Spring Hill Historic Home

Spring Hill is a historic home museum in Massillon, Ohio, originally settled by Thomas and Charity Rotch in 1811. The estate was later owned by the Wales family for three generations until it became a museum in 1966. It is recognized as part of the National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. The property includes the main house and several outbuildings such as a smokehouse, spring house, milk house, and wool house. Thomas and Charity Rotch, Quakers from New Bedford, Massachusetts, moved westward for a milder climate and better opportunities in the wool industry. They settled near Sippo Creek after meeting friendly Quakers in Steubenville, Ohio. The area became known as Kendal, named after an English textile center, and was officially founded in 1812. Kendal grew rapidly, with over 100 plats of land settled by 1817. As a predominantly Quaker community, it was strongly abolitionist, with Underground Railroad routes operating through the town as early as 1817. Spring Hill was built between 1821 and 1824 by architect Jehial Fox using materials like stone, brick, and oak planks. The main house is 80 feet long and initially featured a Franklin stove later converted into a fireplace by Arvine Wales. Over time, the Wales family made several modifications, including adding a western wing, bathrooms, and a breakfast room. A screened-in porch was added to the western wing in 1920. The home is notable for its secret staircase, originally intended for staff but later used by escaped slaves traveling on the Underground ...