Crown Point Ecology Center

1800'sThe first European settlers arrived in Bath Township around 1810, purchasing some 1,500 acres after the Treaty of Fort Industry was signed in 1805. Wyandot, Ottawa, Chippewa, Munsee, Delaware, Potawatomi, and Shawnee Nations occupied 1.5 million acres of land south of Lake Erie and west of the Cuyahoga River in northeastern Ohio. Jacob and Abigail Swigart purchased the property and built a Farmhouse in 1854. The property changed hands a number of times between 1862-1879 with Roswell Hopkins Jr. purchasing the property in 1879 for $9,300. He owned the property until 1949 but never lived onsite. Many renting farmers resided on the property and farmed the land. The first European settlers arrived in Bath Township around 1810, purchasing some 1,500 acres after the Treaty of Fort Industry was signed in 1805. Wyandot, Ottawa, Chippewa, Munsee, Delaware, Potawatomi, and Shawnee Nations occupied 1.5 million acres of land south of Lake Erie and west of the Cuyahoga River in northeastern Ohio. Jacob and Abigail Swigart purchased the property and built a Farmhouse in 1854. The property changed hands a number of times between 1862-1879 with Roswell Hopkins Jr. purchasing the property in 1879 for $9,300. He owned the property until 1949 but never lived onsite. Many renting farmers resided on the property and farmed the land. Early 1900'sIn 1910 an appraisal of the property revealed 110-acres of plowable land, 23-acres of pasture, 15-acres of timber and Farmhouse were all in fair-good condition. The barn was listed as new. The barn listed in the appraisal is the same barn present at Crown Point. This barn replaced an earlier barn which succumbed to fire. Oral history from locals claim children of the renting farmers built a fire on a blistery winter night in hopes of keeping their baby pigs from freezing to death. By 1949, the property was purchased by Hugh and Mary Stoller. By this time most of the buildings were in desperate need of repair. The 1854 Farmhouse was completely stripped down to the posts and beams. The basement, which was originally only four feet deep, was excavated by hand. A living room and primary bedroom added. Most of the wood for the restoration was obtained from trees on the property and milled in the Century Barn. Local Butternut and Oak were used around the fireplaces and Wisconsin Wormy Chestnut was used upstairs and in the kitchen for the cabinetry. The Stollers maintained a large herd of registered prize winning cattle along with horses, pigs and a large orchard. In 1962, the highway department purchased 13 acres in order to relocate Route 21, now I-77. In 1963, a spring-fed pond was added to the northeast corner of the property. Hugh and Mary Stoller later reached the age of retirement and began making efforts to sell the property as neither of their children were interested in maintaining the property and farm. In 1910 an appraisal of the property revealed 110-acres of plowable land, 23-acres of pasture, 15-acres of timber and Farmhouse were all in fair-good condition. The barn was listed as new. The barn listed in the appraisal is the same barn present at Crown Point. This barn replaced an earlier barn which succumbed to fire. Oral history from locals claim children of the renting farmers built a fire on a blistery winter night in hopes of keeping their baby pigs from freezing to death. By 1949, the property was purchased by Hugh and Mary Stoller. By this time most of the buildings were in desperate need of repair. The 1854 Farmhouse was completely stripped down to the posts and beams. The basement, which was originally only four feet deep, was excavated by hand. A living room and primary bedroom added. Most of the wood for the restoration was obtained from trees on the property and milled in the Century Barn. Local Butternut and Oak were used around the fireplaces and Wisconsin Wormy Chestnut was used upstairs and in the kitchen for the cabinetry. The Stollers maintained a large herd of registered pri