The Folger Home in Avon Lake, Ohio, was built in 1902 as a summer home for the Thomas Folger family.

Thomas Folger was born in Wadsworth, Medina County, Ohio,  Feb 14, 1842. He moved to Lorain County with his family in 1875, and settled in Section 18 of Avon Township. He was a soldier in the Civil War, serving in Company H, of the 29th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which saw action at Gettysburg, Chancellorsville and Peters Mountain.

His father, Henry Folger, owned the Avon Township Property which Thomas inherited when Henry died in 1885. Thomas began a vineyard operation on 150 acres at Avon Point in 1878.

Thomas was head of the regional grape growers association in the ensuing years. The family (Thomas, wife Della, and daughters Anna, Ida, Josephine and Jean) moved to Elyria, Ohio, in 1889 so that the daughters could get a better education than what was available at the time in Avon Township.

Thomas was involved in Elyria city government and served as a councilman, and mayor. He was running for his second term as Mayor of Elyria when he died in October 1909 at the summer home. ]

The family retained ownership of the home, utilizing it as a summer home for Della, and the families of Anna, Josephine and Jean, the Bramans, Cushings and Pettibones, until 1922 when the home was sold to another individual.

A subsequent owner, Harold G. Barker, conveyed the property to the Village of Avon Lake in March of 1926. The building then became Old Village Hall, and served the Village, and City of Avon Lake as offices, municipal court, and the caretaker’s apartment. It was last used by the City as Mayor Urbin's office.

In 2002 the property was leased to the Avon Lake Landmark Preservation Society, which is actively engaged in restoring the home to its original beauty.

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Use as Community Building

The inscription reads "H. Kotz, 2-17-48". It appears in a cemented wall in the basement of old Village Hall at 32770 Lake Rd., the building more recently known as Assembly hall at Veterans Park, or the Thomas Folger Home. H. Kotz was Henry F. Kotz, who, along with his wife Sophia, lived in then Village Hall and was the park custodian for Avon Lake Village. He also served as one of the two constables in the village at the time, the other being Clarence A. Allison. The residential apartment was very small, consisting of four rooms on the first floor, and two bedrooms on the second floor. The caretaker had access to the rest of the building also, which was occupied as Town Hall.

In the 1940's, Town Hall was home to the village offices, consisting of council chambers, the fire department, police department, and offices of the clerk, mayor, village  solicitor, treasurer, and board of trustees. In 1948, council was made up of some very familiar Avon Lake names: Walter A. Bleser; Carl E. Dietz; William R. Dunlap; Louis A. Hall; Henry Lawler; and J. L. King. The mayor was Leland A. Rice who was a salesman by trade and drove a 1941 Chevrolet. William J. Arnold was police chief, and Carl W. Haag was fire chief.

The caretakers that followed Henry Kotz all lived at the apartment, which was supplied as part of the park custodian position for the village. Cleo Schexenider was the park custodian in the 1960's, and along with his wife Meta, operated a refreshment stand from one room in the building during the summers. Swimmers at the public beach would buy soft drinks and sandwiches at the stand. Meta recalled being the backup telephone answering person for the village/city/court telephone when the secretary was out of the office. All departments were reached at the same phone number, 35012. Cleo would often slip across the hall to sleep in one of the offices on warm summer nights, so that he could be lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves on the beach.

The 1970's through the early 1980's saw the Flynn family take over as municipal park attendants and residents of the apartment. Timothy W. Flynn and wife Linda occupied the apartment, which was enlarged to include another bedroom on the second floor. A partition was installed to separate the municipal part of the building from the residential side. The 1970's was also the era when the Human Resources Center occupied an office in the building for several years. Laurie Smith was coordinator of that agency.

After the new City Hall was built, the former Town Hall/City Hall building became dedicated to our veterans and continues to serve that purpose today. Even though the building was named Assembly Hall at Veterans’ Park, the apartment continued to be occupied in the 80's, and was occupied by Robert M. Urbin, father of former mayor Vince Urbin. Robert Urbin also served as the park attendant during that period of time.

The caretakers played an important role over the years, being overseers of Avon Lake history in the making, while living in the original summer home of the Thomas Folger family. The property is now leased by the Avon Lake Landmark Preservation Society, which plans to renovate the building. ALLPS (Avon Lake Landmark Preservation Society) is the newest of the caretakers and looks forward to restoring the building to its original beauty.

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Timeline of Folger Home Use in Avon Lake History

The Folger Home was built around the turn of the century, when land values were increasing due to the coming of the railroad (1882) and the electric railway (1897).As early as 1900 land values were increasing from $3 an acre to $100 to $500 per acre, to as high as $1,500 per acre.

The grape industry was dealt a blow when farmers found that land was too valuable to be continued in cultivation of grapes.

Thomas Folger:

• was a grape grower in Avon Township from 1878 to the early 1900's.
• was elected mayor of Elyria in 1903. His Elyria residence was on Second St. in Elyria, one block from City Hall.
• became head of the Ohio Grape Exchange in 1898/99
• became President of the Hygienic Ice Co. in Elyria in 1908, manufacturers of artificial ice.
• died October 13, 1909, in the summer home in Avon Township.

The summer home was built to provide enough space for his children and grandchildren; there were eight bedrooms on the second floor. There was a large porch facing the lake on the north side, a maid’s room on the first floor, along with a large dining room, kitchen and fireplace.

The Folger daughters: Anna (wife of Charles Braman, banker); Josephine (wife of Dr. Charles Cushing); and Jean (wife of Arthur Pettibone) continued using the home as a summer home. Another daughter, Ida, had died at age 8, before the house was built.

The house was sold after Della died in 1922, and had several owners until H. Barker sold it to the village in 1926.

CEI built the first power plant in 1926. Also the water department was built.

CEI built the first power plant in 1926. Also the water department was built.

In 1929, council began meeting in the southeast tower room; the American Legion began meeting in the structure in 1929 also.

Used as a village office beginning in 1934 for the first full time village clerk Joseph Boehm. Community Carnivals were held at the park in the 1930's.

Used as Municipal Court and caretakers apartment for many years afterward. Kotz, Schexenider, Flynn and Urbin families were caretakers who lived there.

Used as Avon Lake's first Teen center in the 1940's & 1950's. Became Assembly Hall at Veterans’ park in 1982.

The beach at Lake Road and Center was a popular summer spot during the pre-pool days of the 1940's to 1960's.

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City use of the Folger Home:

• In 1929, council began meeting in the southeast tower room.
• Also in 1929, the American Legion began meeting in the structure.
• In 1934, it was a village office for the first full time village clerk, Joseph Boehm.
• In the 1930’s, Community Carnivals were held at the park.
• It was used s the Municipal Court and a caretaker’s apartment for many years. The Kotz, Schexenider, Flynn and Urbin families were caretakers who lived there.
• In the 1940's & 1950's it was used as Avon Lake's first Teen center.
• In the 1940’s through 1960’s (the pre-pool days), the beach at Lake Road and Center was a popular summer spot.
• Ellen Trivonovich became a full time life guard at the beach in 1951.
• A refreshment stand was operated from the house in the 50's and 60's.
• In 1982, it became Assembly Hall at Veterans’ Park.