Kent Historical SocietyHistoric Kent Town Tour

Honoring the 200th Birthdayof Marvin Kent

September 17 & 18, 201610 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday

All sites are open and can be visited on either Saturday or Sunday.

This tour booklet is your ticket and will be marked at each stop.

East Side Tour SitesClapp-Woodward House/Kent Historical Society MuseumErie DepotMarvin Kent Train CarErie Car Shops *Wells-Sherman House

* Interior accessible only during guided tours at 1 p.m. & 2 p.m. each day

West Side Tour SitesPatton House

Charles H. Kent HomeMarvin Kent House/Kent Masonic Center

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East Side Tour Sites

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Clapp-Woodward House

(Now Kent Historical Society Museum)

237 E. Main St.Built in 1883

In 1883, either Harriet Kent Clapp, eldest of Zenas Kent’s 13 children, or her son Charles began building

the house on land Harriet inherited from her father. Harriet had married Charles Clapp, but when he joined the Shaker religious community, she chose to leave him behind, living alternately in Kent with her son, Charles, or in Brooklyn, N.Y., with her brother, Henry Kent.

Charles lived here with his wife, Mary Eliza Wood, and their four sons, Charles, Frank, Leon and Harold. Leon’s initials were scrolled on the plaster wall in the front parlor, where they remain. The Victorian house features high ceilings, large rooms trimmed with carved cherry woodwork, three sets of pocket doors and a large entryway with an elaborate staircase. It also has four unique fireplaces and sits atop the hill on East Main Street with dignity and beauty.

In 1912, the Clapps sold their home to John and Jeanette (Greenshield) Woodward, who lived here with their son Paul, 6, and daughter, Josephine “Jo,” for just 19 months. Woodward owned the Woodward Coal Co. Jo was in the first kindergarten class at Kent Normal School and later at-tended both Kent State University and the Cleveland School of Arts. She studied Russian ballet with the famous Nijinsky in New York City, but her father’s illness brought her back to Kent, where she married John Solem. They operated Solem Jewelry at the corner of Main and DePeyster streets until May 1970. The home was sold to Keller Electric in 1956, but Jo built a duplex on the Columbus Street end of the property, where she lived until her death at age 96 in 2007.

In December 2010, the Kent Historical Society purchased the home from its fourth owner, Mary and Bob Paton, who had already done some restoration. The society’s historic remodeling will continue to preserve this building as its home for generations.

It is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays or by appointment for group tours or research by calling 330-678-2712.

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Erie Railroad DepotSecond Floor

152 Franklin Ave.Built in 1875

The first railroad depot in Kent was simply a large wooden box of a building for people to wait for trains and where freight could be depos-

ited or picked up. By 1874, the citizens of Kent asked the Atlantic & Great Western Railroad to build a better depot for their growing community. The railroad agreed, provided the town would pay $4,000 of the estimated $10,000 cost. Under the direction of Marvin Kent, townspeople oversub-scribed and this second depot opened in 1875. Constructed of local brick in classic Tuscan design, it was second only to Cleveland’s in size.

Inside the depot’s first floor was a large waiting room for passengers, a lunch counter and space for freight shipments. It has three large towers. The central tower contained living quarters to house the agent; later this space was given over to the people who worked at the downstairs lunch counter, such as the Elgin family, who had two daughters born there.

The south tower contained beds where train crews could rest and sleep on their layovers. The railroad’s agent, George Hinds, placed books in the north tower for the crewman to borrow and read. As the number of crewmen increased, they could not all sleep in the depot tower and the Erie Railroad decided it was not in the library business. The books became part of Kent’s Carnegie Library built in 1902.

The depot was the place where news came first via telegraph, where pas-sengers got their first vivid impressions of Kent, where soldiers and sailors left their families on their way to war and finally how countless students arrived to study at Kent Normal School, and later at Kent Sate University.

In January 1970, the last trains departed Kent. Over the next 10 years, the new Kent Historical Society purchased and restored the station, utilizing plans by Cleveland architect Robert Gaede. It is still owned and preserved by the Kent Historical Society.

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Marvin KentTrain Car

152 Franklin Ave.Built in 1922

The railroad coach “Marvin Kent” was manufactured by the American Car and Foundry Co. in 1922

for use by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. The car known as Coach 6125 saw service west of Chicago until acquired by the Lake Shore Railway Historical Society in 1969. It was stored in Ashtabula, Ohio, until purchased by the Kent Jaycees in the summer of 1976 for use as a meeting hall for both Jaycees and community use.

When the car was moved to Kent in August of that year, the Jaycees leased the parcel of land south of the Erie Depot from the Kent Historical Society. The Jaycees completely refurbished the car over the next four years.

With an original seating capacity of 83, the coach measures 75 feet in length and 10 feet in width and stands 14 feet above the ground. It weighs 82 tons.

The Erie Railroad had dedicated a sleeping car here in Kent in 1951 to the memory of Marvin Kent, the Ohio president of the Atlantic & Great Western Railroad. The Jaycees felt that their car would be a fitting tribute to the memory of Marvin Kent and his importance to the railroad industry in Kent. The Jaycees’ car is painted to resemble that sleeping car. The car is still used by the Jaycees and is connected to all city services and is air con-ditioned for summer use. It was recently repainted in its original colors.

Young professionals age 18 to 40 interested in the Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) can attend a monthly membership meeting on the second Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. Email info@kentjaycees.com for more information.

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Erie Car Shops200 W. Williams St.

