Avon’s Cahoon House: Preserving Lorain County History

Public tours and viewing hours will be forthcoming after Saturday’s Cahoon House ribbon cutting.

The City of Avon has preserved one of the oldest homes in Lorain County – the Wilbur and Priscilla Cahoon House at 2940 Stoney Ridge Road – and it will soon be open to the public.

A ribbon-cutting for this Greenfield Village-worthy masterpiece was held Saturday morning in celebration of the three-years long project.

Mayor Bryan Jensen and Business Development officer Sheri Seroka, who organized the many donations to preserve Avon’s past within the home, welcomed guests to tour this triumph of historic preservation.

The City purchased the home from Jean Fischer three years ago. Dr. Delbert and Jean Fischer purchased the home in the mid-1960’s and raised eight children there. Dr. Fischer, a well-known orthopedist, passed away in 2007. Mrs. Fischer moved to a senior living community in 2018. The City of Avon, learning the home might be vacated, moved to purchase the property with the intention of preserving its history.

The historic Cahoon House at 2940 Stoney Ridge Rd.

The Wilbur Cahoon House (as reported by Wikipedia) is one of the oldest homes in Lorain County. The house is 80 feet long with 12 rooms, situated overlooking French Creek. Wilbur Cahoon arrived in Avon in 1814 from Herkimer County, New York with his wife, Priscilla and family. He was Avon’s first settler and an early industrialist. Cahoon purchased 800 acres through a trade of 100 acres in New York. His new land was covered by a forest, and he and his family constructed a log cabin as a temporary shelter.

In the following year, he began to build a sawmill nearby along French Creek, and in 1818 established a gristmill. The log cabin was no longer the Cahoon family home after 1826, when the present house was erected.

Later in life, Cahoon entered into local public service: he served as Justice of the Peace for Avon, Sheffield and Dover Townships, as well as holding offices such as overseer of the poor, elections judge, and constable.

: Consultant Sheri Seroka inside the main room of Avon’s Greenfield Village worthy Cahoon House.

: Pam Fechter and Sheri Seroka with the original framed Cahoon will.

Life in Avon’s early days in now preserved for posterity.

Cahoon’s house is a Greek Revival building with prominent local vernacular influences. Set on a stone foundation, the house is a two-story wooden structure with a protruding gabled section on the left, as seen from the road. Shuttered windows fill much of the wall space on the facade.

In 1978, the Cahoon House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, qualifying because of its connection to Cahoon. As the home of the first pioneer in the area and as one of the area’s earliest buildings in any architectural style, it occupies a significant place in local history.

The home will soon be open to the public. Details will be posted at cityofavon.com and social media.