hower house

Another Ohio gem is the Hower House in Akron, Ohio. The Hower House was built in 1871 by John Henry Hower. Mr. Hower was an industrialist who was active in the cereal industries. The family hired local architect Jacob Snyder to build the 28 room Second Empire Italianate house. The house boasts an irregular floor plan that was based on the" “Akron Plan” which was widely used in church constructions as part of the “Sunday School movement” between 1870 and 1917. The house has three floors with a ballroom on the third floor. Unlike many houses of the era, this one was occupied solely by the Hower family for over 100 years. Finally it was deeded to The University of Akron in 1970. In 1973, Hower House was placed on the National Register for Historic Places and opened to the public.

Photos by tbower on Flickr.