Hale Farm & Village
Encyclopedia
Hale Farm and Village is a historic property of the Western Reserve Historical Society
in Bath Township
, Summit County
, Ohio
, United States
. It is within the boundaries of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park
. Hale Farm was the original homestead of Jonathan Hale a Connecticut
farmer who migrated to the Western Reserve in 1810. In 1973 Hale Farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
as the Jonathan Hale Homestead. The Hale House was built in 1825.
The Western Reserve Historical Society
opened Hale Farm in 1958 after receiving the property from Clara Belle Ritchie, descendant of Jonathan Hale.
The eastern half of Hale Farm and Village is a living history museum that has a variety of historical buildings, most relocated from elsewhere. This recreated village is called Wheatfield. The majority of Wheatfield's structures are inhabited by people who present information on their location but acknowledge the modern world. This technique is known as third-person interpretation. First-person interpretation means that the inhabitants of a structure work as actors who play out the livelihood of a certain year and setting. The timeframe reenacted by the first-person interpreters at Wheatfield was 1862 in 2007. Each year, the actors will move forward one year, until they reach 1865, the end of the American Civil War
, at which point they will revert to 1861, which was the beginning of the war. They also offer programs such as A Fugitive's Path to Freedom.
Hale Farm and Village also has demonstrations of various nineteenth century trades such as candle, broom, and brick making, glass blowing, and a blacksmith shop.
Western Reserve Historical Society
The Western Reserve Historical Society was founded in 1867, making it the oldest cultural institution in Northeast Ohio. WRHS is located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.-About:...
in Bath Township
Bath Township, Summit County, Ohio
Bath Township is one of the nine townships of Summit County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 9,635 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the western part of the county, it borders the following townships and cities:...
, Summit County
Summit County, Ohio
Summit County is an urban county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 542,899. In the 2010 Census the population was 541,781. Its county seat is Akron...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is within the boundaries of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Cuyahoga Valley National Park preserves and reclaims the rural landscape along the Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cleveland in Northeast Ohio. The park is the only national park in Ohio.Cuyahoga means "crooked river" in Mohawk....
. Hale Farm was the original homestead of Jonathan Hale a Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
farmer who migrated to the Western Reserve in 1810. In 1973 Hale Farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as the Jonathan Hale Homestead. The Hale House was built in 1825.
Wheatfield
Western Reserve Historical Society
The Western Reserve Historical Society was founded in 1867, making it the oldest cultural institution in Northeast Ohio. WRHS is located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.-About:...
opened Hale Farm in 1958 after receiving the property from Clara Belle Ritchie, descendant of Jonathan Hale.
The eastern half of Hale Farm and Village is a living history museum that has a variety of historical buildings, most relocated from elsewhere. This recreated village is called Wheatfield. The majority of Wheatfield's structures are inhabited by people who present information on their location but acknowledge the modern world. This technique is known as third-person interpretation. First-person interpretation means that the inhabitants of a structure work as actors who play out the livelihood of a certain year and setting. The timeframe reenacted by the first-person interpreters at Wheatfield was 1862 in 2007. Each year, the actors will move forward one year, until they reach 1865, the end of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, at which point they will revert to 1861, which was the beginning of the war. They also offer programs such as A Fugitive's Path to Freedom.
Hale Farm and Village also has demonstrations of various nineteenth century trades such as candle, broom, and brick making, glass blowing, and a blacksmith shop.