Stanford House

The Stanford House in spring.

© Denny Reiser

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.

 

The Stanford Barn stands near the house.

© Denny Reiser

On the Stanford farm during the late 1800s, 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.

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. Play the audio clip below to hear Rena talk about life on the Stanford Farm in the 1930s.

 

• Life on the Stanford Farm

  
  

  Rena Fiedler, whose grandparents owned the Stanford Farm, recalls the products her grandfather raised and what the property looked like in the 1930s.
  Audio Transcript

  Well, Grandpa ran it, and Grandma did just about everything in the whole world. I think back and wonder how she ever did it. They had hired men, not always the same number, depending on what season they were in and what they were doing. And Grandpa was a farmer farmer, I mean, they lived because they farmed. But he farmed everything – he had cattle, and the horses, and chickens and pigs. I don’t know what they’d done with the other land; he had fields across the canal, which would be west of the main house, and all the fields west of the road. A lot of fields and also a “sugar bush” – that’s where they made maple syrup. And he had a sugar bush on the east side. He originally was on a little farm farther down the road, which was his parents’ farm. So when he started with the Stanford farm, he literally at one time had all the fields in the valley there.

 

 

Spend a Night at Stanford House

Stanford House is the perfect space for fostering creativity, productivity, and relaxation for your next meeting. This stunning historic farmhouse is located just steps from the iconic Towpath Trail and a short hike from Brandywine Falls.

• Make Reservations

• Learn more about the history of Stanford House

Are you looking for food and lodging options in the area? Communities within a 15-minute drive include Peninsula, Brecksville, Macedonia, Richfield, and Hudson. Learn more about nearby attractions.