19th century farmhouse in Cuyahoga Falls will be preserved, restored

CUYAHOGA FALLS — A 19th century farmhouse that was scheduled to be demolished will now be preserved, according to the city's leader.

Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Walters said the Keyser-Swain Farmhouse in Keyser Park, 851 W. Bath Road, will undergo a complete exterior restoration that will preserve its structural integrity. At the same time, renovations will also be made to the nearby Northampton Town Hall.

The city will soon begin plans for the restoration of the exterior of the Keyser-Swain Farmhouse that was built in 1877 in the former Northampton Township. Once the plans are approved, a contract will be bid and awarded, and restoration work will commence. Work is anticipated to begin in late 2021, with project completion expected in 2022. Northampton Town Hall will undergo façade improvements and internal renovations to improve the overall appearance and usability of the rentable facility while improving ADA accessibility.

In early 2021, the city's Parks and Recreation Department published a Continuous Improvement Plan that took a comprehensive look at the parks system. That plan included a recommendation that the Keyser-Swain Farmhouse be demolished due to safety issues, according to city officials.

More:Cuyahoga Falls to tear down 19th century farmhouse that local history group wants to save

A group of citizens formed an organization called Friends of Keyser-Swain Farmhouse and undertook efforts to preserve the structure. Inspections performed in late spring by four historic building experts determined that the Keyser-Swain Farmhouse was "100% salvageable," according to the leaders of Friends of Keyser-Swain Farmhouse. The group then offered its own proposal for restoring the building. 

More:Citizens group moves ahead to restore 19th century farmhouse

The city is now assuming the responsibility of handling the restoration work.

"We consider this a victory because our end goal was achieved," said Sarah Deitrick and Beth Kinney, who are the founders of Friends of Keyser-Swain Farmhouse. "We created community awareness and presented ideas that yielded a positive result."

The city had already planned to restore Northampton Town Hall and is now expanding the project to include preserving Keyser-Swain Farmhouse to maintain the park's historic aesthetics, the mayor said.

“Saving the Keyser-Swain House and restoration efforts to Northampton Town Hall allow us to be fiscally responsible with expenditures of tax dollars while maintaining consistency in the planning, redevelopment, and preservation of Keyser Park as a whole,” Walters said. “Visitors to the park will also see the addition of Sugar Maple Trail, a hiking trail with informational signage highlighting the maple syrup process. Interactive activities will be hosted for the community.”

The goal of the plan for Keyser Park is to have expanded offerings and connected pathways across the almost 73-acre park to help ensure that all areas of the park are fully accessible and utilized.

Reporter Phil Keren can be reached at pkeren@thebeaconjournal.com, or on Twitter at @keren_phil.