Built in 1863

Interior accessible only during guided tours at 1 p.m. & 2 p.m. each day

When the Atlantic & Great Western Rail-road opened in 1863,

the company established shops in Franklin Mills (Kent). Marvin Kent’s influence as the railroad’s president — and his gift of land valued at $15,000 — brought a complex of buildings that would be the center of the town’s economy for nearly 60 years.

Built by some of the same German-American masons who had built the canal lock here 20 years earlier and constructed of local stone, the shops were impressive. The main building was two stories high with three cupolas. The employment of several hundred men — including at times more than half of all working men in the town — increased the population dramatically, adding many new homes on Kent’s south side. By 1918, some 800 workers worked for A & GW’s successor, the Erie Railroad.

The shops turned out hundreds of cars. While some locomotives were manufactured in the 1870s, the majority were wooden passenger and freight cars for the Erie. Workers were highly skilled mechanics and artisans as well as unskilled laborers. The grounds were full of lumber, barrels of nails and screws, wheel sets and supplies like paint and glass. The passenger cars in particular were real works of beauty, while the box cars, gondolas, cabooses and others were built solidly enough to last for decades. The work was hard, injuries were common and, in the winter, it was cold. A 12-hour workday was normal with no overtime. The car shops also functioned as a sort of public square and the community often gathered there to hear a band concert or see fireworks on holidays.

There were some labor struggles along with the Erie’s perpetual financial crises. After a major strike in 1922, the car shops closed in 1930.

The Davey Compressor Co., started by Paul Davey, purchased what re-mained of the shops in 1943. After several changes over the ensuing years, Tom Myers, Paul Davey’s grandson, started leasing space in the building in 1981. His company, Davey Drill Division of Davey, Kent, Inc., continues the drill operations of its predecessor, Davey Compressor Co.

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Kent Wells Sherman House247 N. Water St.

Built in 1858

The Greek Revival-styled Kent Wells Sherman House was built on the northeast corner of South Water and Erie streets in 1858 for Frances Kent Wells, sister of city namesake Marvin Kent, and her husband George. George Wells was a business partner of Zenas Kent in the Wells and Kent Glassworks. After the Wells family sold the house and moved to Brownsville, Pa., in 1863, it

was eventually acquired in 1868 by Dr. Aaron M. Sherman. He was a Civil War surgeon, prominent civic promoter, state representative, and one of the founders in 1866 of the Kent Unitarian-Universalist Church.

The house was moved from its original site to East Erie Street, closer to Kent Normal College. By 2012, the house, which had been used as a student boarding house since 1968, was obtained by Kent State University for the purpose of demolition to make way for the university Esplanade. Research by avid local historians documented beyond question its signifi-cant historical value to the city of Kent. As a result, the community rallied and it was moved to its current location in September 2013.

The structure, placed in commercial zoning, now hosts attorneys’ offices, a video company and serves as a meeting place for public and private gatherings. It is an example of a public-private partnership. Along with grants, donations and many hours of volunteer work, significant financial and logistical support from KSU (arranged by retired Vice President Greg Floyd), the city of Kent, Hometown Bank, and Kent Historical Society, are gratefully acknowledged. This project serves as an example of what is neces-sary to save buildings that are of historical importance to a community.

For information on using the building for meetings, parties or pop-up retail space, please contact Ann Ward at annhward@gmail.com or Rick Hawksley at rick@hawksley.org.

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Embracing the Future… …Yet Honoring Our Past

www.BisslerandSons.com

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West Side Tour Sites

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Patton House529 W. Main St.

Built in 1902

Once known as the Patton Memorial House, the family res-idence of W.W. Patton, his wife, Harriet, and daughter, Emma, was built in 1902.

Among many community positions, Patton served as Kent’s postmaster and superin-

tendent of Kent schools (1872-1878). Having studied at both the Boston and Oberlin Conservatories of Music, Emma returned to Kent to provide music lessons in her beautiful home. Upon her death in 1939, Emma bequeathed the Patton House to Coterie, a ladies organization founded in 1896. This “circle of friends,” which formed from the merger of a literary club and a cooking club, was chosen to maintain the property and provide space for community groups to gather.

Women of prominent Kent families who were active members of Coterie in its early years include Mrs. Harry Longcoy, Mrs. Edward Parsons, Mrs. Duncan Wolcott, Mrs. W.S. Kent, Mrs. Frank Elgin, Mrs. Roy Smith and Mrs. Burt Spelman.

Having served as the home for Kent State University presidents Dr. James Engleman and Dr. Karl Leebrick from 1939 to 1942, the formidable front porch and pleasant large rooms of the Patton House have welcomed many area social events.

A lovely stained glass window provides a focal point at the landing of the stairway leading to a large second floor, which houses the family who oversees the property. The décor includes many of the original elements, from the hand-carved oak foyer to the antique grand piano Emma used to share her love of music with her students. Many of her original furnishings remain, as well.

The home continues in the care of the 125 members of five Kent Cote-ries who strive to maintain this historic dwelling, which stands, regally, at the west entrance to downtown Kent.

This historic meeting site is available to rent for groups of up to 50. For information, call 330-673-5221 or email kentcoterie@yahoo.com.

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Charles H. Kent Home125 N. Pearl St.

Built in 1843

The Charles H. Kent home was built in 1843 in the West Main Street district and is now located at 125 N. Pearl St. This home was designed and built by James Clark of Streetsboro Village, and is an example of

Gothic Revival architecture. It also features elements of the Greek Revival and Carpenter Gothic architectural styles.

