Oviatt House receives large antique donation

Brandywine Falls Inn in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park has been a popular place for-out-of-towners to stay while visiting the park, with the falls visible from their doorstep.

Katie and George Hoy had operated the inn for 36 years, but decided it was time to sell. Over their years of ownership, they had decorated the six suites with beautiful, historic Greek Revival furniture and had accumulated in storage an additional large collection of antique furniture.

When the Hoys retired and a new innkeeper leased the inn property from the national park, some of the antique furniture had to be quickly sold.

Judy Bowman, president of Oviatt House 1836, had known the Hoys and, one day, Katie contacted Bowman and said she had to immediately liquidate many antiques and she offered them to the Oviatt House group. “She had period pieces left from the sale and offered to donate everything to us,” Bowman said. 

The Oviatt group sorted, catalogued and safely wrapped up many of the items. Among the huge collection were a “hired man’s” bed, an 1830 cherry butler chest, an early 1800s Chippendale wing chair, hooked rugs, glassware, and a trencher, which was used to make large quantities of bread. An antique crib, chairs, rugs, a dress, and restaurant items were in the truckload, along with sundae-topping containers from a soda shop where Clark Gable worked.

Chuck Rankin offered a section of his barn to the group to store some of the pieces.

Bowman sold some of the items through the Stitches and Stow Away business in Richfield to make money to support the Oviatt House.

When the restored building becomes a museum some of the pieces will help deck the house out to fit the 1830 period when it was the home of Mason and Fannie Oviatt. ∞

One of the many items the Oviatt House team received from the former Brandywine Falls Inn owners was a rocking cradle. Photo by J. Bowman. 

Photo (main/above): After Katie Hoy and her husband, George, sold Brandywine Falls Inn, Katie donated many antique items to Oviatt House 1836. Photo submitted.

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