The Old Tannery Farm on Hines Hill Road, Hudson, Ohio
(Source: John Brown, Citizen of Kent)

Old Tannery Farm was once the home of John Brown

The historic site on Hines Hill Road was once the home of the controversial abolitionist, John Brown, and the location of his tannery business.  The home, built in 1824, was originally a 28 square foot base with four rooms downstairs and four rooms up. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and thought by some to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Original bricks from Brown's tannery
(Photo by L. DeCaro, Jr., 2009)

Through the years the present house has accommodated three major additions.  "John Brown would not recognize, nor would he approve this house," the homeowner said.  The homeowner has blended the old with the new combining family heirlooms with newer purchases.  Visitors to the home pass through a foyer with an archive of John Brown information and comments from the numerous visitors, which the owner graciously accommodates. The foyer wallpaper, designed by Candace Sveda Interiors, features images from an 1875 Hudson atlas. The foyer was originally a porch and later enclosed.

Vestiges of Brown's tannery now
line the property (L. DeCaro, Jr. photo)

The warm, inviting contemporary living room at the back of the home offers a tranquil view of the gardens and outbuildings. A door, placed between two bay windows, leads to a large raised patio constructed with the stones that came from the foundation of Brown's old tannery.  The original tannery, destroyed in 1872, is now the site of the picnic house, which was built with salvaged wood.

Excerpted from Dorothy Markulis, "Hudson Home and Garden Tour: Old Tannery Farm was once the home of John Brown."  Hudson HubTimes.com (10 Jun. 2012)