Save the Slate
Donation protected
The former home of a Civil War colonel and an Underground Railroad site, the Col. H. G. Blake House, a place that has offered so much to so many, now needs you.
So far, we have done structural repairs, pulled in the side of the house and bolstered it with the guidance of a forensic architect. The original slate roof has been repaired with three courses being replaced, matching the slate with slate from the same quarry as the original slate.
Restoration work that still needs completing includes a wide variety of various other repairs, including repairs to porches, ceilings, floors, door frames, and doors and removing the modern vinyl siding that was badly applied by others several years ago and restoring the house's underlying original wooden siding.
Built in 1848, the home is on the National Register of Historic Places for being an Underground Railroad site (1855-1861) and for being an integral part of the history of Medina, Ohio, as well as the United States.
A holder and protector of families for 168 years, the house was home to one family, the Shepard-Griesinger-McClellands, for more than 100 (1873 to the mid-1980s) of those years.
The house was named for Col. Blake who was an Underground Railroad conductor here in the 1850s and was the founder of the town's first bank (which still existed until a few years ago), general store clerk, newspaper editor, a colonel in the Union Army, a friend of Abraham Lincoln, state senator, general everyman and do-gooder of Medina, and more.
Many artifacts have been discovered on the property over the years, including a stack of plates that was buried in the basement crawlspace where escaping slaves ate meals in hiding. The plates, as well as other artifacts, are on display for visitors and tour participants.
This is our home, and we have the great honor of living in and caring for this national treasure.
We have worked to honor the house’s history and value to the community by sharing it with countless tour groups and schoolchildren for free in an effort to educate others about the importance of the Underground Railroad as well as the beauty and priceless value of historic homes.
Because this national treasure sits on almost an acre and a half of land on a corner just a block from Medina’s Public Square, there is constant pressure from many who want the property for its commercial value, some of whom have made it clear they would intentionally get rid of the house through demolition by neglect so as to use the land for a parking lot.
Medina has lost more than 41 historic structures in the last 50 years, we need your help to keep this National Register site from being next.
Because there are no funds available to restore historic homes, we are working to raise funds to save this amazing historic site.
Our goal is to raise enough money to restore the house and to maintain as much of its original components as possible.
In honor of those who have gone before, of those still here, and of those yet to come, we respectfully ask that you help us save this wonderful home and national treasure.
Any size donation is gratefully accepted and deeply appreciated.
Thank you.
So far, we have done structural repairs, pulled in the side of the house and bolstered it with the guidance of a forensic architect. The original slate roof has been repaired with three courses being replaced, matching the slate with slate from the same quarry as the original slate.
Restoration work that still needs completing includes a wide variety of various other repairs, including repairs to porches, ceilings, floors, door frames, and doors and removing the modern vinyl siding that was badly applied by others several years ago and restoring the house's underlying original wooden siding.
Built in 1848, the home is on the National Register of Historic Places for being an Underground Railroad site (1855-1861) and for being an integral part of the history of Medina, Ohio, as well as the United States.
A holder and protector of families for 168 years, the house was home to one family, the Shepard-Griesinger-McClellands, for more than 100 (1873 to the mid-1980s) of those years.
The house was named for Col. Blake who was an Underground Railroad conductor here in the 1850s and was the founder of the town's first bank (which still existed until a few years ago), general store clerk, newspaper editor, a colonel in the Union Army, a friend of Abraham Lincoln, state senator, general everyman and do-gooder of Medina, and more.
Many artifacts have been discovered on the property over the years, including a stack of plates that was buried in the basement crawlspace where escaping slaves ate meals in hiding. The plates, as well as other artifacts, are on display for visitors and tour participants.
This is our home, and we have the great honor of living in and caring for this national treasure.
We have worked to honor the house’s history and value to the community by sharing it with countless tour groups and schoolchildren for free in an effort to educate others about the importance of the Underground Railroad as well as the beauty and priceless value of historic homes.
Because this national treasure sits on almost an acre and a half of land on a corner just a block from Medina’s Public Square, there is constant pressure from many who want the property for its commercial value, some of whom have made it clear they would intentionally get rid of the house through demolition by neglect so as to use the land for a parking lot.
Medina has lost more than 41 historic structures in the last 50 years, we need your help to keep this National Register site from being next.
Because there are no funds available to restore historic homes, we are working to raise funds to save this amazing historic site.
Our goal is to raise enough money to restore the house and to maintain as much of its original components as possible.
In honor of those who have gone before, of those still here, and of those yet to come, we respectfully ask that you help us save this wonderful home and national treasure.
Any size donation is gratefully accepted and deeply appreciated.
Thank you.
Organizer
Amy Barnes
Organizer
Medina, OH
