Chardon attorney Fred Green has been a member of the Geauga County Historical Society for four years, president of the board of directors for four…
Chardon attorney Fred Green has been a member of the Geauga County Historical Society for four years, president of the board of directors for four months and is enthusiastic about people learning more about the area’s past .
Much of that knowledge comes from working with the numerous volunteers who nurture and cherish the 20-some historical buildings in Century Village Museum on Burton Square.
As he walked around the well-groomed acreage on a bright May morning with Louise Jackson, his interest in the projects, both completed and in progress, was palpable.
Green listened to Jackson, the board’s co-chair of collections, as they discussed the ongoing work at The Apothecary Shop, which includes the office of Dr. Corey, who had a practice in Geauga County in the 1940s.
“We’re getting some really authentic memorabilia for Dr. Corey’s office,” Green said. The collections committee was pleased to be given a pair of eyeglasses in a case with Dr. Corey’s name on it.
The eye chart in the corner of the office shows he was also an optometrist, Green said.
“Century Village seems to be firmly in the 19th century,” he said, adding, however, when the local medicine association donated items from the 1940s and 1950s, the board decided to make good use of them.
“It kinda yanked us into the 20th century,” Green said.
He said he board is looking for more medical items from that era.
Several skilled historical society volunteers are handling the construction of cabinets, hanging of an imitation stamped-tin ceiling, painting and numerous other parts of the project, he said.
The board of directors decide which projects to start and how they should be done, which is also partially dictated by available resources including funds, materials and help.
Changes in the board and administration of the society several years ago have led to a collaborative focusing of those resources on a few projects at a time.
“We’re trying our hardest not to be a static organization. We’re really moving forward,” Green said, praising the efforts of the many volunteers over the years. “We couldn’t operate this place without volunteers.”
Talent and friendship among members adds up to a good time on the worksite or during meetings where decisions are made, he said.
“We like getting together. I run the meetings, but these people are basically running the show,” Green said.
Walking through the house built by merchant and banker George Boughton, the saving and staging of family memorabilia, stenciling on the walls by Jackson and hand-sewn quilts provide more proof of the dedication of society members.
Antique beds are covered in quilts made by a local quilting group, Jackson said.
They sew a quilt to be displayed at the Century Village pancake breakfasts and raffle it off with the proceeds going to the museum, she said.
Although the historical society can’t afford a director, it does have four employees and a dozen interpreters or docents, who are paid for taking tour groups around the grounds, Green said.
The board would like to see more use made of the Bond building, where various events or meetings can be held, and the historic church, where weddings are sometimes performed. But Century Village remains an unintentionally well-kept secret, Green said
“It’s difficult to get the word out. A lot of people don’t know we exist,” he said, adding people will say they visited Century Village 20 years ago, but haven’t been through recently, figuring the outdoor museum has stayed the same.
Not true.
“Things have significantly changed,” he said, with new projects being completed and coming online for tours every year.
Walking along the east side of Century Village, Green points out a panorama of the Cuyahoga River Valley where foliage is beginning to unfurl for miles.
“It’s the best view in Geauga County,” he said, adding the village is part of a 1950s working farm that had a milking operation in the still-standing barn.
Among other buildings are: a blacksmith forge, used by an area group of blacksmiths; a large maple sugar house, where volunteers make syrup to sell; the wood shop, where they recreate items for the museum; The Lady’s Friend dress shop with a display of period clothing and an artisan’s studio, where pottery is hand-thrown when the museum is open during Apple Butter Festival.
Two stores on the grounds offer a portal into the way people lived in the mid-1800s and some souvenir items for sale to remind visitors to come back many times.
May 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Century Village is on the list of the Destination Geauga drive-it-yourself tour of Geauga County, with 10 percent off purchases and buy-one-get-one-free tour coupons, according to the Century Village Website.
A Rib Burn Off, sponsored by The Chevy Network and Preston Chevrolet, is scheduled from noon to 9 p.m. May 21 and noon to 8 p.m. May 22, including music, an antique car show and crafts for sale.
