“I wanted to give something back that is going to be here for a long time.” - Dale Griffis, of Cold Harbor Building Co.
Nearly 10 years have passed since an ad hoc committee commissioned with assessing the log cabin on Chardon Square first reported problems ranging from inadequate water supply and bathroom facilities to poor heating and an aging roof.
Since then, plans to replace the oft-used facility with a Heritage House went through numerous design changes, funding obstacles, litigation and other hurdles before being completed this fall by Chardon-based Cold Harbor Building Company.
The price tag for the Heritage House was capped at $600,000, with funding coming from donations, including significant contributions from the Cleveland Foundation’s Lake-Geauga Fund and the Geauga County Maple Festival, as well as city and state donations.
Last week, Chardon finally opened up the Heritage House to the general public during a Nov. 24 ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house attended by several dozen residents.
“There is no one person that brought all this together. It was brought together by so many different people at so many different times over those nine years,” said Mayor Phil King. “I think the only thing that will take longer to get from start to finish is going to be the bike path, which will be equally as wonderful to use.”
The 2,900-square-foot Heritage House, which replaced a 1962 log cabin, is dedicated to the maple syrup industry and history of the community as well as rented out for meetings and events. Officials see it as a potential economic development tool.
The 53-year-old cabin was used about 160 days a year by more than 25 organizations for meetings, sign-ups and public events, and received heavy use during maple production season.
During the annual maple festival, maple syrup will be produced inside the Heritage House, just like it was in the old sugarhouse erected on the square every year.
“So this will have a very historic part of the maple syrup industry on the square,” King said.
Festival President Dale Diemer said his group was included in the design and functionality of the Heritage House, such that the evaporator has a permanent home now and the maple stir booth has internal and external serving counters.
“There have been a lot of traditions wrapped around the maple festival and right here, in this place, today, right now, opportunity for a lot more other traditions to begin,” he added.
State Sen. John Eklund, R-Munson Township, said what the Heritage House represents existed long before the building was created.
“It’s very difficult to put into words sometimes, but there is a sense that we take care of each other, through it all, just as people from Chardon have been taking care of each other since the day the square burned down in the 19th century and was rebuilt,” said Eklund. “When I heard they were going to be a little short on funds to get it done, there was no thought associated with it, because I knew then what I know now, that it was going to represent the heart and soul and fiber of the community.”
State Rep. John Patterson, D-Jefferson, said when he thinks of the Heritage House, he thinks of Chardon at its best, alluding to the many twists and turns the project took over the years.
“But you never gave up, you kept going,” he said. “And here it is today.”
Added Patterson, “I want you to look around closely at this building, because it’s a metaphor for what makes Chardon great. You have blended so well the ingenuity of the present, with the evaporator and the high-tech windows, but you’ve preserved the bedrock that makes us who we are — the stones, the clear maple-trimmed windows, the doors.”
The majority of comments on the The Geauga County Maple Leaf’s Facebook post with a photo album of the new facility were positive.
“I think it’s a beautiful building and will be a wonderful gathering place for the town, especially during sugaring season,” Jennie Bechtel wrote.
“As opposed as I was to this building going up, it’s truly a wonderful place on our square,” wrote Kim Arnold. “I really love it! Although I will dearly miss standing in a steam-filled room eating my stir.”
“Looks very cozy and welcoming,” said Esther Leleszi White. “What a great addition to our Chardon.”
“This is just perfect, so glad they did this one,” Barbara Worthy commented.
But others, like Edythe Carr Heinz, gave the new facility a less than flattering review.
“I don’t like this at all,” wrote Heinz.
“So miss the log cabin,” wrote Tammy Lynn Dowling. “This just doesn’t fit Chardon at all. So sad to see this.”
Rae Callaghan added, “Disappointed. Can we thank the city fathers for this? It sure does spoil Chardon.”
The interior of the new facility houses a permanent sugarhouse evaporation display, accommodates flexible meeting space for up to 60 people and includes a kitchen area and multiple restrooms.
Other details include acid-stained maple leaf stamps in the concrete on the porch, a seat wall created from reclaimed sandstone from the 1868 courthouse, custom barn doors and handles crafted by local artisans, cottage-style windows, a retaining wall constructed with reclaimed sandstone from the foundation of a Chardon home and a fireplace mantel hand-crafted from 150-year-old Geauga County barn timbers.
“This building is the love toil of Dale Griffis of Cold Harbor because there are so many individual touches in this building along with so many contri-butions by other members of the community,” King said. “This building will forever memorialize what this community can do and what it’s all about.”
Touches include twisted rods on the exterior kitchen sliding door from John Svoboda Jr. of Chardon Welding. The bent rods are attached to the wall with cut maple leaves.
The wood features inside the kitchen are actual siding reclaimed from barns that Cold Harbor acquired in Geauga County and the three bronze maple leaves that adorn the fireplace mantel are leaves taken from the maple tree that was saved next to the Heritage House.
“So a lot of love and tender care has come to this building, and I think when you first walk in, you can see how valuable this will be and how wonderful it will be not only for our generation, but for generations to come,” said King.
He added, “I saved the best for last. If any of you used the old log cabin, it was a real pleasure to have to go to the bathroom in that building. You all know what I mean.”
The new facility features men and women public restrooms that will be accessible until 9 p.m. every night.
Griffis said the old log cabin was a wonderful structure, donated by people who gave of their time 50 years ago to build a meeting place for the community.
“It just was a building that outlived its life,” he said.
Griffis said he tried to use as many local people as he could to build the Heritage House.
“One thing I’m proud of is that about 80 percent of the people who worked on this building actually graduated from Chardon High School,” he explained.
“The community is nice enough to have put the time and effort into our children, in raising them in what I call ‘the machine’ that is Chardon, where you get young, respectful people graduating from the high school,” added Griffis. “I wanted to give something back that is going to be here for a long time.”
Dominick Durante Jr., president of Cleveland-based LDA Architects, said the building’s design captures the heritage of the Chardon community and the maple sugaring industry.
“So the vision of the building was that of a sugarbush, which I think you all realize is the way it looks,” he said. “It’s just a recognition of our history and our heritage, and it’s brought to fruition and life here in this building, through Dale’s hard work and efforts.”
Chardon began accepting 2016 applications from city residents, businesses and nonprofit groups for use of the newly constructed Heritage House beginning Nov. 20.
Proof of city residency/address is required. The reservation form can be found on the city’s website, chardon.cc/facilities, or obtained from the city manager’s office at 111 Water St.
Reservations will be taken from those who live outside of the city starting Dec. 15.
