The Perkins Stone Mansion is a

historic house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a ...

Akron Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, United States.

Overview

The mansion is owned and operated by

The Summit County Historical Society of Akron, Ohio The Summit County Historical Society of Akron, Ohio, abbreviated SCHS, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Akron, Ohio. It focuses on the history of the City of Akron and Summit County, Ohio. Purpose The mission of SCHS is to pres ...

and is also the organization's headquarters. It was built from 1835 to 1837 by Col. Simon Perkins, son of Akron's founder General

Simon Perkins General Simon Perkins (September 17, 1771 – November 6, 1844) was an early settler, businessman and surveyor of the Western Reserve of Connecticut, which would later become northeast Ohio. He co-founded Akron, Ohio with Paul Williams in 1825. H ...

. It served as the family home until 1945 when it was purchased from George Perkins Raymond for $25,000.

Design and construction

The Perkins Stone Mansion was built between 1835 and 1837 on owned by Colonel Simon Perkins, the oldest son of the City of Akron's founder, Gen. Simon Perkins. At the time of its completion, the home was located one mile from the southwest border of Akron and along the prehistoric Portage Path of Summit County, Ohio. The house overlooked the City of Akron from the front porch and the "widow's walk" on the roof provided a viewing point of the

Ohio and Erie Canal The Ohio and Erie Canal was a canal constructed during the 1820s and early 1830s in Ohio. It connected Akron with the Cuyahoga River near its outlet on Lake Erie in Cleveland, and a few years later, with the Ohio River near Portsmouth. It also ...

. Records suggest it was designed by Isaac Ladd of

Warren, Ohio Warren is a city in and the county seat of Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. Located in northeastern Ohio, Warren lies approximately northwest of Youngstown and southeast of Cleveland. The population was 39,201 at the 2020 census. The hi ...

. It was designed in the

Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but a ...

Style. The Mansion was constructed of hand cut yellow sandstone that was quarried nearby its location. Perkins eventually expanded his estate to . The land was used for farming and sheep grazing and eventually became known as "Mutton Hill." The pasture land came right to the front porch and the house was originally flanked by vegetable gardens and an arbor.

Other structures

Located nearby the Mansion is the Wash House where the Perkins family washed and dried clothing, bedding, and other textiles. Next to the Wash House is the original well. Behind the mansion is the "woodshed" that now serves as the office building for the Summit County Historical Society of Akron, Ohio. Reconstructed versions of the Carriage House, gazebo, and outhouse are also located on the property. The property was surrounded by a dry mortared stone wall, much of which remains to this day.

Ownership and residents

* 1837–1887: Col. Simon Perkins and his wife Grace. * 1887–1919: Anna Perkins, the eldest daughter of Col. and Mrs. Simon Perkins. Anna never married and took over as the mistress of the house at the death of her mother in 1867. Her brother George Tod Perkins assisted with maintenance and renovations. * 1919–1926: Mr C.B. and Mrs Mary Raymond. Mary was the daughter of George Tod Perkins and niece of Anna Perkins. * 1926–1945: George Perkins Raymond. George took over occupancy when his parents moved to

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

in 1926. Due to his career as a concert singer, he rarely stayed in the home. * 1945–present:

. It was purchased from Raymond for $25,000. The funds were raised through contributions.

Present day

Today, the Perkins Stone Mansion is the showpiece of the Summit County Historical Society and is operated as an historic house museum.

References

External links

{{commons category, Col. Simon Perkins Mansion
Perkins Stone Mansion

The Summit County Historical Society of Akron, Ohio website
Houses completed in 1837 Houses in Summit County, Ohio Museums in Akron, Ohio Historic house museums in Ohio History of Akron, Ohio Historical society museums in Ohio Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio National Register of Historic Places in Summit County, Ohio