FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Emily Poznako
WRHS Chief of Staff
epoznako@wrhs.org
216.721.5722 X 1201
CLEVELAND, OH – Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS) is pleased to announce a $250,000 capital appropriation from The State of Ohio for the Cranz Farm Inn and Event Center at Hale Farm & Village, Ohio’s premier outdoor living history museum located in Bath, Ohio, Summit County.
Hale Farm & Village’s long history of service and hospitality started when founder Jonathan Hale’s grandson, Charles Oviatt, or ‘CO’ Hale and his wife, Pauline, opened the iconic Jonathan Hale House and grounds to boarders and guests in the early 20th century. Hale family ledgers and guest books preserved in the WRHS Library and Archives document the many individuals and families who stayed in the house and several cottages that graced the property, passing through, working, or to seek respite from city life. WRHS will continue this tradition today at the Cranz Farm Inn and Event Center, building on Hale Farm & Village’s popularity today as a highly sought after venue for weddings, private parties, and corporate and nonprofit events and meetings.
Support from the State of Ohio will restore and repurpose the historic Edward Cranz Farm, including a mid-19th century farmhouse and outbuildings, as a one-of-a-kind venue for overnight stays, private parties, events, and corporate retreats.
“The renovation of the historic 19th century Cranz Farm property gives visitors new opportunities to explore the history of the Western Reserve, Hale Farm & Village and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We appreciate the ongoing support of our legislative champions who are helping make this vision a reality. “ - Peter Kelly, WRHS Board Chair
“Today, the property, owned and operated by the Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS), is underutilized and few opportunities exist within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) for overnight stays," says Kelly Falcone-Hall, WRHS President & CEO. "We fully expect the Cranz Farm Inn and Event Center to bring local and out of town guests to the CVNP, to Hale Farm & Village, and to Northeast Ohio. WRHS genuinely appreciates support from The State of Ohio for helping to make this longstanding vision a reality.”
"When you enter Hale Farm & Village, it is like stepping back through time. It provides a glimpse into the simplistic beauty and craftsmanship that defined our Western Reserve in the late 1800's. I was delighted to help secure funding for this Cranz Farm project at Hale Farm & Village and know that it will delight and attract visitors to our area."
- State Senator Kristina Roegner
Since 2014, WRHS has invested more than $14 million to renovate, upgrade and physically transform guest experiences at WRHS, including Hale Farm & Village, its outdoor living history museum located in Bath, Ohio. Funded through a combination of public and private support, capital improvements have significantly improved WRHS’s accessibility, safety, sustainability and overall guest experience, with fresh, modern, inclusive exhibitions, and green gathering places, sustainable landscapes and outdoor galleries and gardens, all ideal for public and private events. These transformative projects allow WRHS to continue to deliver on its promise to achieve greater excellence in its mission, and sustain WRHS for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations.
“We are very pleased to be able to provide this funding to Hale Farm & Village. These renovations will not only provide a unique event venue for the community, but will also make great use of existing assets.”
- STATE REPRESENTATIVE BILL ROEMER
About the Western Reserve Historical Society and Hale Farm & Village
Founded in 1867, Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS) is Northeast Ohio’s premier storyteller based on its vast collection of the tangible history of Northeast Ohio. It is one of the oldest and largest nonprofit regional historical societies in the nation. WRHS presents the lives and activities of the 19th-Century through historic Hale Farm & Village in Bath, Ohio. WRHS offers a wealth of resources to research your family heritage at the Cleveland History Center in University Circle, Cleveland.
WRHS is a Smithsonian Affiliate (www.affiliations.si.edu), a national outreach program that develops collaborative partnerships with cultural organizations to enrich communities with Smithsonian resources. WRHS is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. Sponsorships, bequests, grants, admissions, and other funding are used by WRHS to preserve and enrich the region’s artistic and cultural heritage. WRHS has earned a top four-star rating from Charity Navigator, the nation’s most-used independent evaluator of charities and nonprofits.
