December Newsletter

December 12, 2022

With the holidays upon us, Hudson Heritage Association would like to wish you all the best of health, family, friends, joy and peace throughout the season!  

Hudson Heritage Association Preservation Awards

Do you know of a historic preservation or restoration project in Hudson completed within the past five years? Has the project adhered to high standards promoting and maintaining the historical integrity of a building or structure? Now is the time to recognize the work of the property owner and their contribution to the historical aesthetic of Hudson. Nominations for the Hudson Heritage Association Preservation Awards are being accepted through January 2023. Please see below for links to access nominating criteria and forms.  

Historic Preservation Projects

Progress continues at the Brewster Store (1839) building. Half-round copper gutters, reinstallation of shutters not seen on the building since the early 1900s, and construction of the historically correct balustrade are near completion. The new balustrade is based on an 1853 photograph of “Brewster Row” and Asher Benjamin’s carpenter’s handbooks used by builders in the early 1800s. The building is being completely renovated—including plumbing, HVAC and electrical. Additionally, the building has been structurally reinforced by sistering metal beams with the original wood beams. Completion is expected in August 2023.

Plate 23 from The Rudiments of Architecture (1820) by Asher Benjamin, Brewster Row circa 1853, and the balustrade design today. (Photograph courtesy of Hudson Library and Historical Society)

The Baldwin-Buss House is entering a new phase. Demolition of all post-1825 additions have been completed, and work is now focused on the electrical, plumbing and HVAC work needed to bring the historic home up to code. Reconstruction of the south ell is well underway. During selective demolition, severe rot was discovered on the sill beams and posts necessitating replacement.  The windows, primary timber beams of the east porch, and some structural elements were retained and are in storage awaiting future reinstallation. Additionally, the existing foundation has been stabilized and waterproofed. The rehabilitation project, when completed, will comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties. In addition to the team of Peninsula Architects and John Milner Architects, the Baldwin-Buss House Foundation has engaged historic preservation consultant Mark Gilles as its representative. Mark most recently served as Director of Historic Preservation at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens before retiring in April 2022.

Clockwise from top right: Rotted sill beam, rubble foundation, and rotted post discovered during selective demolition. (Photos courtesy of Peninsula Architects)

Architectural and Historic Board of Review

At the December 6^th City Council Meeting, Françoise Massardier-Kenney was appointed to a partial term on the Architectural and Historic Board of Review, replacing the seat vacated by Shane Reid. She has been a resident of Hudson (Ward 1 Historic District) for more than two decades and recently served two consecutive terms on the Board of the Hudson Heritage Association. During her first term, she spearheaded the development of a Homeowners’ Guide to Historic Properties, (which was published in 2020 and distributed widely to the members of the HHA) and shared with realtors and new owners of properties in the Hudson’s Historic District. During her work on the project, she became familiar with Hudson’s Architectural Design Standards and Code of Ordinances, the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, and guides issued by historic preservation associations. Congratulations to Françoise on this appointment.

Hudson Landmark Survey

HHA board members have been conducting a survey of homes, barns and structures located outside the Historic District that may be eligible for Hudson Landmark designation. In addition to photographs, a conditions assessment will be made of the buildings’ architectural and historical integrity. It is hoped that the project will expand the number of properties whose owners elect to have their properties listed and provide protection through AHBR oversite of significant buildings.  

Hudson Heritage Association Membership Directory

Look for the 2022-23 Hudson Heritage Association Membership Directory in your inbox on December 15. The directory will be sent out to members only. We are happy to report record membership donations as more and more Hudson residents see the value of a preservation-minded organization in our historic town. Thank you for your continued support and belief in HHA’s mission and work! If you haven’t already joined, visit us at https://hudsonheritage.org/membership/. 

Hudson Community Living (HCL)

The Hudson Planning Commission will continue its review of a Conditional Use and Site Plan submitted by Hudson Community Living on December 12 at 7:30 p.m. The request includes constructing six residential buildings, a clubhouse building, and a private drive accessed from South Oviatt Street. The request was continued from the November 14th Planning Commission meeting. Additional information can be found by clicking here. 

HHA Monthly Program to Resume in January

HHA’s monthly program schedule will resume at Barlow Community Center on January 12 at Barlow Community Center when we welcome Dr. Ken Bindas, as he presents “The History of Cuyahoga Valley National Park & the Canal System.” 

Warm wishes for the holiday season!

Kathy Russell & Diccon Ong

Co-Presidents

Hudson Heritage Association

Russell Davis / Rial Town House, 1831/1853

By Clare Lovas, WRA Class of 2022

Hudson is well-known for its bounty of quaint historic houses that have been thoughtfully preserved over the many decades since their initial construction. This is especially true of the two city blocks just to the east of the Village Green between Aurora Street and Rt. 303. Walking these quiet tree-lined streets affords one an opportunity to see any number of old and distinctive homes. Many of these homes, of course, feature HHA markers mounted near their front doors. While there are probably too many of these historic homes to pick a single favorite, one particularly fine example of a lovingly preserved dwelling is the Russel Davis / Rial Town House (1831/1853) at 73 Division Street (between College and Oviatt). Today, this home presents itself as a two-story Gothic Revival-style cottage, one of just a relatively small handfull of homes in Hudson of this particular style, painted a pretty light yellow with white trim. A red brick walkway leads to a covered front porch (supported by four Doric columns) with two large windows flanking a central front entrance. The second story is topped with a steeply pitched slate roof with a center section that features a tall, narrow pediment with ornate decorative barge boards on the projecting gable. Three finials top the three main gables of the house.

