Nomination for Bedford Township Hall

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Form 10-300 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (Rev. 6-72) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM (Type all entries - complete applicable sections) MAY 2 7 1975 23 - William Minshall (Check One) TO THE PUBLIC X Building Public Acquisition: .

- In Process - Preservation work PRESENT USE (Check One or More as Appropriate) - Comments - Other (Specify) * Museum OWNER'S NAME: Box 282 LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC: DATE OF SURVEY: - Federal DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS: FEB2 81975 039 035 44146 LOCATION Bedford STATE CATEGORY COUNTY Commercial Cuyahoga Religious District Government OWNERSHIP STATUS Site Entertainment NAME ACCESSIBLE CLASSIFICATION Restricted Bedford Historical Society Transportation REGISTER Cleveland Agricultural CODE Educational Yes: Structure Private NATIONAL Both Park Ohio Private Residence Unoccupied Scientific Bedford Historical Society Museum Being Considered CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: Cuyahoga County Building Industrial Object STREET AND NUMBER: REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS 30 South Park Street OWNER OF PROPERTY ENTRY DATE 9Ontario CITY OR TOWN: TITLE OF SURVEY: Public FOR NPS USE ONLY Local AND/ OR HISTORIC: Bedford Township Hall DATE RECEIVED Military COMMON: - Excellent - Deteriorated - Unexposed - Unaltered wide, seventy feet long and fifty-five feet tall at the roof.

The walls were tuck-pointed, the cornice removed and rebuilt, dormers rebuilt, windows repaired and reglazed, the roof renewed, new -cupola, which had been removed because of its dilapidated condition FEB28 1975 CONDITION NATIONAL REGISTER Ruins RECEIVED spouting and flashing installed, and one chimney rebuilt.The drawings.It was built on the ground and raised into place. roof has tall narrow dormers with small pediments.The tower The building occupies the middle of the block opposite the The interior ceilings are high:thirteen feet four inches on in relief. The eaves cornice is bracketed, and the steep mansard of the side elevations are flush with the wall rather than molded The exterior of the building was restored in 1965-1967.The DESCRIPTION iron railing.The stone arches over the entrance and the windows exterior fire escape was added in 1893.

the original woodwork is intact.The stage and balcony of the second floor auditorium were removed in 1948. a stone foundation and a full basement. The projecting entrance bay is reached by a double flight of stone steps with an ornamental the third. The interiors have been adapted for museum use, but public park.The Norfolk and Western Railroad tracks were built Second Empire style.Itis a simple rectangular block forty feet the first story, seventeen feet on the second, and twelve feet on in 1933,was reconstructed on the basis of the original architect's (Check One) and cupola above the eaves line is of wooden construction.An immediately west of the building at a later date.

Good * Original Site Moved tower is another seventeen feet above the roof.The building has Fair This is a three-story building constructed of brick in the OF SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD (Check One or More as Appropriate) - Pre-Columbian! - 15th Century SPECIFIC DATE(S) (If Applicable and Known) - Urban Planning - Other (Specify) STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Statement of significance

included a tannery, a foundry, mills and cheese factories. The Archibald Willard, painter of "The Spirit of '76," in 1836. The furnishings. The architect was Frank D. Marble, a member of Willoughby. The foundation was laid by Al Spafford, a builder who was the "Opera House," the town auditorium for lectures, debates occupying it until 1963. Standing vacant, the building was finally 1874-1875 Commerce losophy Architecture Conservation Aboriginal Military Engineering Literature Communications Education Prehistoric Transportation Political Science Music Agriculture Theater Religion/Phi Invention make it somewhat more ambitious than the average town hall in Social/Human- increased communications to the east and west. Sculpture restoration project was a model of local initiative and enterprise.

Landscape provincial variant of the Second Empire style, but its three stories and entertainments of all kinds.The third floor was built for the The first floor housed the township offices.The second floor arrival of the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad in 1849 radically Masonic Lodge and other fraternal groups.In 195l the township Canal passed only four miles west of Bedford, and its completion Industry viaduct over Tinker's Creek. the second half of the century.The builder was David Law of The Bedford Township Hall is an excellent example ofa the Western Reserve of Ohio. one of the most influential families in the fortunes of Bedford in was organized.

