News

The Summit County Historical Society is opening its grounds to a variety of new programs for the summer of 2018.  On June 19th, an old fashioned bake off will be held to share family recipes and stories for Juneteenth.  Later in that week, the first “Evening with Ewe” will be held from 6-9 p.m.  Tickets are available on EventBrite.  Both events have been planned by Society volunteers Tine Hreno and Edie Steiner. 

Attendees to the Juneteenth event will have the opportunity to sample the bake off entries, view the sheep on Mutton Hill, learn about John Brown’s role in trying to end slavery in the United States and take free tours of the Perkins Stone Mansion first floor.  There is a $5 registration fee to enter the bake off and the cost for attendees is $2 per person for this event.

On Thursday, June 21st, the first Evening with Ewe will be held with the theme of Wine and Painting.  Advance registration is required for an evening of fun on the front porch painting while sipping wine.  Local artist Candace Monfano will be guiding the painters and all may enjoy apéro, drinks with a bite to eat, as they do in Paris.  All attendees will take home a work of art that they created en plein air. The cost is $50 for Society members and $70 for non-members. Ticket costs include a sheep herding demonstration, tour of the 1837 Perkins Stone Mansion, dinner, parking and gratuities.  Non-member tickets include membership to the Society that can be used for future event discounts.

June - Mutton Hill programming:

June 20 – Working Dog Wednesday at 4 p.m. (Free and open to the public)

June 22 – Singing with the Sheep at 10:30 a.m. (Free and open to the public) This program is a collaborative with Baldwin Wallace music therapy students and this event is funded in part by WalMart and our local Sam’s Club.  Free kazoos while they last.

June 29 – Stories with the Sheep at 10:30 a.m. (Free and open to the public) This program is a collaborative with Akron-Summit County Public Library.

Upcoming Programs for July:

July 7 – Annual Family Fun Day from noon – 4 p.m. (free and open to the public)

July 10 – Akron History Hike at Deep Lock Quarry starting at 7 p.m. (free)

The Society is collaborating with The Spicy Lamb Farm of Peninsula to bring the flock to the mansion grounds. Owner Laura DeYoung, Executive Director of Urban Shepherds, Inc., is excited to see sheep brought back into the city. “We hope to promote urban sheep grazing as a cost-saving and environmental alternative to mowing.”

 “Mutton Hill” is the name that residents of 19th century Akron gave to this 150-acre farm. Four generations of the Perkins family lived at the Stone Mansion estate. Simon Perkins built a reputation for fine wool, later becoming an Ohio senator who founded Summit County. Perkins’ son George Tod Perkins, who also lived at the mansion, became the second president of BF Goodrich Company.

A grant from the R. C. and Katharine M. Musson Charitable Foundation supports the return of the sheep.