November Newsletter

November 3, 2023

We often hear residents say how much they treasure Hudson’s small-town feel – this, despite the fact that the City of Hudson today boasts a population of more than 23,00. There was a time, however, when Hudson truly was a small town. In fact, in 1945, the Village of Hudson only had a total of about 1,500 residents. To get a first-hand account of how that small-town spirit resulted in a truly unique humanitarian initiative, we invite you to join us on November 9 when longtime Hudson resident Molly Logan will share the story of the relief effort local volunteers mounted to help a small town in Germany recover from the devastation of World War II. More details of this very special program are listed below.

This month, we also want to make sure everyone is aware of two projects that are working their way through Hudson’s various boards and commissions, and which could result in the disappearance of an important historical structure and some of the open land that speaks to Hudson’s historical past. Our Advocacy Committee has been following both projects closely and provides more details in the item below.

Speaking of honoring the past, we want to encourage individuals who have been working hard to preserve and protect Hudson’s historical properties to consider submitting an application for this year’s Preservation Awards. The article below provides more details about deadlines and qualifications. HHA established these awards in 2017 to recognize the extraordinary – and often unsung – efforts members of our community have undertaken to maintain some of the properties that contribute so much to the unique character of Hudson. Past recipients have been recognized for the work to preserve public properties such as Hudson’s Town Hall and private homes that line various streets throughout the Historic District. 

We also hope you will enjoy the look we take this month at Turner’s Mill, part of our Properties with Pedigrees series. As you will read below, while this building is a popular dining destination today, it was built with a far different purpose in mind and has an important connection to Hudson’s railroad boom, the end of which had a significant and not fortunate impact on many of Hudson’s most prominent citizens.

Finally, in December, Hudson Heritage Association will be publishing its 2023/24 membership directory. If you haven’t already renewed your membership, it is not too late to be included! Click here to join online or to download a membership renewal form.

We hope to see you on November 9, and we want to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!  

Diccon Ong & Nora Jacobs Snider

Co-Presidents

Hudson Heritage Association

Join us for Our November 9 Program

Speaker explains link between Hudson, OH and a small town in the Netherlands

Longtime Hudson resident Molly Logan will be the featured speaker at Hudson Heritage Association’s November 9 meeting when she shares the story of how the residents of a Dutch village under German occupation became the beneficiaries of Hudson’s generosity after World War II.

Mrs. Logan’s presentation begins in the 1920s, when staff at Western Reserve Academy discovered a crack in the bell hanging in the Academy’s Chapel. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the bell had been cast in 1611 at a foundry near Wester-Souburg, Holland. In 1944, when Allies bombed the Souburg area to drive out occupying German forces, WRA historian Helen Kitzmiller remembered the town’s connection to Hudson.

Jane Fitch, Hudson resident and general chairman of Souburg Day, with John Hallowell, headmaster of Western Reserve Academy, next to the Wester-Souburg bell in the WRA chapel, ca. 1944.

News of the town’s devastation included reports of widespread flooding caused by damage to nearby dikes. Upon hearing details, Mrs. Kitzmiller and her husband Harrison, a German teacher at WRA, began a relief effort that eventually spread throughout Hudson. In the ensuing months, Hudsonites held fundraisers and collected much-needed supplies for the struggling community half a world away. Hundreds of CARE packages were sent from Hudson to the Netherlands to help those who had lost their homes and belongings. Students in the two towns became pen pals and grateful residents of Wester-Souburg sent letters of thanks – many of which can be found in the archives at WRA and the Hudson Library and Historical Society.

Flooding in the village of Wester-Souburg following the 1944 bombings.

A lifelong resident of Hudson, Mrs. Logan can remember her older sister’s role as chair of the committee that made paper tulips to acknowledge donors to the campaign. Hudson was a small town in those days, she recalls, and the entire community was involved in this effort to help another community in need. A former member of the Hudson Heritage Association board, Mrs. Logan has made several presentations to the group over the years on various topics. She also has served as a member of the Hudson Library and Historical Society board of trustees and co-chaired the Hudson Garden Club’s Home and Garden Tour for 10 years.

Hudson students collecting donations for the Wester-Souburg relief efforts in 1948.

The November 9 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.

Note: All photos taken from the archives of the Hudson Library & Historical Society, or the archives of Western Reserve Academy.

Issues of Concern in the Community

Uncertain Future for "The Flood Barn"

At the October 25 Architectural & Historic Board of Review (AHBR) meeting, a request was presented to demolish the historic barn, formerly known as “The Flood Barn,” located at 1221 Barlow Road. Hudson Heritage Association formally submitted comments asking that the demolition request be rejected in this letter.

The barn is part of one of Hudson's oldest remaining homesteads. It is a companion structure on the property that also includes the Ellsworth-Kilbourne House dated 1826, and is one of a dwindling number of barns and outbuildings that serve as tangible testaments to Hudson’s agricultural past.

The Ellsworth-Kilbourne House was awarded an HHA marker in April 2017. The full report can be downloaded from the HHA website by clicking here. Past board member Leslie “Tim” Graham presented the history of the property, and the video recording can be viewed here.