Charles was the son of Zenas, two years younger than his brother Marvin, and was married to Mary E. Burrett. Charles was involved in the dry goods business with his father in Ravenna. When our community was still called Franklin Mills, Charles was a partner in the Clapp, Spellman & Kent Dry Goods business and also in a glass company with his brother Marvin. In 1860, he opened a dry goods and wallpaper store in Kent and also was an original investor and a director of the Kent National Bank. Charles died in 1887.

In 1902, the house was moved 150 feet north of its original location along West Main Street to the current site on North Pearl Street by its then-owner, Henry Green. This was supposedly prompted by Martin L. Davey, son of the founder of the Davey Tree Co. Martin, who would later serve as a mayor of Kent, U.S. representative and eventually governor, persuaded Mr. Green to move the house to avoid its demolition for apart-ments the owner was constructing on the original site.

This home is also referred to as the Palmer House after its longtime own-er, Dr. Maurice B. Palmer, who had accepted a position on the chemistry staff of Kent State Normal College in 1931. He and his wife, Louisa Fen-ton, purchased the home in 1940 and lived in it for more than 50 years. After the Palmers’ death, the house fell into disrepair, and was completely renovated by Dennis and Jennifer Baughman. Mr. Baughman’s company specializes in the renovation and preservation of historic homes. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on Feb. 23, 1978.

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Marvin KentFamily Homestead

(Now Kent Masonic Center)409 W. Main St.

Built in 1884

Construction began in 1880 on the Eastlake-style homestead of Mar-vin and Maria Kent. Kent hired local craftsmen except for wood carvers, who came from Cleveland and New York. Much of the materials used in

the house were likely locally sourced since, among Kent’s many businesses, were a stone quarry and a plate glass factory. The wood for the home was the finest Kent could find in northern Ohio. When the Main Street cov-ered bridge was torn down, Kent saved the best of the massive beams and used one for the arch header near the west coach entrance. There are three similar arch headers in the west entrance hall and the main center hall.

Among the home’s remarkable features are walls and partitions of solid brick, cellar walls and entrance of thick sandstone, and a sloped slate roof. Completed in 1884, the home provided 7,335 square feet of living space with 20 rooms, including a ballroom and 10 fireplaces.

During the 40 years the Kent family lived in the home, four U.S. pres-idents, either before or after they were in office, were guests in the home. When Warren G. Harding, William Howard Taft, William McKinley and Benjamin Harrison visited, they slept in the southeast second-floor bedroom. This room remains much as it was in those days, including the furniture.

When William Kent died in 1923, the home became the property of the heirs of Marvin’s son, Henry Lewis. They sold the home to Rockton Lodge 316 F & A. M. on Nov. 1, 1923.

The Masons have initiated a nonprofit society, the Kent Home Preserva-tion Society, to raise funds and coordinate the restoration of the home to its 1923 status or earlier. The society is open to anyone with an interest in preserving the Marvin Kent Homestead.

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A Brief History of MArvin Kent And His fAMilyBy Jean Griffith Booth

I would like to thank Don Booth, Howard Boyle and Sandy Halem for their valuable assistance in compiling this history. For purposes of clarity, I have used birth names for the women in this article.

The PilgrimsMarvin Kent’s ancestors were part of the Great Migration of 20,000 pil-

grims who left England to come to New England between 1629 and 1640. The Puritan families who made this dangerous voyage were educated and prosperous. Among the first of Marvin’s family to arrive in the Massachu-setts Bay Colony were: his fifth great-grandparents, William Hosford and wife Florentia Sarah Hayward, who came in1630; his sixth great-grandpar-ents, Thomas Talmadge and wife Catherine Cromwell, arriving in 1633, and his fifth great-grandparents Henry Glover and wife Ellen Wakeman, who arrived in 1634. Making the journey in 1640 were Thomas Kent and his wife Ann Noyes with at least three children – eight-year-old Thomas, six-year-old Samuel (Marvin’s fourth great-grandfather) and three-year-old Josiah.

The Revolutionary WarBoth of Marvin’s grandfathers, Zenas Kent (his father’s father) and Oliver

Hiram Lewis (his mother’s father), fought in the Revolutionary War as privates in the Connecticut Line.

On May 5, 1777, Zenas enlisted in the 4th Regiment of the Connecticut Militia for a term of eight months. During his service, the 4th Connecticut fought in the Defense of Philadelphia Campaign, including the Battles of Brandywine, Germantown and Whitemarsh, arriving at Winter Quarters at Valley Forge in mid-December, 1777. He was discharged Jan. 1, 1778.

Oliver fought in the Revolutionary War three times, beginning in 1776 when he joined the 18th Regiment of the Connecticut Militia. He was a member of Captain Thomas Bidwell’s Company and took part in the Bat-tle of New York on Aug. 27, 1776, and the Battle of Fort Washington on Nov. 16, 1776, before completing his term of enlistment.

The Kent Family Settles in OhioIn the early 1800s, Aaron Olmsted hired Ralph Buckland, whose mother

was Mary Olmsted, to survey and act as an agent for the land he had purchased in the Connecticut Western Reserve. It is likely Zenas and his wife Anne Plumb purchased their homestead in Mantua from Ralph, since Ralph was married to the Kents’ eldest daughter, Ann. Traveling by sleigh,

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the Kent and Buckland families left Leyden, Mass., and Middletown, Conn., in the winter of 1812. The younger Zenas came with his family, but his pregnant wife Pamelia Lewis remained back east. Sadly, two-year-old Mary Anne Buckland did not survive the journey.

