History

The documented history of Richfield Heritage Preserve (RHP) dates to the early 1800s when the land that is now RHP was divided into several parcels and served largely agricultural purposes. Mason Oviatt purchased the property where the home he built still stands. It is currently being renovated to serve as a museum for the Underground Railroad due to Mr. Oviatt’s help with the network.

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The property also had other notable occupants, including James Kirby, the prolific inventor. Kirby built a summer home on the property, an operational mill that served as his workshop and a lake. The lake had a patent for a silt management system that Mr. Kirby developed. He also built a dance hall that was fashioned with streetcar springs beneath its floor.

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Other former property owners include the Neal family, who built two fabulous homes in the 1920s and 1930s. Clarence Neal had a storage company in the Cleveland area but was interested in providing a more rural and agricultural experience for his family. He and his wife Clara started a tree farm on the property. The building that is now the Giant Eagle was where apples grown on the property were sold.

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In 1937, James Kirby sold his property to the Girl Scouts of America. The camp was named Julia Crowell (after the first Girl Scouts Commissioner). By the late 1950s, the camp was so popular that a campaign to raise money to expand the property ultimately resulted in the purchase of the Neal property in 1957, bringing the total acreage to 336.

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