Point Farm

Black and white photo of Nathanial Point farmhouse, a two-story home with an enclosed porch and a large tree in the front yard.
Nathanial Point's farmhouse.

NPS Collection

In a line of evergreen and maple trees, on a section of land that was once an ancient terrace of the Cuyahoga River, stands the Point Farm. Just outside Everett, it is located on Akron Peninsula Road, north of Bolanz Road. From the 1870s farmhouse, Nathanial Point, Sr. could look north to his fields, east to his barn, south to a steep wooded hillside, and west to the bank of the Cuyahoga River. For almost a century (1857 to 1940), generations of Points lived and worked here. The history of the Point Farm illustrates how, after the Civil War, dairy farming and grain production rose in significance in Northeast Ohio.

 
 
 
 

Business of Farming

Nathanial Point's successful dairy business took advantage of newer forms of transportation, including the canal and railroad, which carried his products to Akron. The Point family also raised other livestock, vegetables, and grains. Beginning with three or four cows, Nathanial built up a prosperous operation that depended on the accessibility of the city, the fertility of his land, and the perseverance of his family.

 
A blue farm-style, two-story house with a large porch and a chimney, the former Goatfeathers Point Farm.
The Point-Biro property is now in the park's farming program.

© Jeffrey Gibson

Changes through Time

In 1940, after the death of young Nathanial Point III, the family decided to leave their farm. Daniel Biro, a Hungarian immigrant, later purchased the property. His subsistence farm supported his four children and their families during lean times. They moved a large farmhouse from nearby Quick Road and split it in two, so everyone had a home. The Biros made additional income by selling gravel and topsoil.

During the establishment of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the National Park Service bought the historic farm. For a time, it was used as office space for the park friends' group. By the early 2000s, it was rehabilitated and became a Countryside Initiative farm. The property's agricultural heritage has been restored. New farmers now raise pastured meat goats and heritage breed turkeys.

 
Point Farm barn, a light cream colored barn on a small hill in the middle of a green field. A green forest is in the background.
One of the Point Farm barns is still in use today.

© Jeffrey Gibson

 

Last updated: May 8, 2024

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15610 Vaughn Road
Brecksville, OH 44141

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440 717-3890

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