Stan Hywet Hall - Akron, Ohio

Another fun thing we did back in May was a field trip to one of Akron's great local history spots - Stan Hywet Hall.  It was the home of the family of F.A. Seiberling, founder of Goodyear Tire and Rubber, and was built between 1912-1915.  The name Stan Hywet is Old English for "stone quarry", so it's named for the natural quarry located on the property.  The 64,500 square foot house was modeled after English country estates and is a fascinating place.  There are 65 rooms total, including 18 bedrooms, 23 bathrooms, a great room, a ballroom, an indoor pool, a billiard room, a solarium, a floral arranging room, a library, and I'm sure there are more that I'm forgetting.  Every nook and cranny of each room is painstakingly decorated with fine architectural details from floor to ceiling: mouldings, stained glass, iron work, tile work; you could visit every day for a year and notice something new each time.  The Seiberlings had six children, and it's fun to imagine being a child in a house so large and grand - oh, the hide and seek possibilties!  The house had many of the very newest techological conveniences, including telephones and a central vacuuming system.  Many famous people visited Stan Hywet, including Helen Keller, Will Rogers, William Howard Taft, Thomas Edison, and The Von Trapp Family Singers (the family whose story inspired The Sound of Music).

And then there are the gardens.  There are 70 acres of gardens to wander and explore, which were laid out by landscape architect Warren Manning, who had apprenticed under Frederic Law Olmsted, the designer of New York City's Central Park.  Photography is not permitted inside the house, so if you want to get a peek you'll have to go there.  If you aren't nearby and that's not an option, I recommend Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens by Steve Love, Ian Adams, and Barney Taxel.

Approaching the house, coming up the long driveway

 

Main Entryway

English Garden

English Garden

English Garden

Fountain/courtyard at rear of house

Courtyard at rear of house

Courtyard at rear of house

I LOVE this sundial.

Japanese Garden

Japanese Garden

Japanese Garden - for some reason the water elements were dry.  Not sure if it was because of a lack of rain or if they were drained for maintenance.

The lagoon.  The water level here was very low as well.

They have Shakespeare plays at these teahouses overlooking the lagoon in the summertime.

Birch Allee - looking South toward the house

Birch Allee - looking North, away from the house

Behind the house again