Another concern of HHA is that “demolition by neglect” situations allow those who own historical properties to defer maintenance and upkeep because eventually the neglected structure will be allowed to be demolished. The City’s code includes clear guidelines and enforcement steps. HHA voiced its concern that they be upheld, in our letter to the AHBR.

Following a site visit by AHBR and the city, the matter will be revisited at AHBR's December meeting. 

Possible District 2 Development

The HHA Advocacy committee is also following the Planning Commission’s discussion of a compatibility and concept review of the 34-unit subdivision proposed for the corners of Ravenna Street and Stow Road, in the District 2 rural residential conservation district. 

At issue is the fact that the developer wants to combine two pieces of land on the north and south side of Ravenna to claim that they are one piece of property, thus allowing them to take advantage of density limitations on the site by building six houses on the south side where most of the land has wetland issues and cannot be reasonably developed, and clustering the remaining 28 houses on the north side, exceeding density restrictions if that part of the property were to be considered on its own. The Commission has asked the developer to come back with answers to the many questions it posed at the review.

No New Changes to Downtown Land Development Code

The Advocacy committee also notes the City Council decision about changing the Land Development Code Use Allowances for the west side of North Main Street. HHA has advocated for retail and pedestrian-friendly businesses in this area in the past. After city staff presented four options at the October 24th Workshop meeting to “provide additional flexibility” for more office space (variance, separation setbacks, percentage basis, or revise the boundary), Council voted to leave it alone and not change it. Both parking availability and impact on foot traffic were voiced as concerns.

Call for Nominations - HHA Preservation Awards

HHA is seeking a few good houses – specifically, historical houses or other properties that have been recently restored or renovated in a particularly thoughtful, appropriate manner that showcases the best principles of historical preservation. If you’ve lovingly restored one of Hudson’s cherished gems – or know someone who has – we encourage you to nominate it for this year’s Preservation Awards. Nominated properties must be at least 75 years old, and may include private residences, commercial buildings, publicly owned buildings, non-profit organizations and historic landscapes. The awards are presented at HHA’s general meeting in May and are judged based on the following criteria: 

• All nominated properties must be located within the City of Hudson, Ohio.
• To be considered, restoration and preservation projects must have been completed between May 1, 2018 and May 1, 2023.
• Properties may be nominated by their owners or by another individual or group. If another individual or group nominates a property, the owner must be notified.
• Consideration for awards will include appropriateness of the materials used on both the exterior and interior parts of the structure, including landscaping materials, and on the historic accuracy of any preservation or restorations made.
• Awards will be given only if all criteria are met and the work done follows the United States Department of Interiors Guidelines for Rehabilitation of Historic Structures, as well as any local building codes or requirements.

All nominations must include:

• A project overview that includes information about the history of the property/structure, the project’s objectives and a narrative about the work that was done.
• The names and addresses of all the major contributors for the project – architect, designer, contractor, etc.
• Photographs showing the property both before and after the project was done. Submit as many as necessary to illustrate the project.

Applications that meet all requirements will be judged by an impartial panel of individuals who have expertise in historic preservation. No members of Hudson Heritage Association will act as judges. Nominations are now being accepted and must be received by January 31, 2024. No applications will be accepted for the 2024 awards after that date. Winners will be notified in early April 2024.

For a look at the past winners and to download the application, click here. If you have a historical property that recently has received the love and attention it deserves, we want to hear from you! 

Properties with Pedigrees

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

Turner's Mill

Located on East Streetsboro Street, just a block away from the Village Green, Turner’s Mill today serves as the home of Rosewood Grill, a popular dining spot in downtown Hudson. For nearly 20 years before, it was home to the Inn at Turner’s Mill, a restaurant with a reputation that drew patrons from throughout the Akron-Cleveland area. But fine dining was probably the furthest thing on the minds of the Clinton Railroad Consortium when one of its members built this impressively large brick structure in 1854.

Edgar B. Ellsworth, the father of James Ellsworth, constructed this building to serve as a lumber mill, no doubt hoping to profit from the business predicted to follow the expansion of the railroad in Hudson. In fact, when the Cleveland-Pittsburg line was constructed through town in the mid-1800s, many local businessmen were so convinced the railroad would bring prosperity to Hudson that they formed the Clinton Railroad Consortium, which they hoped would help bring another rail line to the town – resulting in the need for lumber to build houses, along with other goods and supplies. 

At the time, America was facing a railroad boom, thanks largely to the expansion into the country’s west. Unfortunately, that boom came to an abrupt halt when the Panic of 1857 struck. Railroads across the country went out of business and the vision for the “Clinton Air Line” as it was known, never came to be. Numerous Hudsonites lost large investments – some lost their entire savings. 

During the ensuing years, Turner’s Mill served a number of purposes, including time as a lumber mill, hardware and feed store. Individuals who grew up in Hudson can remember getting haircuts there, as well as license plates and ice cream. To learn more about the Clinton Air Line, and to see a relic of that enterprise located in the woods near downtown Hudson, watch this 2020 presentation taped by WRA Archivist Tom Vince.

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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