Underground Railroad Experience, tours, concerts set at Spring Hill Historic Home
MASSILLON – Spring Hill Historic Home is ready for the summer months.
The centuries-old home is open for tours and a number of events. Renovations also are underway throughout the property.
One of the highlights involves the annual Underground Railroad Experience on June 25 when historic characters, including Thomas and Charity Rotch, welcome freedom seekers to Spring Hill farm, 1401 Springhill Lane NE.
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Attendees will take on the role of a freedom seeker and travel through the grounds with the reenactors learning about the realities of escaping slavery and the role Massillon and the Spring Hill Farm played in their road to freedom.
The Spring Hill property is part of the National Park Service's Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
Eric Myers, who will direct the show and portray the homestead's patriarch Thomas Rotch, said the bulk of the cast is returning to the show.
"They really know how to tell the experience," he said, adding that a few new members are joining the cast of about 12.
While the bulk of the show remains the same, Myers said new elements have been added to keep the storytelling fresh for the audience, many of whom come back year after year.
There will be five shows this year. During four of the shows, guests will walk along a trail on the property for an interactive experience. The fifth show will be a seated presentation for those unable to traverse the property.
Myers pointed out a new trail is being used this year. Guests will still enter the wooded area around the property but there will be less of a steep incline to climb.
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The walk won't be challenging as in previous years but it will still be a great experience," he added. Tickets are required for the shows and can be purchased online. If tickets remain for any of the performances, they will be available at the door.
Kayla Metzger, site manager, said the Underground Railroad Experience will be held rain or shine.
This year's ticket includes a tour of the home and guests can pre-purchase a discounted meal deal for $5 that includes a choice of sandwich, two sides, dessert and drink. Guests can purchase food on the day of the event, she said.
The 16-acre property offers historical perspective on life in Massillon 200 years ago
Thomas and Charity Rotch created Spring Hill Farm around 1820. The 16-acre property has a main home as well as several outbuildings, including the 1903 milk house and wool house.
The home and its property are open for tours Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day.
Visitors can tour the home that was occupied by the Rotches and then three generations of the Wales family. The home is filled with original furnishings and historical artifacts.
In addition to the tours, the home will host a concert series this summer.
Concerts on the Hill will feature various bluegrass, folk and blues artists.
The first concert is 6:30 p.m. June 21 and will feature the Front Porch Band of Berea. The group performs old-time, mountain fiddle tunes, folk, bluegrass, country and traditional blues.
Two additional concerts will take place mid-July and mid-August and will be announced at a later date.
Star gazing returns this summer. Guests are invited to gaze upon the stars from the lawn of Spring Hill and learn how freedom seekers used the stars to guide them north to safety.
Star gazing begins at dusk on July 8 and Sept. 1 on the front lawn of the home.
Later this year, plans call for adding an outdoor self-guided tour throughout the property, Metzger said. Guests will use QR codes to learn more about the property.
"If it (the house) gets crowded and you have to wait, you can learn more about the buildings and other sites," she said.
Preserving Spring Hill's impact on Massillon, slaves
Preservation work has been ongoing throughout the property.
Last year, renovations of the grain barn, the first phase of a revitalization project for the property's buildings, was completed.
The grain barn was constructed between 1903 and 1913 and held feed for the livestock when the Wales family owned and operated Spring Hill Dairy. Metzger said it is believed that later on Horatio Wales used the barn to house his horses.
It features a laminated rib gothic arch and metal roof.
Officials plan to use the barn for educational space and as a venue for parties and other gatherings, including small weddings, Metzger said.
The space also will allow for the display of farming tools. Metzger said limited space hasn't allowed for the items to be put on display.
The next stage in the restoration and revitalization campaign is to make structural repairs to the adjacent milk house built in 1903. The Wales family switched from raising merino sheep to dairy farming around 1880 and operated the dairy farm for at least 50 years.
The milk house was used to store items that needed to be kept cold, including milk, cream and butter. A natural spring flows through the concrete-block structure aiding in keeping the contents of the milk house cool. Two large garage doors allowed access for deliver wagons to be loaded, Metzger said.
The north wall is being rebuilt to ensure the structural integrity of the milk house. A retaining wall also is being repaired. The hillside pushed into it and water was seeping through it, she said.
A preservation report from the 1970s indicated the need for these repairs, but the work was put off, Metzger said.
"We finally got it done this year," she said. "We are pushing to do things that were pushed off. For the most part, the building is structurally sound."
Repair work to the slate roof is also planned for the fall.
Metzger hopes to have the milk house ready for tours by next fall.
It will be used as an educational tool for visitors but especially for children to learn about the dairy industry, she explained. They may offer some behind the scene restoration tours, she said.
To fund the preservation projects throughout the property, Spring Hill launched a $75,000 capital campaign. The buildings have been inaccessible to the public since the late 1960s.
Besides capital campaign dollars, the nonprofit received a $16,368 Recovery and Destination Development Grant from Visit Canton to aid with the cost of installing electrical service to the barn, milk house and dog kennel.
The funding will cover 50% of the cost to trench and install electrical service to buildings.
Spring Hill will supply the remaining funding for the matching grant for the project, estimated to be more than $10,000.
The historical property also will receive $50,000 from the state capital budget to allow for a new heating system to be installed in the main home.
Myers explained the home has a relatively newer boiler but the plumbing is more than 100 years old, raising concerns that if one of the pipes carrying the heated water breaks, it could cause significant damage to the home and its contents.
Plans call for installing a blower system, he said. The work will not change the look of the home as the duct work will be hidden in the walls.
The new system also will reduce the cost of heating the home, Myers said. It costs about $600 per month to heat the home now. The project would include the installation of insulation.
"We look to be more energy-efficient as well as more cost effective with our budget," he said.
If funds allow, officials want to install air conditioning in the home. Not only will it make it more comfortable for visitors, it will also help with preserving the antiques.
It's unclear if the state funding and local contribution will cover the cost of the entire scope of the project, but Myers said they will be able to change the heating system, remove the asbestos-lined pipes and insulate the home.
"We are hoping the funds for the AC are there but it could be done later if need be," he said.
It's unclear when the project will start. Myers said they are waiting for the state funding to be released.
"My goal right now with all the structures here is to stabilize them," he said. "We need to make sure that everything is stable and now with the state grant it will be more energy-efficient and ensure that we are using funds in a more prudent and financially-wise way."
Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or amy.knapp@indeonline.com
On Twitter: @aknappINDE
Underground Railroad Experience
The interactive experience will be held at 10 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12:45 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. June 25 at Spring Hill Historic Home, 1401 Springhill Lane NE.
The 12:45 p.m. show is an accessible show taking place on the farmhouse porch for seated guests. All other show times are interactive performances where guests will be asked to take on the role of a freedom seeker and travel through the grounds with the reenactors.
Food and drink will be available for purchase at the concessions stand.
Tickets are $13 for adults; $10 for seniors 60 and older, veterans & students. Children 6 and younger are free. For tickets, visit www.springhillhistorichome.org/ugrre or leave a message at 330-737-1845. Meal Deal tickets are available for $5 and include a sandwich option (sloppy joe or coney/dog), baked beans, chips, a dessert, and water.
Tour Spring Hill
Tours are offered from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and veterans, and $3 for students. Children 6 and younger are free. Spring Hill is a registered Blue Star Museum, offering free admission to active-duty military personnel and four family members. Free admission is also offered to those who show their SNAP/EBT card as part of the Museums for All program.
This article originally appeared on The Independent: Spring Hill to host tours, concerts, Underground Railroad experience
