• Photo of the Beaver Marsh by Jeffrey Gibson.

    Cuyahoga Valley

    National Park Ohio

  • Canal Road Partially Closed Monday May 14, 2012

    Canal Road will be closed to all traffic from Hillside to Tinkers Creek Road beginning Monday, May 14 until early September, 2012, for construction. Although Hillside Road will be open, the recommended route to Canal Visitor Center is from Rockside Road More »

  • Ice Box Cave Closed

    Ice Box Cave, located in the Ritchie Ledges, is now closed in an effort to slow the spread of a disease to our bat population. More »

Stanford House

The George Stanford House is located on a rural section of Stanford Road, just north of the small village of Boston. It enjoys a commanding view of the Cuyahoga River and the adjacent Ohio & Erie Canal. James Stanford settled the property in 1806, and served in several township offices. He was a member of the original surveyors of Boston Township before deciding to move his family to the area. James' son George Stanford built the large farmhouse that still stands today.

 
Stanford Hostel.
©Denny Reiser
 
Stanford Barn.

©Denny Reiser

Stanford Barn.

On the Stanford farm during the late 19th century, George and his son, George C. Stanford, worked in close harmony, expanding their operation to include not only the cultivation of crops, but also dairying and lumbering. Both George and his son were also very active in local politics, serving many positions in public office, including Justice of the Peace. After his father's death in 1883, George C. Stanford inherited the farm and continued to raise wheat, cattle, and sheep.

Click to read a first-hand account of life on the Stanford Farm in the 1920s.


George C. Stanford's daughter Ellen eventually passed the farm along to her nephew, Ernest Dickenson. Rena Fiedler, lifelong valley resident, remembers growing up on her grandfather Ernest's farm. Click the link below to hear Rena talk about life on the Stanford Farm in the 1930s.

 
Oral history audio.

In Their Own Words
Click the topic to hear stories about Cuyahoga Valley life.

Life on the Stanford Farm (1 minute 4 seconds)
Rena Fiedler, whose grandparents owned the Stanford Farm, recalls the products her grandfather raised and what the property looked like in the 1930s.



In recent years, the Stanford House joined the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. After several renovations, the Stanford House has since served as lodging for visitors. Click to plan your stay at the Stanford House.

Did You Know?

Aerial view of the winding Cuyahoga River.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park's namesake river flows north and south. The Cuyahoga River begins its 100 mile journey in Geauga County, flows south to Cuyahoga Falls where it turns sharply north and flows through CVNP. American Indians referred to the U-shaped river as Cuyahoga or "crooked river."