History of Crown Point Ecology Center

The first European settlers arrived in Bath Township around 1810, purchasing some 1,500 acres after the Treaty of Fort Industry was signed in 1805. Wyandot, Ottawa, Chippewa, Munsee, Delaware, Potawatomi, and Shawnee Nations occupied 1.5 million acres of land south of Lake Erie and west of the Cuyahoga River in northeastern Ohio.

Jacob and Abigail Swigart purchased the property and built a Farmhouse in 1854. The property changed hands a number of times between 1862-1879 with Roswell Hopkins Jr. purchasing the property in 1879 for $9,300. He owned the property until 1949 but never lived onsite. Many renting farmers resided on the property and farmed the land.

In 1910 an appraisal of the property revealed 110-acres of plowable land, 23-acres of pasture, 15-acres of timber and Farmhouse were all in fair-good condition. The barn was listed as new.

The barn listed in the appraisal is the same barn present at Crown Point. This barn replaced an earlier barn which succumbed to fire. Oral history from locals claim children of the renting farmers built a fire on a blistery winter night in hopes of keeping their baby pigs from freezing to death.

By 1949, the property was purchased by Hugh and Mary Stoller. By this time most of the buildings were in desperate need of repair. The 1854 Farmhouse was completely stripped down to the posts and beams. The basement, which was originally only four feet deep, was excavated by hand. A living room and primary bedroom added. Most of the wood for the restoration was obtained from trees on the property and milled in the Century Barn. Local Butternut and Oak were used around the fireplaces and Wisconsin Wormy Chestnut was used upstairs and in the kitchen for the cabinetry. The Stollers maintained a large herd of registered prize winning cattle along with horses, pigs and a large orchard.

In 1962, the highway department purchased 13 acres in order to relocate Route 21, now I-77.

In 1963, a spring-fed pond was added to the northeast corner of the property.

Hugh and Mary Stoller later reached the age of retirement and began making efforts to sell the property as neither of their children were interested in maintaining the property and farm.

In 1967, The Sisters of St. Dominic visited the property with the Bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland. By September 1967 the Sisters had taken the initial steps to purchase the property from the Stollers. In order to realize an immediate income from the property, the house was renovated and turned into a preschool under the direction of Sr. Kathleen Rachan.

A farm atmosphere was preserved by the presence of cattle, sheep, ponies, chickens, cats and dogs.

The upper part of the barn was used as a gym for the children, and a small playground was added. The pre-school was in operation from 1968 to 1977.

In 1977, the preschool closed. However the Sisters continued to reside at Crown Point. The fields were leased to a farmer and the Orchard House was used as a vacation get-away and place of retreat.

The Sisters were often urged to sell the property as the demand for land grew in Bath.

In 1988, the leadership of the Congregation began to study possible uses for the property. The committee focused on determining the most ecologically responsible use of the land. They determined that no synthetic chemicals be used on the fields.

In 1989, members and friends of the Congregation gathered to celebrate the Environmental Sabbath with a blessing of the Crown Point and a prayer of rededication. Sr. Miriam Therese MacGillis from Genesis Farm in New Jersey spent two days with the Congregation and encouraged the Sisters to maintain and care for this sacred land.

In 1990, Crown Point began to offer workshops and study groups to the public and reinvented itself as an education and ecology center.

In 1997, Crown Point began to grow produce for distribution to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. Since the farm has been in existence, Crown Point has donated more than 140,000 lbs of organic produce to the Foodbank and has expanded to 8 acres.

In 1998, Crown Point also began a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Beginning with only 20 families in its inaugural year, the CSA now averages 110 families each year.

Around the time of the Stollers retirement plans, the Sisters of Dominican Peace were making plans to build a new high school. Realizing that this construction would take the remainder of their property near downtown Akron, the Sisters began looking for a property for future needs.

In 1967, the Sisters visited the property with the Bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland. By September 1967 the Sisters had taken initial steps to purchase the property from the Stollers. In order to realize an immediate income from the property, the house was renovated and turned into a preschool under the direction of Sr. Kathleen Rachan. The farm atmosphere was preserved by the presence of 18 cattle, 4 ponies, chickens, cats and dogs. The upper part of the Century Barn was used as a gym for the children, and a small playground with a fort lookout was added. The pre-school was in operation from 1968 to 1977.

When the preschool closed in 1977, the Sisters continued to reside at Crown Point. The fields were leased to a farmer and the Orchard House was used as a vacation get-away and place of retreat.

The Sisters were often urged to sell the property as the demand for land grew in Bath. In 1988 the leadership of the Congregation began to study possible uses for the property. The Committee focused on determining the most ecologically responsible use of the land. They also requested that no synthetic chemicals be used on the fields.

In 1989, members and friends of the Congregation gathered to celebrate the Environmental Sabbath with a blessing of the Crown Point property and a prayer of rededication. Sr. Miriam Therese MacGillis from Genesis Farm in New Jersey spent two days with the Congregation and encouraged the Sisters to maintain and care for this land.

In 1990, Crown Point began to offer workshops and study groups to the public and reinvented itself as an education and ecology center.

In 1997, Crown Point began to grow produce for donation to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. Since the farm has been in existence, Crown Point has donated more than 140,000 lbs of organic produce to the Foodbank and the farm has expanded to 8 acres.

In 1998, Crown Point began a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Beginning with only 20 families in its inaugural year, the CSA now averages 110-120 customers each year.

In 2010, Crown Point Ecology Center reincorporated as its own 501(c)3 non-profit to expand beyond the umbrella of the Dominican Sisters of Peace and take the first steps to being self-funded and supported by members, programs and donations.

While the Dominican Sisters of Peace are still involved, Crown Point has emerged as a “Crowning Jewel" in the area in terms of ecological education, organic farming and sustainability.

In this new era for Crown Point, guided by the core values of community, sustainability, spirituality and justice, our mission is to demonstrate the practical applications of ecology and to connect spirituality, social justice and environmental protection.