Conrad Brumbaugh Homestead

1896 Plat map of Lake Township land around Congress Lake.

L. Brumbaugh refers to Lewis Brumbaugh, Conrad's son who took over the land at his father's death.

Conrad d. Dec 6, 1859

Lewis d. Mar 5, 1901

Conrad acquisition of land, made at the Land Office in Steubenville, Ohio:

• • On June 12, 1811 - Range 8, Township 12, Section 26, Part of Section: Northeast 1/4 of Section 158.75 Acres

  • On May 25, 1814 - Range 8, Township 12, Section 26, Part of Section: Northwest 1/4 of Section 158.88 Acres

  • On June 1, 1815 - Range 8, Township 12, Section 10, Part of Section: Northwest 1/4 of Section 161.16 Acres

  • On June 1, 1815 - Range 8, Township 12, Section 2, Part of Section: Northeast 1/4 of Section 117.27 Acres

  • On June 1, 1815 - Range 8, Township 12, Section 3, Part of Section: Southeast 1/4 of Section 112.84 Acres

He bought these lands for $1.25 per acre.

Conrad's first construction was made of hand hewn logs and deeply notched at the ends so as to hold them firmly in place. The house, 24 feet by 24 feet, two stories high, with a basement constructed of stone exposed walls to the north and east. The east side was made of soft brick and the chinks between the logs were filled with plaster. This log house was completed about 1820 and located near the present Brumbaugh Historic Cemetery on Quail Hollow State Park. In later years, this log cabin served as a general utility house. There was a enormous brick fireplace with a heavy iron crane hinged to support a iron kettle. A much larger homestead was completed in 1842.

Lewis, apparently continued to acquire land. He gave each of his eight children the equivalent of a quarter section (160 acres) and still had hundreds of acres at the time of his death which occurred on March 5, 1891.

A much larger homestead was completed in 1842. The main house of the homestead consisted of two units. The first unit was a more pretentious log house than the log utility house. The utility house was located at the fopot of a long hill, probably so that it would not be necessary to dig deep for an underground water vein for a well. The main house was built on the ridge of the hill. Thus located there was on one side, owing to the slope of the hill, a "walk-in" cellar which was really a ground floor room. This cellar had an earthen floor, heavy stone walls and large hand hewn timbers overhead and provided the only cool storage space in the house. The house itself was large and rectangular with a main floor and upstairs with an attic. The first floor contained a combination living-dining room. At the dining end of the room was a big wood burning stove with a reservoir on the rack. In one corner of the room behind the stove was a pantry with a sink for washing dishes. Additions to the original house were made in much the same manner as the original. The exterior of the addition had walls of yellow soft brick covered with wood siding to produce a uniform exterior appearance. A wide porch extended along the front of both old and new structures.

A large summer-house was built adjacent to the main house. It served as the center for cooking and serving meals and washing dishes as will as jellies. This summer house consisted of one big room with a big stove, a pantry, a long table and numerous chairs.

A rectangular space between the main house and the summer house was paved with flat hollow tile. This gave the effect of a court and tied the buildings into a sort of quadrangle. Several hundred feet from the house was a large barn about 125 feet long. The frame was all made of hand-hewn timbers put together with wooden pegs. It was of the "Pennsylvania Dutch" type with an upper level of barn floors with hay mow and stables underneath. I addition, other structures of the homestead consisted of a wood house, a buggy shed, a hog house, a chicken house, a windmill and a water

tank.Spiritual LifeConrad was a member of the German Baptist Brethren Church. Conrad Brumbaugh donated 2 to 3 acres of land and materials for the construction of the Lake German Baptist Brethren Church. It was built across the road from the homestead. It was a large rectangular wooden structure, with a main audience room, one on the right was used by the men and the one on the left by the women. The Old HomesteadThe settlement of Brumbaugh's estate was purely a family affair. First, the personal belongings were distributed among the eight heirs either by mutual agreement or by lot. then, the household goods not already distributed and the land of considerable acreage, was sold at a family auction. For a number of years the big house on the homestead was occupied by tenant farmers. It was allowed to deteriorate until was considered beyond repair. The final scene described must have been dramatic. The fire departments from nearby towns were invited to be on hand.

During the burning of the building observers were able to see the hand-hewn logs that comprised the outside walls of the original dwellings. They appeared to be 12" by 6" thick, chinked with "chic and daub", a composition of lime and clay with horse hair to knit it. This was a German method of construction. The bricks were a light, yellowish red, almost orange. They were soft, hence had been covered, with plaster for protection. There were countless square-headed nails found in the ashes.Acquisition of the Brumbaugh homestead and other properties, which totaled 720 acres, was begun by Harry Bartlett Stewart Sr. early in 1900. Sources:A History of Hartville Ohio by james W. McPherson IIIThe Stark County Bicentennial Story Volume I (Early Hartville, page 68)"Et Wundert Mich" (It Wonders Me) by A. J. BrumbaughOhio Lands a Short history by the Office of the Auditor of the State of OhioOhio Historical Society, Columbus, OhioBureau of Land Management, Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington D.C.Conrad Brumbaugh and His Lineage by Lewis H. BrumbaughMy memories of the Land and its People before Quail Hollow by J. Donald Brumbaugh, 1983Atlas of the State of Ohio 1868 by H.F. WallingQuail Hollow ... Frontier to State Park by Steven C. Espenschied

Lewis Brumbaugh and FamilyAdditional pictures of house and barn