Zenas Kent The younger Zenas returned to Connecticut for Pamelia and they moved

to Hudson in 1814. Using the skills he had learned from his father, as a carpenter and a joiner, Zenas undertook his first major building project – a tannery for Owen Brown, father of abolitionist John Brown. The next year he moved his wife Pamelia and their two young children, Harriet and Hen-ry Augustus, to Ravenna, where he started a dry goods store with financing from Heman Oviatt. Among the buildings he erected in Ravenna was the first Portage County Courthouse, considered by many an architectural gem.

A shrewd businessman, Zenas Kent saw the opportunities the canal system would bring to Franklin Mills, and he began to acquire properties along the Cuyahoga River. In 1836, Zenas sold 350 acres of land and water rights that he had purchased for $6,300 to the Franklin Land Co. for $75,000. The company also purchased land in the upper village, giving it control of a large section of the Cuyahoga River and many acres of land. In 1837, the Franklin Land Co. sold its holdings to the Franklin Silk Co. When the land boom burst and the silk business failed, Zenas reacquired all the land he had sold plus the land in the upper village. The Kent family now owned about 10 miles of the Cuyahoga River – not just the land along the river, but the river itself.

During the boom of the canal era, Zenas built a number of buildings and businesses. He erected a large business block on the northwest corner of Main and Water streets. When the Franklin Silk Co. built a dam to provide water for the canal, Zenas was able to use the power from the dam to begin to operate his flour mill located on the north side of Stow Street. He provided the financial backing and John Brown built a tannery on the south side of Stow Street. The partnership failed and Marvin assumed management of the tannery. Zenas organized the Franklin Bank of Portage County that became the Kent National Bank.

In 1851, Zenas and Pamelia built a home on South River Street and moved to Kent from Ravenna. They then moved to 1369 Euclid Ave. on Cleveland’s Millionaire Row in 1856. Their Cleveland home was an elegant sandstone Tuscan villa with commanding views of the lake and the entire city from its rooftop observatory. Following the deaths of Pamelia and Zenas, the mansion was sold to Samuel L. Mathers. The base of the street chandelier that welcomes visitors to Playhouse Square stands in what was

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the front yard of the Zenas Kent home. Zenas and Pamelia are buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Cleveland.

Marvin Kent

Marvin was the third of 11 children born to Zenas and Pamelia. He was born on Sept. 21, 1816, in Ravenna. By 1838, Marvin and his two adult brothers, Henry Augustus and Charles H., were involved in Zenas’ many business dealings, as well as launching their own enterprises. Henry Augustus moved to Brooklyn, N.Y., where he operated a wholesale grocery business. He was vice president of the Bank of North America, a trustee of several other banks and a broker, with his office in the New York Stock Exchange at 10 Exchange St. Younger brothers Edward and George Lewis moved to New York and joined the family businesses. Charles H. and Mar-vin continued to live and raise their families in Kent. On Dec. 24, 1840, at age 24, Marvin married 19-year-old Maria Stewart. They raised their two sons, Henry Lewis and William Stewart, while living in the house Zenas built on South River Street. They moved into their new home at the corner of West Main and North Mantua streets in 1884.

By 1850, railroads were overtaking canals as the most efficient method of transporting goods. The Kent family needed to get the goods they pro-duced in their factories and mills to market. Marvin had to get a railroad to come through Franklin Mills, and he did. He broke ground for the Ohio Branch of the Atlantic & Great Western Railroad in Franklin Mills on July 4, 1853. Marvin drove in the last spike on June 20, 1864, when the railroad was completed in Dayton, Ohio.

The lower village of Franklin Mills and the upper village of Carthage wanted to incorporate as one town. Marvin wanted to name the new town Rockton. It is mere speculation why Marvin favored that name. Perhaps because the most famous local landmark is Standing Rock. Or because both villages sat on a base solid rock and the Kent family owned the quarry that had provided much of the sandstone used in the buildings in town. Whatever Marvin’s reasons were, he was overruled by other citizens and the town was named Kent, after Marvin. The U.S. Post Office Department adopted the name Kent on Aug. 17, 1864. The name was approved by the Ohio legislature on May 6, 1867.

A grand party to honor Marvin on his 90th birthday was held at his West Main Street home. The booklet printed to celebrate the anniversary of his birth states, “Mr. Kent is a man of liberal views and generous impuls-es.” Two years later, when Marvin died at age 92 on Dec. 10, 1908, his obituary in the New York Times described him as a “pioneer railroad man.”

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Henry Lewis KentHenry was the eldest son of Marvin and Maria. He married Josephine

Collins, whose father Charles owned The Collins Buggy Co. in Akron. They had two daughters, Emily Grace and Ella Southwick. Following Henry’s death at age 30, his widow and daughters lived with Marvin and Maria.

William Stewart KentWilliam continued the family tradition, becoming both a successful busi-

nessman, for example, president of the Kent National Bank and publisher of the Kent Courier, and as a generous supporter of the Kent community. William donated the land that is now the front campus of Kent State Uni-versity. In appreciation for his gift, Kent State Normal School was named after him. Also named in William’s honor is William Kent Hall.

William’s first wife was Kittie Mahan North, who died May 28, 1886, when a gasoline/kerosene stove in her home exploded. She was the daugh-ter of Cleveland photographer William Case North, who owned the American Spirit Stove Co. and held several patents for improvements to gasoline stoves. Her mother was Anna Mahan, the daughter of Asa Mahan, the first president of Oberlin College. Kittie’s mother served as secretary of the Board of Managers of Lakeside Hospital (which became University Hospitals) for 30 years.

