Hudson Heritage Association Hosts Annual Meeting May 14 at Octagon Barn

Hudson Heritage Association will host its annual meeting for members on Thursday, May 14, at the historic Octagon Barn in Hudson’s Darrowville. New members of the HHA board will be confirmed and officers for the coming year will be presented. Local historian Tom Vince will provide a short talk about the Historic American Buildings Survey, housed in the Library of Congress, which contains more than 556,000 measured drawings, large-format photographs and written histories for more than 38,000 historic structures and sites in the United States dating from Pre-Columbian times to the 20th century. Several buildings from Hudson are included in the Survey, including a number located at Western Reserve Academy.

Following Vince’s presentation, those present will be able to tour the barn, now home to the Impact Group, a Hudson-based communications company.

Octagonal structures became popular in the last half of the 19th century following the 1848 publication of a book by Orson Fowler entitled, A Home for All, or a New, Cheap, Convenient and Superior Form of Building. Examples of the eight-sided structures can still be found throughout Ohio, although octagonal barns are rare. Hudson’s example, located on Darrow Road near the Stow border, was built in 1881 as a bank barn by Hial and Milton Danforth, who came to Ohio from Vermont to be dairy farmers. The structure has long been regarded as the most significant remaining landmark in Darrowville, a small farming community founded by the two brothers who served as surveyors for David Hudson when he came to Ohio from Connecticut to explore the Western Reserve.

In 1976, the building was remodeled by local builder Don Reisig, with Allan Sveda serving as architect for the project. The structure was converted to office space and housed the offices of the Smithers Oasis Company. The Impact Group moved into the building last year, and recently announced the opening of The Malted Meeple in its lower level. The new space offers hobby gaming, milkshakes and craft beers.

The May 14 program, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7:30, with tours of the barn immediately following the business meeting. Attendees should note that access to the meeting site will be via stairs only and seating will be somewhat limited. Parking will be available at the property, located at 5100 Darrow Road. Following the presentations and tours, the meeting will conclude with refreshments. For more information, call 330-342-7996.

Founded in 1962, Hudson Heritage Association works to protect historic buildings, the village streetscape, and the city’s Western Reserve architectural aesthetic. It encourages the preservation of historic buildings by providing research, resources and education to homeowners who wish to maintain their historic homes and co-sponsors the city’s work with the Cleveland Restoration Society. HHA also works with building owners to help them meet historic marker requirements and identifies those buildings with the HHA historic marker. The association shares and celebrates the history of Northeastern Ohio by publishing books and newsletters, conducting workshops and field trips, and hosting monthly meetings that feature local preservationists, historians and craftsmen. For more information, visit hudsonheritage.org