This section will include stories and history about homes or buildings that catch my eye. I have graciously been permitted to photograph and interview people that live or work in these interesting structures.
And so it begins....
The Hoover Tudor
During a golden age of manufacturing a different kind of luxury homes were being built, homes that offered conveniences and beautiful detail that weren’t used in the normal functional house. From servant’s quarters - to the pearl faced buttons tucked in the walls to call them, it takes us back to a different time. This is the first in a series of old homes and the people that own them.
This particular home was a property I have known of for years-a beautiful tudor structure with a large lot and outlying stone buildings -unfortunately the stone buildings have been removed and the large side lot split up to accommodate new construction. I am sure this house bustled with much activity over the years and still does as families gather here. This beautiful home has only had three owners. The first family was a Hoover family that built the home. I am currently doing research to find out exactly more history of the home itself. I do know the house was completed in 1924. I am working on more detailed history as I find it and that will be in a later add on.
I finally decided to be brave and start this project. I stopped by the house and left information for the owner, much to my amazement the owner called me the next day and asked if I would like to come over and start taking some photos, of course I would! Thrilled was an understatement for what I was feeling, I could not gather my equipment fast enough and off I went.
I pulled up to the house and composed my excitement. A gentleman opened the door and let me in, it was a warmer February afternoon, I ended up being there for hours. Who knew when starting this series I would meet such kind and interesting people. This process has taken much longer than I expected it to, there may have been a bit of procrastination also, how could I do this man and his stately house justice with my pictures and words?
The entrance is grand but cozy with many different rooms off of a very large foyer. We will start with the study which seems to be the central part of the home. This makes sense since a lot of business was done here, and I am sure many important decisions made. The original beautiful cork floors still exist in the main study with a massive desk and shelves for books. The detailed woodwork and metal work on the fixtures is breathtaking. A carved wood mantel hangs over a dark marble fireplace. I am quite sure I could have spent hours in there finding detail after detail. There is a small door tucked off to the side of the windows so a busy executive could sneak out to the gardens and think without going through the main home, it is hidden I would haven’t noticed this if I wasn’t trying to photograph all the detailed wooden trim. Per the current owner it was rumored that the Hoover who owned this property would sneak out into the gardens to make decisions through this little door. My mind whirled with each tick of a clock echoing through the area of times gone by.
There is a formal dining room with the original prints painted on the walls. A butler’s pantry is located between the formal dining room and the kitchen. The cabinet hardware is still original. Almost all of the light fixtures are original. There is another informal eating area with direct access to the kitchen. Again in every one of these rooms the detail was beautiful. Beside the study is a big formal living room and off that a small family type room with an enclosed sun porch.
When I asked the current owner what his favorite room in the house was he replied his favorite room was the sun room. Off the foyer tucked in a front corner was a grand staircase, beautiful but not the center of attention. The owner pointed out to me the pearl servant buttons positioned discreetly in the rooms.
The afternoon continued on with much information about the property and interesting stories from the owner. I took many pictures while the light was good and set and talked with this fascinating gentleman for quite awhile.
This particular home was a property I have known of for years-a beautiful tudor structure with a large lot and outlying stone buildings -unfortunately the stone buildings have been removed and the large side lot split up to accommodate new construction. I am sure this house bustled with much activity over the years and still does as families gather here. This beautiful home has only had three owners. The first family was a Hoover family that built the home. I am currently doing research to find out exactly more history of the home itself. I do know the house was completed in 1924. I am working on more detailed history as I find it and that will be in a later add on.
I finally decided to be brave and start this project. I stopped by the house and left information for the owner, much to my amazement the owner called me the next day and asked if I would like to come over and start taking some photos, of course I would! Thrilled was an understatement for what I was feeling, I could not gather my equipment fast enough and off I went.
I pulled up to the house and composed my excitement. A gentleman opened the door and let me in, it was a warmer February afternoon, I ended up being there for hours. Who knew when starting this series I would meet such kind and interesting people. This process has taken much longer than I expected it to, there may have been a bit of procrastination also, how could I do this man and his stately house justice with my pictures and words?