The Davis/Town house originally stood at 32 South Main Street, roughly where the Yours Truly Hudson parking lot is now located. The first incarnation of the home was built in the early 1830s, the best guess being 1831. That was the year in which Mr. Joel Gaylord, a settler from Hudson’s earliest years, sold a quarter acre of his farmstead (located southwest of the village green) to a man named Russell Davis for $50. Two years later, Davis sold the property, now valued at $250. This indicates a modest structure had since been erected on the site. In its earliest form, the house looked quite different from what one sees today. It started out as a simple and small dwelling. The buyer of this home was Mr. Rial K. Towns, a land surveyor who came to Hudson in 1827.  

After Towns bought the house, he almost immediately had it enlarged and remodeled. The man most likely responsible for this first renovation of the house was Town’s neighbor, Leander Starr. Starr had come to Hudson around 1826 to help Lemuel Porter in the construction of Western Reserve College’s first buildings on “Brick Row.” He later helped design and build a number of private homes in Hudson. It is, therefore, assumed that Starr is responsible for Town’s new home at 32 South Main. Regardless, the home was clearly enlarged and remodeled in an updated Greek Revival style at this time. Sadly, there are no known pictures of the house during this stage. However, the Greek Revival elements of the house, though thoroughly obscured on its exterior by later alterations, are still observable in the home’s interior, with much of the original woodwork having been preserved. Evidence of the significant changes to the home comes from the fact that in the three years of Town’s ownership the property doubled in value (to $500). This was the price paid by Frederick Baldwin for the home in 1836.

In 1843, Baldwin sold the house for the same price to Mr. Edward Clow. The house was then resold that same year to Laura Hine, once again for the same price. Hine held onto the house for five years before selling it to Morris Miller for $600. In 1852, Miller added 0.3 acres acquired from Leander Starr’s adjoining property. Then the tax duplicates indicate that a major renovation of the house occurred in 1854. This is almost certainly when the house was given the Gothic transformation into what it is today. A year later, in 1855, the house was moved to 73 Division Street. Mr. Morris was eventually forced to sell the house at tax sale after he, like many of his fellow Hudsonites, suffered a financial reversal in the wake of the railroad speculation bust of the mid-1850s. The house was then bought at auction by Jack Nicholls, who held it until 1864 before selling it to Ira Bunnell. In 1866, Allen Fuller bought the house and held it until 1885. After Fuller sold it, the house passed through a large number of different owners over the next century and more, some likely using the property for rental income. It has, therefore, been occupied by a fair number of different Hudsonites over the decades. Several of these owners have made additional alterations and improvements to the home, but all appear to have done so with fidelity to its current form and structural history. This home is full of charm and is rich in character. It exemplifies the quality and craftsmanship of the domestic structures erected by Hudson’s best 19th-century builders.

2023 HHA Preservation Awards

Nominations accepted until January 31, 2023

The Hudson Heritage Association Preservation Awards recognize and honor historic structures in Hudson that have been well-preserved or restored within the last five years in a manner that maintains the historic integrity of the property. No minimum or maximum number of awards are given in any year.

We encourage our HHA members to nominate preservation/restoration projects for the 2023 HHA Preservation Awards. To be eligible, properties must be at least 75 years old, and may include private residences, commercial buildings, publicly owned buildings, nonprofit organizations and historic landscapes. You can find the information about applying for the Preservation Awards Program by clicking here. 

Criteria for nominations include: 

• All nominated properties must be located within the City of Hudson.
• To be considered, restoration and preservation projects must have been completed on or after September 15, 2018.
• 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 the historic accuracy of any preservation or restorations made.

Nominate a property before January 31, 2023, and help HHA celebrate preservation in Hudson.

2023 Program Dates

Plan to join us for our popular monthly programs. Unless otherwise noted, these meetings are open to the general public and are held in the Assembly Room of Barlow Community Center at 7:30 p.m. Light refreshments are provided. A schedule for the upcoming programming year follows:

January 12

History of Cuyahoga Valley National Park & the Canal System by Dr. Ken Bindas

February 9

The History & Current Use of the Ravenna Arsenal by Col. (Ret.) William Meade & Tim Morgan (Ohio Army National Guard)

March 9

Ohio Historic Markers & His Adventures in Searching for Them by Dennis Reiser

April 13

Students from WRA (Topic to be determined)

May 11

HHA Annual Meeting - TBD

Refer a Friend

Know someone we should add to our newsletter mailing list? Please forward this email and direct them here.

If you would like to receive HHA's monthly newsletter, please email us at info@hudsonheritage.org and ask us to add you to our mailing list. We will be glad to keep you in the loop about our programs and other activities.