As with most frontier villages, it grew because of 18l6,has a national reputation.Bedford was the birthplace of was dissolved, and the City of Bedford acquired the building, constructed the four great arches of the 1o0 foot tall railroad In 1874 the township was authorized to issue bonds for a township hall costing $8,000. The:final cost was $15,000,including its location on a stream, Tinker's Creek. The Ohio and Erie Taylor Chair Company factory, whose origins can be traced to Art itarian acquired and restored by the Bedford Historical Society.The Bedford was first settled in 18l3.Ten years later the township AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (Check One or More as Appropriate)

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Ned Hubbell, Life in Bedford 1813 to 1970 (Bedford, 1971), 9, 13-15, 91, 99-105, 156-163. Cuyahoga County Atlas, 1874. GEOGRAPHICAL DATA LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROPERTY DEFINING THE LENTER POINI OF A PKOPERTY OF LESS THAN TEN ACRES APPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY: FEB28 1975 As the designated State Liaison Officer for the Na- I hereby certify that this property is included in the tional Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law Nationa 1 Register. 89-665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the c-iteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service. The recommended Director, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation level of significance of this nomination is: MAY 1 4 1975 * U.S.

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1973-729-147/1442 3-l 039 LONGITUDE Seconds ORGANIZATION Degrees LATITUDE Name STATE COUNTY ATTEST: Cleveland Minutes CORNER NATIONAL DATE Ohio CODE 4581945 RECEIVED UTM Less than one Western Reserve Historical Society NATIONAL REGISTER VERIFICATION Degrees Minutes Seconds August 1974 STREET AND NUMBER: 12. STATE LIAISON OFFICER CERTIFICATION FORM PREPARED BY CITY OR TOWN: NAME AND TITLE: Crisfield Johnson, History of Cuyahoga County (Cleveland, 1879), 406. Local ( Eric Johannesen, Preservationist Keeper 10825 East Boulevard REGISTER Photos 3. 3. 75 ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN WELL- DOWE Inventory - REVIEW UNIT CHIEF ; ACCEPT Cole MAY 1 4 1975 National Register Write-up OTHER KEEPER Entered ARCHEOLOGIST CONTROL HAER TECHNICAL Send-back Re-submit HISTORIAN Review BRANCH CHIEF Federal Register Entry Working Number 2. 2 8. 25.

3/8 IN T:2106- 74 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service WASO No. 7 Maps LEBOVICt Ohis Form No. 10-301a LOCA TION Eric Johannésen DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC. U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 035 COUNTY 039 DATE NATIONAL STATE Cuyahoga Bedford REGISTER NAME CODE Western Reserve Historical Society IDENTIFICATION Bedford Historical Society Museum PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT: PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM COMMON: Bedford Township Hall RECEIVED UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR North facade and west elevation, looking southeast. AND/OR HISTORIC: STREET AND NUMBER: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 30 South Park Street FOR NPS USE ONLY (Type all entries-attach to or enclose with photograph) Ohio 876-167 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES NEGATIVE FILED AT: PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER CITY OR TOWN: August 1974 DATE OF PHOTO: (7/72) ENTRY NUMBER,OTS Form No.

10-304a CODE COUNTY: 0 South Park Street DATE OF PHOTO: NEGATIVE FILED AT: DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC. 039 035 Bedford DATE RECEIVED Cuyahoga NATIONAL CODE REGISTER STATE COMMON: ENTRY NUMBER NAME Bedford Township Hall PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM PHOTO REFERENCE FOR NPS USE ONLY PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER Eric Johannesen PHOTO CREDIT: (Type all entries-attach to or enclose with photograph) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CITY OR TOWN: North facade, looking east. AND/OR HISTORIC: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE August 1974 STREET AND NUMBER: (7/72) Ohio Mus eum LOCATION IDENTIFICATION Bedford Historical Society CUAHOA CO Form No. 10-301g AND/OR HISTORIC: NEGATIVE FILED AT: DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC.

035 039 COUNTY NAME DATE Western Reserve Historical Society Bedford Cuyahoga CODE RECEIVED REGISTER STATE Eric Johannesen COMMON: PHOTO CREDIT: PHOTO REFERENCE IDENTIFICATION Bedford Township Hall South and east elevations, looking northwest. NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES 3o South Park Street ENTRY NUMBER PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY CITY OR TOWN: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE (Type all entries -attach to or enclose with photograph) PROPERTY OF THE NATHONAL REGISTER DATE OF PHOTO: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STREET AND NUMBER: Ohio (7/72) August 197l LOCA TION Bedford Historical Society Museum LUMAHOLA 1303 Form No. 10-301 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Rev. 7-72 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE FOR NPS USE ONLY STREET AND NUM BER: U. S. G. S. Shaker Heights Quadrangle 1:24, 000 TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS 1. Property broundaries where required. 2. North arrow. 3.

