Stan Hywet

We're going to Stan Hywet today.  There is such a thrill when you pull through the gates into the estate and see the whole of the house.  The plantings and landscaping plan of Stan Hywet are also breathtaking.

A number of years ago, it was discovered that there were drainage problems that threatened to damage the foundation of the house if not repaired.  The work necessitated digging out around the house over a period of a couple of years as I recall it, and then they really had to create magic.  The plants were moved to another location on the property and then put back as the work was completed.

Visiting this amazing place that was built around 1916 is a reminder of how many people it took to keep the place going.  Today were it not for the many volunteers and the planning that was done to provide the estate with funding, it wouldn't be there.  In fact, it was scheduled for the wrecking ball when a group of women stood firm and said it just wasn't going to happen.  They did something that many thought was impossible -- they were able to gather funds to save the place and even more -- to preserve it.

When Frank Seiberling died in the 1950s, that left only his daughter, Irene, in the estate.  At some point she moved out to the gate house and enjoyed a simpler life there until her death.  Once the estate was secured by the women, the Seiberling relatives removed what they wanted from the house and then the remainder was made part of the estate.

That's part of what makes Stan Hywet so interesting -- they left most everything.  Dishes, everyday items, priceless musical instruments, and the early technology that was the marvel of Stan Hywet in its day.  The telephone booth in the hallway is a gem, one of my favorites.  The hidden telephone in the vast living room area.  The huge rug woven especially for the house.  The system for intercom communication.

When people say, "They just don't make something like that anymore," they would certainly agree when if they saw Stan Hywet -- the name means Stone Hewn.  The paneling, the wallcoverings, the lighting fixtures, the design of the place.  Over the door of the Manor House is a stone panel that says, "Not for us alone."  This was the motto of the Seiberlings because they felt that the estate was to be shared.  And today that saying just couldn't be more true.

So today we go to see history.  We are going to do the garden tour, I believe, which includes the Conservatory and the Gatehouse.  The reason for the trip is to try taking some photographs that we can later turn into watercolor artwork.  Now that we've been working in the medium for a number of months and have tried a number of different techniques, we know better what would make a perfect model for the next one.  It will be fun and we are promised such great weather for today.  It just could not be better!

And I've never been to the estate in the fall.  All of my previous trips have been in spring or summer, so this is going to be a wonderful treat.

Maybe when we're close enough to the house, we'll hear the strains of the pipe organ coming from the music room.

Have a wonderful day, friends.  I'll let you know more about Stan Hywet tomorrow.  It truly is one of Akron's greatest treasures.