Mary Logan Pearson of Chicago, the daughter of Union General Robert Newton Pearson, became William’s second wife on Oct. 10, 1900. Mary attended the annual meetings of the Society of the Army of the Tennes-see and was very close to her father’s comrades-in-arms. In a letter to the Society shortly before her marriage, she says this about William: “ ...what a dear, good man I am about to marry... The gentleman’s name is Mr. William S. Kent, of Kent, Ohio, and he is a man I shall be very proud to introduce to all of my dear friends in the Society. You may be sure from that that he is pure gold, and in every way worthy. He is a widower, some-what older than I in years, but not too much so for perfect congeniality. I am also sure that when you know him you will agree with me that my life’s happiness will be perfectly safe in his keeping.” (Report of the Proceedings of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee vol. 32 p. 57)

For three generations, the sons of the Kent family and the husbands of the daughters were among the richest and most influential men in the country. Family members had vast holdings in real estate, commerce, industry and transportation in Kent, Cleveland and New York City. It was due to the foresight and generosity of Zenas, Henry Augustus, Mar-vin and William that Kent was transformed from a mill town – to a canal town – to a railroad town – to a university town. Today, the City of Kent is building on this groundwork and by continuing to use its resources wisely, can grow and prosper in the 21st century.

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Proud to be a member of the Kent community for more than 25 years.

www.frdusa.com

805 Lake Street, Kent, Ohio

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A Brief GeneAloGicAl outline identifyinGMeMBers of MArvin Kent’s fAMily

Zenas Kent (Marvin’s Grandfather)

(son of Daniel Kent and Sarah Bedortha) b. 28-May-1757 in Suffield, Conn. d. 23-Oct-1822 in Mantua, Ohio. On 5-Apr-1785, he married Anne Plumb (daughter of Reuben Plumb and Mary Shepard) b. 18-Mar-1767 in Middletown, Conn. d. 25-Nov-1848 in Akron, Ohio

Marvin’s grandparents, Zenas and Anne, had 10 surviving children:

1. Zenas b. July 1786 (see p. 20 for additional information)

2. Ann E. Kent b. 30-Oct-1788 in Middletown, Conn. d. 23-Apr-1858 in Fremont, Ohio. She married (1) Ralph Buckland and (2) Luther Hanchett. One of the children of Ann and Ralph Buckland was Brevet Major General Ralph Pomeroy Buckland of the 72nd Ohio Infantry. He commanded the Fourth Brigade in William T. Sherman’s 5th Division of the Army of the Tennessee

3. Lucy S. Kent b. 18-Oct-1791 in Leyden, Mass. Her married name was Harris.

4. Mariah Kent b. 08-Feb-1794 in Leyden, Mass. d.12 -Jul-1882 in Mantua, Ohio She married Lorenzo Chapin

5. Elizabeth Kent b. 1796 in Leyden, Mass. d. 1830 in Cleveland, Ohio. Her married name was King

6. Roswell Kent b. 18-May-1798 in Leyden, Mass. d. 19-Jul-1871 in Akron, Ohio. Roswell Kent Middle School in Akron was named in his honor. He married Elizabeth Hart, who was the first child born to settlers within the city limits of Akron.

7. Alson Kent b. 01-Nov-1801 in Leyden, Mass. d. 03-Jun-1858 in Portage County, Ohio. He married Eleanor Mygatt

8. Amasa Kent b. 29-May-1802 in Leyden, Mass. d.04-Jan-1881 in Mantua, Ohio. He married Eleanor Johnson

9. Almira Kent b. 31-Mar-1807 in Leyden, Mass. She married Lyman Ely

10. Juliet Kent b. 1809 d. 1826.

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Zenas Kent (Marvin’s Father)

(son of Zenas and Anne) b. Jul-1786 in Middletown, Conn. d. 04-Oct-1865 in Kent, Ohio. In 1811, he married Pamelia Lewis (daughter of Oliver Hiram Lewis and Lucinda North) b. 12-Feb-1794 in Farmington, Conn. d. 21-Oct-1862 in Kent, Ohio.

Marvin’s parents, Zenas and Pamelia, had 11 surviving children:

1. Harriet Kent b. 06-Jun-1812 (see p. 22 for additional information)

2. Henry Augustus Kent b. 21-Oct-1814 in Hudson, Ohio, d. 01-Mar-1893 in Brooklyn, N.Y. He married (1) Sarah Martense Wells and (2) Amelia Charlotte Mather

3. Marvin Kent b. 21-Sep-1816 (see p. 21 for additional information)

4. Charles H. Kent b. 12-Aug-1818 (see p. 22 for additional informa-tion)

5. Louisa Kent b.19-Sep-1820 in Ravenna, Ohio d. 1885 in Ravenna, Ohio.

6. Edward Kent b. 02-Aug-1823 in Ravenna, Ohio d. 19-Mar-1894 in Brooklyn, N.Y. He married Artemisia Streator.

7. Eliza A. Kent b. 18-May-1825 in Ravenna, Ohio d. 04-Jul-1864 in Brooklyn, N.Y. She married John Prag.

8. George Lewis Kent b. 13-May-1829 in Ravenna, Ohio d. 22-Dec-1884 in New York City. He married Matilda Duplessis Rockwell. Their grandson was Rockwell Kent a painter, printmaker, illustrator and writer.

9. Frances E. Kent b. 19-Nov-1830 (see p. 22 for additional informa-tion)

10. Emily K. Kent b. 13-Aug-1832 in Ravenna, Ohio d. 04-Jul-1864 in Brooklyn, N.Y. She married Robert Barclay Dennis, a widower, who lived on Cleveland’s Millionaire Row next door to her parents.

