Clovernook facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Clovernook
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Cary Cottage, childhood home of poets Alice and Phoebe Cary
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | 7000 Hamilton Ave., North College Hill, Ohio |
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| Built | 1832 |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001454 |
| Added to NRHP | June 18, 1973 |
Clovernook Farm was the family home of two famous poets, Alice and Phoebe Cary. It is located in what is now North College Hill, Ohio. This farm was once part of a huge piece of land, about 1 million acres (4,000 km²), in Springfield Township. This land was bought in 1787 by John Cleves Symmes. He was a delegate from New Jersey to the Continental Congress, which was like an early American government. Symmes was also a pioneer in the Northwest Territory, a large area of land in early America.
Contents
The Story of Clovernook Farm
Early Beginnings
The first member of the Cary family to come to southwestern Ohio was Christopher Cary. He was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. In 1803, he moved to Ohio to claim land he was given by the government for his military service. His son, Robert Cary, worked on the family farm. Later, Robert left home to fight in the War of 1812.
Between 1813 and 1814, Christopher's brother, William Cary, built a log cabin. It was in the "wilderness" about 10 miles (16 km) north of Cincinnati. This area was then called Mill Creek Township. Soon after, William bought another 75 acres (300,000 m²) of land. He sold part of this land to his nephew, Robert. Robert named his 27-acre (110,000 m²) property Clovernook Farm.
Building a Home
After returning from the War of 1812, Robert built a small, three-room house for his family in 1814. This simple home was where Alice and Phoebe Cary were born. Robert also helped start the first community in the area. It was on the east side of Hamilton Avenue (now also known as U.S. Route 127). He also called this community Clovernook.
The white brick house, known today as Cary Cottage, was built in 1832. It stands on the campus of the Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired at 7000 Hamilton Avenue. This house was much stronger and had a porch. As their family grew, Robert and his wife Elizabeth had nine children. They divided their children between the two homes.
Later in her life, Alice Cary talked about her family's Ohio home. She said that by working hard and saving money, they finally paid for the farm in 1832. They then built a new, more comfortable house. Alice described it as a very plain farmhouse. But she said it offered a level of comfort they had worked hard to achieve.
Inside Cary Cottage
The house still has its original wooden floors. It also has a narrow, winding staircase. The kitchen features a fireplace and a bake oven. Outside, there is a working well. The bricks used to build the house were made right on the property.
The house was restored and furnished after it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This restoration was helped by descriptions found in Alice and Phoebe's poems. These poems gave clues about what the house looked like.
Clovernook Center for the Blind
In 1903, Cary Cottage became the first home for blind women in Ohio. This was thanks to the work of two sisters, Florence and Georgia. Georgia herself was blind. William A. Procter, whose grandfather co-founded Procter & Gamble, bought the Cary house and the land around it. He then gave it to the Trader sisters to help them with their mission.
As many as thirteen blind and visually impaired women (and one man) lived in the house. The Trader sisters used the land and home to give them jobs. This helped them feel important and gave them purpose. This mission grew into the Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Today, the center offers classes, jobs, community living, and services for people with low vision. It helps both men and women. The center has three manufacturing departments. It is also one of the country's largest producers of Braille publications.
- Cincinnati, a Guide to the Queen City and Its Neighbors, The Weisen-Hart Press, May 1943, page 500
