Spring Hill Historic Home (Ohio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spring Hill Historic Home |
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An image of the main home at Spring Hill.
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| Location | 1401 Springhill Lane NE Massillon, Ohio 44646 |
| Built | 1821-1824 |
| Built for | Thomas and Charity Rotch |
| Architect | Jehial Fox |
| Official name: Spring Hill | |
| Designated | April 14, 1972 |
| Reference no. | 72001045 |
Spring Hill is a special historic home and museum located in Massillon, Ohio. This important place was first settled by Thomas and Charity Rotch. Later, the Wales family owned it for three generations. Spring Hill is famous for being part of the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. This network helped people escape slavery. The property includes the main house and many other buildings. These include a smokehouse, a spring house, a milk house, and a wool house.
Contents
Discovering Spring Hill's Past
The Rotch Family's Journey
Thomas and Charity Rotch were a couple from New Bedford, Massachusetts. In January 1811, they traveled west to find a new home. They were looking for a place to build a farm. Charity Rotch often felt sick and needed a warmer climate. Thomas Rotch was a Quaker and worked with wool. He needed land for his sheep. He also needed a way to easily transport the wool.
They met friendly Quakers in Steubenville, Ohio. These new friends told them about the area near Sippo Creek. Thomas decided to move his family there. The area had fresh water and clear land. On their journey, Thomas Rotch met Arvine Wales. Arvine became a close friend to the family. He would later buy Spring Hill after Thomas and Charity passed away. The Wales family lived at Spring Hill until 1966. Then, the estate became a museum.
Building the Town of Kendal
After settling, Thomas and Charity Rotch started their new home. They named it Kendal. This name came from a textile center in England. Rotch designed streets and squares. He wanted to create a town like those in New England. Many early settlers in Kendal were also Quakers. The town officially began on April 20, 1812. By 1817, Kendal was growing. More than 100 plots of land were settled.
Because most people were Quakers, the community strongly opposed slavery. Routes and safe stops for the Underground Railroad went through Kendal. This started as early as 1817. From 1821 to 1865, no people seeking freedom were ever caught while hiding at Spring Hill.
How Spring Hill Was Built
Spring Hill was built between 1821 and 1824. The architect was Jehial Fox. The main house is 80 feet long. Fox used different materials to build it. These included stone, brick, and large oak planks. Some oak planks were as long as 28 feet! The house first had a special stove called a Franklin stove.
In 1831, Arvine Wales changed this stove into a fireplace. Arvine Wales made most of the changes to the original house. He added a western wing to the house. The Wales family also added a small bathroom upstairs. They created another bathroom downstairs by adding a wall to the parlor. They also changed the kitchen and dining room. This created a breakfast room and a new kitchen on the first floor. The original kitchen was in the basement. Food was moved up and down using a dumbwaiter. This dumbwaiter was later removed. In 1920, a screened-in porch was added to the western wing. This was the last big change while a family lived there.
The Secret Staircase
The Spring Hill home is well-known for its secret staircase. This special feature helped people escaping slavery. It allowed them to pass through the area safely. Architect Jehial Fox put this staircase in the middle of the house. It was probably meant for staff to use. But when the kitchen moved, staff no longer used it.
However, this staircase became a hiding place. People seeking freedom used it as early as 1821. They would go down this staircase to the basement. There, they could hide safely before continuing their journey. After Thomas Rotch died in 1823 and Charity Rotch in 1824, the Wales family continued to help and protect people seeking freedom.
Other Buildings at Spring Hill
Spring Hill was built to be a working farm. Many service buildings were built on the property. Most of them have been fixed up. These buildings include a carriage house, a smokehouse, a dog kennel, a spring house, a milk house, a grain barn, and a wool house. The carriage house is one of the larger buildings. It has a room above it where farmhands could stay. These buildings helped Spring Hill and the local Kendal community.
