News

Society celebrates 95th birthday at Family Fun Day, Saturday, July 13

The Summit County Historical Society will be celebrating its 95th birthday on Saturday, July 13, at Family Fun Day, from 1 to 4 p.m., rain or shine. Come join in the fun on this special birthday!

The John Brown House, former home of the abolitionist/Harpers Ferry raider, will be open for tours. After more than a year of renovations, the house is finally open with new exhibits, new interactivity activities and a new sculpture by nationally known artist Woodrow Nash.

The Perkins Stone Mansion will also be open for tours. Tours of both homes, located at 550 Copley Road in Akron, are free, as are all events during Family Fun Day.

The sheep, border collies (Rudy, Luke and Lincoln) and shepherdess Edie Steiner are back with lots in store for children and adults. The Society will also be announcing the winner naming the new border collie that is joining the pack (see attached image). Herding demonstrations, of course, are planned but the sheep have a couple of surprises for the visitors, including a watermelon-eating competition – sheep vs. humans.

Family Fun Day will also have crafts and games, horse dancing and music.  All free and open to the public.

The Summit County Historical Society was established in 1924 by the Cuyahoga-Portage County Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution with the mission of “collecting and preserving information relating to the history of Summit County….” Since them, hundreds of thousands of Summit County residents have explored their history through the properties, collections and events at the Society.