The entrance is grand but cozy with many different rooms off of a very large foyer. We will start with the study which seems to be the central part of the home. This makes sense since a lot of business was done here, and I am sure many important decisions made. The original beautiful cork floors still exist in the main study with a massive desk and shelves for books. The detailed woodwork and metal work on the fixtures is breathtaking. A carved wood mantel hangs over a dark marble fireplace. I am quite sure I could have spent hours in there finding detail after detail. There is a small door tucked off to the side of the windows so a busy executive could sneak out to the gardens and think without going through the main home, it is hidden I would haven’t noticed this if I wasn’t trying to photograph all the detailed wooden trim. Per the current owner it was rumored that the Hoover who owned this property would sneak out into the gardens to make decisions through this little door. My mind whirled with each tick of a clock echoing through the area of times gone by.
There is a formal dining room with the original prints painted on the walls. A butler’s pantry is located between the formal dining room and the kitchen. The cabinet hardware is still original. Almost all of the light fixtures are original. There is another informal eating area with direct access to the kitchen. Again in every one of these rooms the detail was beautiful. Beside the study is a big formal living room and off that a small family type room with an enclosed sun porch.
When I asked the current owner what his favorite room in the house was he replied his favorite room was the sun room. Off the foyer tucked in a front corner was a grand staircase, beautiful but not the center of attention. The owner pointed out to me the pearl servant buttons positioned discreetly in the rooms.
The afternoon continued on with much information about the property and interesting stories from the owner. I took many pictures while the light was good and set and talked with this fascinating gentleman for quite awhile.
Now a bit of history about the current owner. He purchased this house for his wife, she loved the house and when they needed more space for their offices they chose this home. Their children were grown, but they both had a thriving business and needed to expand, and have a nice place for family to land during holidays. Much to my delight a lot of little details had remained intact.
let’s start with Mr. first. He served our country in the Army where he was deployed overseas, at this time it was close to the end of the war and things were pretty heated, he was a combat infantryman. He was at Hitler’s last Bridge just after the capture by the 9th Armored Division. He remembered the sign “Cross the bridge with dry feet courtesy of the 9th Brigade”. The German’s were very upset about the Americans taking the bridge and kept attacking so the troops took refuge in the Linz Bridge tunnel. Well this gentleman was in horrible pain and they shipped him off to a hospital in Paris where he had surgery for a kidney stone and remained hospitalized in Paris until V-E Day.
He met his wife at Kent State while both were taking accounting classes –this was not there first meeting he knew of her because he worked for her brother in accounting prior to the war. Thus a long adventurous life together had begun.
After he returned home he ran into an old accounting classmate, the friend suggested that he use the rest of his GI Bill to go to Law School. So The William McKinley School of Law it was. Three years of night school later he graduated, took the bar and went into business with his wife. His wife was a brilliant woman who was very involved in business and the community. They had six children together, one son was an air traffic controller and passed away suddenly in his thirties. I really enjoyed all the information he shared with me. I was so caught up in the stories that occasionally I forgot to take notes.
He was also a writer and was published in the Reader’s Digest. We talked about writing and I absorbed any and all knowledge he had to share with me like a giant sponge. He is a member of the Greater Canton Writer’s Guild and with his encouragement and information I was delighted to join this group.
I made another trip to the house for more images and more questions. This was a truly wonderful way to start this project.
let’s start with Mr. first. He served our country in the Army where he was deployed overseas, at this time it was close to the end of the war and things were pretty heated, he was a combat infantryman. He was at Hitler’s last Bridge just after the capture by the 9th Armored Division. He remembered the sign “Cross the bridge with dry feet courtesy of the 9th Brigade”. The German’s were very upset about the Americans taking the bridge and kept attacking so the troops took refuge in the Linz Bridge tunnel. Well this gentleman was in horrible pain and they shipped him off to a hospital in Paris where he had surgery for a kidney stone and remained hospitalized in Paris until V-E Day.
He met his wife at Kent State while both were taking accounting classes –this was not there first meeting he knew of her because he worked for her brother in accounting prior to the war. Thus a long adventurous life together had begun.
After he returned home he ran into an old accounting classmate, the friend suggested that he use the rest of his GI Bill to go to Law School. So The William McKinley School of Law it was. Three years of night school later he graduated, took the bar and went into business with his wife. His wife was a brilliant woman who was very involved in business and the community. They had six children together, one son was an air traffic controller and passed away suddenly in his thirties. I really enjoyed all the information he shared with me. I was so caught up in the stories that occasionally I forgot to take notes.
He was also a writer and was published in the Reader’s Digest. We talked about writing and I absorbed any and all knowledge he had to share with me like a giant sponge. He is a member of the Greater Canton Writer’s Guild and with his encouragement and information I was delighted to join this group.
I made another trip to the house for more images and more questions. This was a truly wonderful way to start this project.