member-only events.

Your membership donation to Hudson Heritage Association shows your commitment to historic preservation and supports HHA's mission to protect the architecture and streetscape of Hudson.

We hope that if you're a long-time Hudson Heritage Association supporter and believe in our work that you will continue to advance our mission. If you're joining for the first time, we welcome you and hope your decision to join will be repeated for many years to come.

Please click here to connect to our website and join online or mail a check to:

Hudson Heritage Association

P.O. Box 2218

Hudson, OH 44236

Thank you in advance for your continued support! 

There's no time like the present to protect the past!