Latitude and longitude reference.

035 039 1970 FEB281975 NAME Bedford Cuyahoga COUNTY STATE Ohio REGISTER CODE DATE REQUIREMENTS MAP REFERENCE RECEIVED COMMON: NATIONAL LOCATION Bedford Historical Society Museum ENTRY NUMBER SCALE: SOURCE: Bedford Township Hall PROPERTY MAP FORM AND/OR HISTORIC: NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CITY OR TOWN: (Type all entries -attach to or enclose with map) 30 South Park Street 41° 23' 23" SHAKER HEIGHTS QUADRANGLE FEB281975 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SHAKER HEIGHTS, OHIO Bedford Historical RECEIVED NATIONAL 81° 32* 04" UNITED STATES REGISTER DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR /455300 945 2 7 1975 Butlor County STATE 5/28/75 Location Name Date Entered ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER Canton Also Notified Milan vicinity Grand Rapids Cuyahoga County Lxcas County Stark County Wood County Abbott-Paga Houno Director Regional Direotor, Iidvest Region Drie County AUG - 9 1999 NATIONAL REGISTER, HISTORY & EDUCATION NATIONAL PARK SERVICE From: Barbara Powers Bedford Township Hall NR John Byme Barb Powers Ohio Historic Preservation Office, 567 East Hudson Street, Columbus, Ohio 43211 (614) 297-2470, (614) 297-2496 FAX Enc.

1 8/4/99 property. Memorandum Thanks again, Date: Thank you for correcting so quickly the missing information about the Bedford Township Hall National From: Form 10-300 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (Rev. 6-72) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE - County NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY (Type all entries - complete applicable sections) Bedford Historical Society Museum AND/ OR HISTORIC: 30 South Park Street 23 - William Minshall (Check Onc) X Building - Unoccupied - In Process X) Restricted Object - Preservation work PRESENT USE (Check One or More as Appropriate) - Agricultural - Comments [] Commercial Industrial - Other (Specity) Educational - Militory * Museum - Scientific OWNER OF PROPERTY OWNER'S NAME: Box 282 5. LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE. REGISTRY OF DEEDS.

ETC: TITLE OF SURVEY: DATE OF SURVEY: DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS: 039 035 44146 Bedford LOCATION Cuyahoga ACCESSIBLE OWNERSHIP Religious CLASSIFICATION STATE NAME Cleveland Ohio 02001455 CODE STATUS Yes: Cuyahoga County Building CATEGORY Both Structure Public Government Site CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: District Public Acquisition: Transportation Private Residence 1219 Ontario REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS Entertainment ENTRY DATE TO THE PUBLIC Being Considered CITY OR TOWN: STREET AND NUMBER: Bedford Township Hall ENTRY NUMBER Bedford Historical Society COMMON: Federal 7. DESCRIPTION E Excellent - Good [ - Deteriorated - Unexposed - Unaltered X Original Site the first story, seventeen feet on the second, and twelve feet on the third. The interiors have been adapted for museum use, but the original woodwork is intact.

The stage and balcony of the second floor auditorium were removed in 1948. rebuilt, windows repaired and reglazed, the roof renewed, new cupola, which had been removed because of its dilapidated condition immediately west of the building at a later date. CONDITION spouting and flashing installed, and one chimney rebuilt. The tower is another seventeen feet above the roof.The building has public park.The Norfolk and Western Railroad tracks were built a stone foundation and a full basement. The projecting entrance The interior ceilings are high:thirteen feet four inches on This isa three-story building constructed of brick in the in relief.The eaves cornice is bracketed, and the steep mansard The building occupies the middle of the block opposite the drawings.It was built on the ground and raised into place.

in 1933,was reconstructed on the basis of the original architect's wide, seventy feet long and fifty-five feet tall at the roof.The The exterior of the building was restored in 1965-1967.The and cupola above the eaves line isof wooden construction.An walls were tuck-pointed, the cornice removed and rebuilt, dormers Second Empire style.It isa simple rectangular block forty feet bay is reached by a double.flight of stone steps with an ornamental exterior fire escape was added in 1893. (Check One) - Moved DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (if known) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

Ruins roof has tall narrow dormers with small pediments.The tower iron railing.The stone arches over the entrance and the windows of the side elevations are flush with the wall rather than molded PERIOD (Check One or More as Appropriate) - Pre-Columbian: - 15th Century - 20th Century SPECIFIC DATE(S) (If Applicable and Known) - Historic Indus try - Science Landscape - Military - Transportation STATEMENT OF