11. Amelia L. Kent b. 26-Sep-1837 in Ravenna, Ohio. She married Dr. Joseph Warren Shively. He was a surgeon in the U.S. Navy (1861-1865). They are both buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

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Marvin Kent

b. 21-Sep-1816 in Ravenna, Ohio d. 10-Dec-1908 in Kent, Ohio. On 24-Dec- 1840 he married Maria Stewart, (daughter of William Stewart and Susannah Ferguson) b. 25-Aug-1821 in Ohio, d. 22-May-1900.

Marvin and Maria had two surviving children:

1. Henry Lewis Kent b. 14-Feb-1843 in Ravenna, Ohio d. 21-Apr-1873. He married Josephine A. Collins (daughter of Charles Au-gustus Collins and Louisa Hine) b. 1844 in Akron, Ohio d. 09-Oct-1896.

Henry Lewis and Josephine had two daughters:

i. Grace Emily Kent b. 28-Oct-1865 in Ohio d. 03-Aug-1907 in Chicago, Ill. She married Charles Edwin Curtis

ii. Ella Southwick Kent b. 10-Sep-1867 d. 24-Dec-1950 in San Diego, Calif. She married John William Reed

2. William Stewart Kent b. 24-Aug-1847 in Ravenna, Ohio d. 18-Jan-1923 in Kent, Ohio. On 19-Oct-1875 He married (1) Kittie Mahan North (daughter of William Case North and Anna Mahan) b. 10-Feb-1851 in Ohio and d. 28-May-1886 in Kent (killed by an explo-sion at her home) and on 10-Oct-1900 he married (2) Mary Logan Pearson (daughter of Brevet Brigadier General Robert Newton Pearson and Mary Elizabeth Tuthill) b. 26-Jun-1869 in Vergennes, Ill. d. 07-Jul-1931 on Mackinac Island, Mich.

Marvin Kent

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Marvin’s siblings whose children had homes in Kent

Harriet Kent b. 06-Jun-1812 d. 04-Jan-1887 in Kent Ohio. She mar-ried Charles Clapp.

Harriet and Charles had five children:

1. Harriet Louisa Clapp b. 1832 in Ravenna, Ohio

2. Charles Kent Clapp b. 15-Jan-1838 in Ravenna Ohio d. 26-Nov-1899 in Kent, Ohio. He married Mary Eliza Wood. Their four sons were Charles, Frank, Leon and Harold. Leon’s signature can be seen on the wall of the Kent Historical Society Museum.

3. Ella Mather Clapp b. 1841 in Mantua, Ohio d. 17-May-1927. She married John Claflin Southwick.

4. George A. Clapp b. 03-Mar-1843 in Mantua, Ohio

5. Edward L. Clapp b. 03-Aug-1845 in Mantua, Ohio

Charles H. Kent (son of Zenas and Pamelia) b. 12-Aug-1818 in Ravenna, Ohio d. 28-Feb-1887. He married Mary E. Burrett.

Charles H. and Mary had one child:

1. Charles Burrett Kent b. Feb-1843 in Ravenna, Ohio d. 14-Dec-1926 in Kent, Ohio. He married Caroline E. Pratt.

Charles B. and Caroline had two children:

i. Paul Huntington Kent b. 12-Oct-1873 in Kent, Ohio d. May 1923.

ii. Elizabeth (Bessie) R. Kent, b. 08-Sep-1875 in Kent, Ohio d. 22-Dec-1913. She was second librarian for the Kent Free Library.

Frances E. Kent b. 19-Nov-1830 in Ravenna, Ohio d. 22-Feb-1900 in Penn. She married George W. Wells.

Frances and George had three children:

1. Helen Wells b. 13-Jun-1853 in Kent Ohio d. 15-Dec-1925 in High-land Park, Mich. She married Kent banker William Parkhill.

2. Harriet Kent Wells b. abt. 1858 in Kent, Ohio. Her married name was Heffron.

3. George Wells b. abt. 1862 in Kent, Ohio.

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Kent fAMily connections

1830sPennsylvania and Ohio Canal

• Canal went from Beaver, Pa., through Ravenna and Kent and then on to Akron

• In 1832, Zenas Kent and David Ladd bought large amounts of land in anticipation of the canal’s success; along with investors, formed the Franklin Land Co.

• Finished canal in 1840, but the economic boom was short-lived for investors

• James A. Garfield drove mules on the canal and stayed in the village’s Cuyahoga House (corner of Cuyahoga and Mantua, now site of Little City Grill)

• Declined in use with coming of the railroads in 1850s and 1860s• Damaged by floods; abandoned in 1869• Remnants of the canal lock can be viewed in the park beneath the Main

Street Bridge

Grist Mill (north of Stow Street and Tannery Park) • In 1832, Zenas Kent and David Ladd’s vast holdings included the

Cuyahoga River and its waterpower • In 1833, Kent bought out Ladd and erected Kent’s Flouring Mill • In 1844, son Marvin became the manager • Although the mill was razed in 1930, remnants of the foundation are

still visible

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Tannery (300 Stow St.) • Zenas built in partnership with John Brown, who designed it during

1835-36 • Tannery was a two-story wooden structure on the west bank of river,

just downstream from the flour mill • Zenas dissolved the partnership with Brown and turned business over to

Marvin to manage• Remained in the Kent family until the 1923 death of Marvin’s son,

William• Building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976,

but demolished later that year by the local owner• City of Kent bought the land in 1978; became part of Kent Parks and

Recreation in 1980 as John Brown Tannery Park

Dam, Franklin Land Co. (Main Street) • First crude dam built by the Haymaker family in 1806 was north of

present day dam, but washed away in the flood of 1832• Franklin Land Co. purchased 150 acres of land and water from Zenas

and rebuilt the dam in 1836 • In 1837, Franklin Land Co. sold all holdings to Franklin Silk Co.

