Center Family House (Southeast View), 1898

Baus caption: The Center Family House in 1898

Baus caption: The Center Family House in 1898

Name/Title

Center Family House (Southeast View), 1898

Entry/Object ID

082.1931 Bau.14

Tags

19th Century, North Union Shakers, Warrensville Township, 1890s, Boulevard Neighborhood, Shaker Heights, Architecture

Description

Plate 14 from from Shakers & Kirtland by Louis Baus showing a southeast view of the Center Family house on Lee Road. Baus description: "[Plate 13] On the west side of Lee Rd. between the present South Park Blvd. and Shaker Blvd., stood the Center Family house. This was built in 1826, on the site of the log cabin owned by Ralph Russell, the first convert to Shakerism in this section. It was through his efforts that the colony was organized in the locality. The dwelling when built was 30 x 40 ft and two stories high. In 1840 a two story kitchen, 20 x 60 ft. was added, and a bell weighing 326 lbs. costing $130 was purchased in Cincinnati. The kitchen consisted also of a dining room with two long tables, seating twenty five at each. The sisters sat on the south and the brethren on the north side. Over the dining room was a chapel, used three evenings a week for family worship, also on Sunday. West of the cook room was the bake room and over these were two living rooms and two shops for the sisters. At this time, 1840 there were a hundred members at the middle family, including children. Lower photo [plate 14], shows it ten years after the colony left. After it was used by various tenants and torn down in the early 1900s. A large brick mansion now stands on the old sight [sic]."

Photograph Details

Subject Place

Township

Warrensville Township

County

Cuyahoga County

State/Province

Ohio

Country

United States

Category

Photographs
Archives

Acquisition

Notes

Gift of Eugene L. Baus, 1974

Made/Created

Date made

1898

Location

Location

Room

Elizabeth Nord Library & Archives

Building

Shaker Historical Society

Date

September 20, 2025

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

North Union Shaker Village, Louis Baus

Related Publications

Publication

Shakers of Ohio, Shakers & Kirtland

Notes

Image used on page 125 of MacLean's Shakers of Ohio