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

SIGNIFICANCE its location on a stream, Tinker's Creek. The Ohio and Erie Canal passed only four miles west of Bedford, and its completion included a tannery, a foundry, mills and cheese factories. The Archibald Willard, painter of "The Spirit of '76," in 1836. The viaduct over Tinker's Creek. 1874-1875 losophy Commerce Architecture SIGNIFICANCE Aboriginal Engineering Communicotions The first floor housed the township offices.The second floor acquired and restored by the Bedford Historical Society.The Literature Education Music restoration project was a model of local initiative and enterprise. Invention Religion/Phi. and entertainments of all kinds. The third floor was built for the occupying it until 1963.Standing vacant, the building was finally Agriculture Sculpture Conservation the second half of the century.The builder was David Law of the Western Reserve of Ohio.

provincial variant of the Second Empire style, but its three stories in 1833 stimulated the fortunes of the village.Early manufactures increased communications to the east and west. one of the most influential families in the fortunes of Bedford in Political Bedford was first settled in 18l3.Ten years later the township township hall costing $8,000. The.final cost was $15,000, including make it somewhat more ambitious than the average town hall in 18l6,has a national reputation.Bedford was the birthplace of arrival of the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad in 1849 radically was dissolved, and the City of Bedford acquired the building, Social/Human The Bedford Township Hall is an excellent example of a Urban Planning Other(Specify) In 1874 the township.was authorized to issue bonds fora AREAs OF SIGNIFICANCE (Check One or More as Appropriate) - Theater was organized.

As with most frontier villages, it grew because of furnishings. The architect was Frank D. Marble, a member of Taylor Chair Company factory, whose origins can be traced to Willoughby. The foundation was laid by Al Spafford, a builder who constructed the four great arches of the 100 foot tall railroad was the "Opera House," the town auditorium for lectures, debates Art 91, 99-105, 156-163. Crisfield Johnson, History of Cuyahoga County (Cleveland, 1879), 406. Cuyahoga County Atlas, 1874. GEOGRAPHICAL DATA LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROPERTY DEFINING THE LENTER POINI OF A PAOPERTY APPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY: FORM PREPARED BY 12. STATE LIAISON OFFICER CERTIFICATION tional Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law I hereby certify that this property is included in the 89-665).

I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the c-iteria and procedures set Local y Keeper of The National Register * U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1973-729-147/1442 3-1 039 ORGANIZATION Seconds Name National STATE Cleveland DATE CORNER LONGITUDE LATITUDE Title Ohio ATTEST: COUNTY Minutes CODE Degrees MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES August 1974 NATIONAL REGISTER VERIFICATION Degrees Minutes Seconds National Register. As the designated State Liaison Officer for the Na- level of significance of this nomination is: Less than one NAME AND TITLE: CITY OR TOWN: Ned Hubbell, Life in Bedford 1813 to 1970 (Bedford, 1971), 9, 13-15, OF LESS THAN TEN ACRES STREET AND NUMBER: forth by the National Park Service.

The recommended Director, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation 10825 East Boulevard Western Reserve Historical Society Form No. 10.301a UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY AND/OR HISTORIC: LOCA TION STREET AND NUMBER: CITY OR TOWN: NEGATIVE FILED AT: DESCRIBE VIEW. DIRECTION, ETC. COUNTY Bedford 039 DATE IDENTIFICATION 035 NAME Western Reserve Historical Society STATE Cuyahoga CODE North facade and west elevation, looking southeast. PHOTO REFERENCE South and east elevations, looking northwest. (Type all entries-attach to or enclose with photograph) 30 South Park Street Eric Johannesen COMMON: Ohio ENTRY NUMBER PHOTO CREDIT: (7/72) DATE OF PHOTO: August l97l US GOVERNMENT PRINTING OF FICE 87 6. Bedford Historical Society Museum Bedford Township Hall Form No.

10-301 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY MAP FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with map) NAME Bedford Historical Society Museum STREET AND NUM BER: 30 South Park Street CITY OR TOWN: U. S. G.S. Shaker Heights Quadrangle 1:24, 000 TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS 1. Property broundories where required. 2. North arrow. 3. Latitude and longitude reference. 035 039 1970 Bedford REQUIREMENTS Cuyahoga LOCATION Ohio COUNTY STATE CODE DATE COMMON: SCALE: MAP REFERENCE AND/OR HISTORIC: ENTRY NUMBER SOURCE: Bedford Township Hall * U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1973-729-148/1441 3-1 COCE INORTHFIEL BEDFORD