Crown Point Ecology Center

The Early Years

Since much of the land in Bath, Ohio was not considered desirable because it is rough and precipitous, the area was not settled as early as some neighboring townships. The first European settlers arrived on the land around 1810. Crown Point's property was part of the 1,100 acres purchased by Jason Hammond, a farmer, miller and merchant from Bolton, Connecticut.

The tax records for Crown Point indicate that Jacob and Abigail Swigart built a home here in 1854 using hand-hewn wood from the property. Between 1862 and 1879 the property changed hands four times. In 1879 the property was purchased by Roswell Hopkins Jr. for $9,300. Although the Hopkins family owned the property until 1949 they never chose to live here.

A 1910 appraisal of the Crown Point property indicates the following features: 110 acres plow land - GOOD; 23 acres pasture - FAIR; 15 acres timber - FAIR; house - FAIR; barn - NEW. The present barn at Crown Point was constructed in around 1910. Oral history has it that the previous barn burned down when renting farmers built a fire to keep their baby pigs warm.

In 1949 the property was purchased by Hugh and Mary Ann Stoller. By this time most of the buildings were in desperate need of repair. The original 1854 house 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 master bedroom were added. Most of the wood for the restoration was obtained from trees on the property and milled in the barn. Butternut was used for the fireplace and the bedroom was finished with native oak.

The Stollers maintained a large herd of registered prize winning cattle. At its peak there were 87 in the herd. There were also horses, pigs and a large orchard.

In 1962, the highway department purchased 13 acres in order to relocate Route 21, now Interstate 77. In 1963 a spring-fed pond was added to the northeast corner of the property.

A Place of Childhood Memories

As Hugh and Mary Ann Stoller reached the age of retirement, they realized that their sons were not interested in maintaining the farm. At the same time, the Sisters of St. Dominic of Akron were making plans to build a new high school. Realizing that this construction would take the remainder of their property near downtown Akron, the Sisters began looking for a property for future needs. One of the properties brought to their attention was the Stoller farm.

In August 1967 the Sisters visited the property with the Bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland. They were invited to "see the sights from the 'Crown Point' of Bath Township." The Bishop was impressed and offered to buy the property for use by the Diocese if the Sisters did not buy it. By September 1967 the Sisters had taken the initial steps to purchase the property from the Stollers.

In order to realize an immediate income from the property, the house was renovated to be used as a pre-school under the direction of Sr. Kathleen Rachan. The pre-school served children ages 3-5. During renovations the Sisters tried to maintain the architectural lines of the Western Reserve style.

A farm atmosphere was preserved by the presence of 18 steer, one heifer, four ponies, chickens, cats and dogs. The upper part of the barn was used as a gym for the children, and a small playground with a fort and 'lookout hill' was added. The pre-school was in operation from 1968 to 1977.

A New Beginning for a special place

After the pre-school closed the Sisters continued to reside at Crown Point. The fields were leased to a farmer and the Orchard House was used as a vacation get-away and place of private retreat.

The Sisters were often urged to sell the property as the demand for land grew in Bath. In 1988 the leadership of the Congregation began to study possible uses for the property. The Committee focused on determining the most ecologically responsible use of the land. They also requested that no synthetic chemicals be used on the fields.

In June 1989 members and friends of the Congregation gathered to celebrate the Environmental Sabbath with a blessing of the Crown Point property and a prayer of rededication. Sr. Miriam Therese MacGillis from Genesis Farm in New Jersey spent two days with the Congregation and encouraged the Sisters to maintain and care for this land.

In 1990 Crown Point began to offer workshops and study groups to the public. Today Crown Point offers a variety of educational programs for both children and adults. Each year, hundreds of children participate in Summer Earth Camps, Farm Based Environmental education programs, Youth Service Learning Projects, and more. For adults, Crown Point offers labyrinth walks, seasonal celebrations, book discussions and retreats.

In 1997, Crown Point began to grow produce for distribution to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. Over the last 8 years, Crown Point has donated more than 140,000 lbs of organic produce to the Foodbank and the farm has expanded to 10 acres. Crown Point also began a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program in 1998. This programs has grown from 20 families in 1998 to more than 70 families this growing season.

These past 16 years as an ecology center have been wonderfully challenging as the Sisters of St. Dominic have sought to preserve this unique property while at the same time promoting the principles of community, sustainability, spirituality and justice.