Greenwood Farm (Richmond Heights, Ohio) facts for kids
Greenwood Farm is a special historic place located at 264 Richmond Road in Richmond Heights, Ohio. It used to be the family home of Maude and George W. Phypers. This beautiful property covers about 17 acres (7 hectares) with lots of green trees, open grassy areas, a barn, and a big three-story brick house built in 1917. A small creek flows through the farm, where you might spot deer and raccoons! Today, the city of Richmond Heights owns the farm. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016 because of its importance.
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The Phypers Family and Their Farm
Greenwood Farm was named by Maude and George Phypers. Maude's childhood home in Ipswich, Massachusetts was also called Greenwood Farm. That farm was much larger, about 100 acres (40 hectares), and had two old houses. The 'new' house was built around 1828, and the 'old' Paine House was built even earlier, around 1694!
George W. Phypers: A Community Leader
George William Phypers was an important person in the history of Cleveland and Richmond Heights. He was known for owning Greenwood Farm, but also for his work in the community. He helped build up the insurance business in Cleveland.
George's father, George Sutcliffe Phypers, was born in England in a place called St Ives, Cambridgeshire. When he was just one year old in 1850, George S. Phypers moved to America with his parents. Later, he worked in Cleveland as a foreman at the White Sewing Machine Company.
George William Phypers was born on April 8, 1873. He was the first of five children. He went to school in Cleveland until he was fourteen. Then, he started working as a messenger for the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway. In 1893, he began his career in the insurance business. He even studied at Western Reserve University for a short time while working part-time.
Maude Phypers: A Naturalist's Daughter
In September 1900, George W. Phypers married Maude Pauline Maynard. Maude was from Ipswich, Massachusetts. Her father was Charles Johnson Maynard, a famous naturalist who studied nature. Maude's family had come to Massachusetts from England in the 1600s. Maude went to the Boston Latin School and later became a school teacher. She met George through her stepfather, Thomas Swasey Farley, who also worked in the insurance business in Cleveland.
After they got married, George and Maude first lived in East Cleveland. George was very involved in the community there. He was one of three men who started the East Cleveland Baptist Church, which is still an important church today.
Creating Greenwood Farm
In 1908, George and Maude bought the land that would become Greenwood Farm. At that time, it was part of the Township of Euclid. They named their new home "Greenwood Farm" to honor Maude's grandfather, Thomas Smith Greenwood, and his large farm in Massachusetts.
Maude and George worked hard to make Greenwood Farm a self-sufficient place. This means they grew their own crops and raised animals. In 1912, the Ohio Agricultural Extension Service even gave them advice on how to get the best crops and manage water on the farm.
For many years, the farm had different animals. They had cows, chickens, and even Tamworth boars (a type of pig). George would let other farmers use his boars for a small fee or a choice of the baby pigs.
George's Business Success
In 1909, George Phypers achieved his dream of owning his own insurance company. He and his brother Charles started the Phypers Brothers Company. By 1910, their company was one of the largest in Cleveland! Charles later left the company, and George joined with Mr. Harold Neale. Today, that company is still in business in Independence, Ohio, and is called the Neale-Phypers Corporation. George became very well-known in the insurance world and even served as president of the Insurance Board of Cleveland from 1947 to 1948.
George's Public Service
George Phypers also served his community in government. In 1925, he was elected to the Council of the Village of Richmond Heights. He served for a long time, thirty-two years, and was even the Council President several times. As a leader, he helped the village get electricity from the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company. Before that, George had even run power lines from a generator at Greenwood Farm to the local one-room school house! The school was located across the creek from the farm on Chardon Road.
Family Life at Greenwood Farm
George and Maude Phypers had six children: June, Paul, Fordham, Thurlow, Marian, and Ruth. Their children were born over a period of 12 years.
June, the oldest, often helped take care of her younger siblings. Sometimes, the family hired people to live and help with the household chores. A room on the third floor of the house was used for this live-in help.
The rest of the third floor was a big, open room. It was the perfect place for the children to play! They practiced fencing, put on their own plays with sliding curtains, and played billiards.
Education was very important to the Phypers family. Even with all the fun and games, the children were expected to focus on their schoolwork. Each child also had chores to do around Greenwood Farm. Sometimes, under Maude's guidance, the children would even set up a vegetable stand by the road to sell their crops!