Silk Mill (145 N. River St.)• Zenas sold the land on the west bank of the Cuyahoga to the Franklin

Silk Co.• Ground broken for a silk mill and mulberry trees planted, but the silk

worms died from cold weather• Work was stopped on the building and the land holdings reverted back

to Zenas• Building was completed in 1852 as a cotton mill with five stories, but

remained empty for 20 years• Leased by Marvin in 1878 to Turner Brothers, who started Alpaca Mill

(woolen mills)• After many owners, the building was purchased in 2002 and converted

into its present-day apartments

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Franklin Town Hall (218 Gougler St.) • Begun in 1837 by Zenas (architect and contractor) for the Franklin

Land Co.• Construction halted after the silk mill failed• Funds raised to complete the building in 1839• Walls were 20 inches thick, with a circular stairway• Bell from old Central School (originally called Union school when

opened in 1869) is still standing on front lawn • James A. Garfield nominated here for his first political office as a state

senator

Kent Block (corner of East Main and North Water streets) • Built in 1836-37 by Zenas, one of the tallest buildings in northeast

Ohio and larger than any brick building in Akron or Cleveland at that time

• Constructed at the same time as the covered bridge and dam • Known as the Franklin Exchange and the Revere Block, among other

names • Business reverses left it vacant in 1840s and the story goes that cattle

used to roam through it • Home to many busi-

nesses, including the Kent Cooperative store where citizens bought supplies at wholesale cost to sell (1868); Kent Savings and Loan (1875); Continental Hotel; E.E. France and Co. occupied most of building, also Coe Liv-ingston’s store; Gensemer Bros. Department Store was a major occupant (1922). Other stores included Standard Drug Store, Revco, Purcell’s clothing. The Rathskeller Bar, situated near the tracks, suffered severe damage when a derailment happened in 1940. The derailed boxcars tore out the whole west wall of the Rathskeller Bar

• Masons met for the first time on the fourth floor in 1867: eventually moved to occupy the Marvin Kent House in 1923 after the death of William

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• Damaged by one fire in 1904, it survived until destroyed by fire on Aug. 28, 1972

• Hometown Bank Plaza created on land in 1998 by the Hometown Bank of Kent

Christ Episcopal Church (118 S. Mantua St.)• In 1838, stones for the building were given by Zenas Kent along with

brick and lime for the chimney; it is believed he also donated the land• Church was so well built of hardwood timbers that none of the original

structure was discarded when enlarged in 1900 • Totally remodeled in 1927 through a bequest of $5,000 from William

Kent

1840s-1860s Kent National Bank (East Main and North Water streets)

• Founded 1849 as Franklin Bank of Portage County by Zenas Kent• Kent National Bank

Building erected in 1867 at northeast corner of Water and Main streets

• Zenas, Marvin and William all served as bank presidents

• Marvin converted top floor into an opera house that could seat 700 people

• Third floor removed in 1960 when green glass facing was added • Now Huntington Bank

Glass Works (formerly south of Main Street Bridge near Stow Street)• Partnership of George Wells and Charles H. Kent in 1850 • Utilized sandstone on east side of river from south of railroad station to

Summit Street • In 1864, taken over by Day, Williams and Co. Rock Glass Works until

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it ended in 1885 • Presently, the vacant land is the seasonal home to Haymaker Farmers’

Market on weekends

First Congregational Church (310 Park Ave.) • Land and brick donated by Marvin Kent in 1858 • Kent family who were members included Marvin’s mother Pamelia, his

brother Charles H., and his nephew, Charles B. • Now R.W. Martin Co. at 310 Park Ave.

More information about the building can be found in the R.W. Martin ad on page 9

Universalist Church (228 Gougler Ave.)• First settlers, Haymaker family, founded this oldest continuously serving

church• Marvin donated a site next door to the Franklin Town Hall in 1867• Now Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent

Disciples of Christ Church (northwest corner of now Gougler and Park avenues)

• Kent family provided stone in 1854 for the building which was com-pleted in 1868

• James A. Garfield preached here when he was in town • New church built in 1942 at the corner of West Main and Gougler; old

one was razed

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St. Patrick’s Catholic Church (originally on Portage Street) • Original Gothic structure built in 1868 on Portage Street on land do-

nated by Marvin• Razed in 1958, and the 1960 addition to the school is now located here • New church structure built in 1953 on site of a former vineyard on

North DePeyster Street, next to Kent’s former DePeyster School

1870s-1890sKent Free Library (312 W. Main St.)

• In 1875, first library started in upstairs of Erie Depot for train workers

• Andrew Carnegie gave $10,000 for a new library, with additional community support

• Marvin Kent donated the land at the south-west corner of West Main and South River streets

• Nellie Dingley was first librarian, served seven years, then became nurse and died in World War I

• Marvin’s great niece, Bessie Kent, served as librarian after Dingley

Main Street Bridge • Original contract called for 40-foot wide span, but Marvin Kent and the

Mayor, his brother Charles H. Kent, encouraged the construction of a bridge 60 feet wide making it useful today

• It is believed most of the stones were dug from quarries just northwest of the bridge

• Final stone was put in place by Marvin Kent when it was dedicated on September 24, 1877

Standing Rock Cemetery (1361 N. Mantua St.) • John Davey came to Kent in 1881 to become sexton at Kent’s second

cemetery

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• Considered father of tree surgery science, Davey outlined methods for treating trees in his book, “The Tree Doctor”

• Davey Tree Expert Co. founded in 1906 by John Davey and son, Martin L. Davey

• Besides the beautiful landscaping, many of the Kent families are buried there

• Standing Rock, one of Kent’s best-known landmarks, rises from the middle of the Cuyahoga River at the rear of the cemetery named for it

A tour of some prominent families’ burial sites is available at www.kentohiohistory.org/about_kent.html

Home of William and Helen (Kent) Parkhill (217 E. Main St.)• Built in mid-1880s, it is the last of the

five houses in town with ties to the Kent family

• Helen’s parents built the Wells-Sherman house, also on the tour

• Many of the original features, includ-ing colorful glass windows and pocket doors, remain in the home today.

More information about William Parkhill can be found in the Hometown Bank sponsor ad on page 2

1900sKent Board of Trade (Kent Chamber of Commerce)

• Board of Trade came into existence to attract new jobs as a direct result of a fire at the Seneca Chain Co. in 1909

• Contest was held and the winning slogan for the town was “Kent, Home of Hump and Hustle”

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Kent Normal School (Kent State University front campus) • In 1910, Ohio was looking for a new site for teacher education in the

northeast part of the state • William donated 54 acres for the new school site and served on the

school’s first board of trustees• In 1911, trustees named the new school Kent Normal in appreciation

of the generosity and contributions of William Kent (not after the town)

Lilac Gardens’ Stone Wall (450 West Main St.) • Stone wall in famous garden was completed Nov. 11, 1926, by owner

Daisy Wolcott’s sons, John, Roger and Henry • Stones came from the wall at the Marvin Kent house when they were

replaced by a brick wall

The Lilac Gardens’ site will be open during the tour to visitors. See insert.

Description of Kent, from The Cleveland Press, May 27, 1892:

“Of all the fair gardens in the Western Reserve, surely there is not a fairer one than Kent, sloping eastward, and westward down a picturesque valley to the spring-fed and sparkling waters of the Cuyahoga, presenting south of the falls at the Main Street viaduct a vivid scene of rocky gorges, and to the north deep and mirrored waters upon which pleasure boats stream up a mile or more to Standing Rock and other quaint and historic points. Nature has given the city a perfect drainage, and statistics report it to be as healthful a place as there is in the whole Commonwealth.”

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We move….to move you!

2000 Summit RoadKent, Ohio 44240www.partaonline.org

Portage Area Regional Transportaaon Authority

Phone: 330-678-7745Fax: 330-676-6310Dial-A-Ride: 330-678-1287

34

Thank YouThe Kent Historical Society would like to thank those families and

organizations who have continued to preserve their historic residences and buildings and graciously offered to share them with all of us for the 2016 Historic Kent Town Tour, including Rockton Lodge 316 F & A.M., Cote-rie, Heather and Wade Caldwell, Kent Wells Sherman House, Kent Jaycees and Davey Drill.

Gold Sponsors ($1,000)Bissler & Sons Funeral Home

Brimfield Insurance GroupThe Burbick Foundation

Furukawa Rock Drill, USAHometown Bank

Renaissance 2000, Inc.

Silver Sponsors ($500)Kent Jaycees

PARTAR.W. Martin & Sons, Inc.Wright Heating & Cooling

Bronze Sponsors ($250)Jack and Claudia AmrheinBill and Donna Anderson

Jim and Sallie BearDoris Brown

Colonial MachineDS ArchitectureCarol Lockhart

Linda Bradstock MacDougallPortage Community Bank

Schlabig & Associates, LTD

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Contributing Sponsors ($100)Don and Karen BarrettDon and Jean Booth

Linda and Howard BoyleJona Burton and Kasha Legeza-Burton

City Bank AntiquesCollege Town Kent

Detect AlarmJanet and David Dix

Jim and Becky DunlapBruce and Christina Dzeda

Kitty and Fred EndresJohn and Connie FlynnScott and Anna Flynn

Polly GermerSandra and Henry Halem

Dona May HallPatricia H. Harper

Lynn A. HarveyBetty L. Hejma-SweetJean and John JacobsDave and Sherry JoyKent Kiwanis ClubKent Lions Club

Kent State UniversityAudrey Cielinski Kessler

The Kretovics-Saito FamilyJohn and Kathy Lilley

Melissa M. LongJim and Sally Myers

Thank You

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George and Jane Preston RoseRotary Club of Kent

Mark and Linda SeemanSiefer Electric, Inc.

Smithers-Oasis CompanyCarol and Jim Stroble

Sue Nelson Designs, Ltd Inc.W.W. Reed & Son

Harold and Janet WalkerBill Wilen

Williams, Kratcoski & CanRobert Zavodny

Special thanks to Hometown Bank, Sue Nelson Designs and McKay Bricker Framing for selling the tour booklets. Also thanks to tour co-organizers Dawn Carpenter and Carol Stroble, committee members

Jean Booth, Sandy Halem, Henry Halem, KHS administrator Julie Kenworthy, and book editor Dan Stroble.

The Kent Area Chamber of Commerce, City of Kent,Main Street Kent and Kent City Council welcome you to our

city and the special celebration honoringMarvin Kent’s 200th birthday!

Contributing Sponsors ($100)Thank You

The Kent Historical Society Museum has something for all ages...

Elevator allows accessibility for the handicapped to 2nd floorFriday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. or by special appointment

237 E. Main St.www.kentohiohistory.orgkhs@kentohiohistory.org(330) 678-2712

Our current exhibition, “Then & Now,” features over 100 photographs of historicsites and buildings in Kent which are re-photographed as they appear now.