Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-25
THE HOME OF PRESIDENT HAYES
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS
ndence of The Star and the Chicago Record Herald

BY WlLLlAl
Special Correspondence Of The st
FREMONT, Ohio June 16 1911
= Col. Webb c. Hayes has decided to the
state Of Ohio for the benefit Of the
Archaeological and His
! Decided to torical Society of that
State. .a'e op'esei a.. ,-@
cluster of native American trees. por-
ton of the historic site of the free city
of the neutral tribe of the Fries. which
was the home of his father. the late
Rutherford B. Hayes. President Of the
United States. The conditions are that
the state legislature shall erect f1reproof
building and become responsible for the
perpetual care and preservation of the
books. state papers and other manu-
scripts and shall maintain forever the
residence as a typical American home;
preserve and protect the road known as
the Harrison military trail Of the war
of 1912, and permit the transfer OF the
4 remains OF Rutherford B. Hayes and
Lucy W. Hayes from lakewood cemetery
Fremont, to knoll in Spiegel Grove. to
be buried there beneath the monument
under which they are now lying. It is
also stipulated that Spiegel Grove shall
be forever preserved and maintained as a
public park and that no building or
structure other than those named shall
ever be erected within it. In the event
that these conditions are neglected the
property will revert to the heirs Of the
/ grantor
Spiegel Grove is one Of the finest
groups or forest trees in the country.
| NAost oI tnen are prtmeval, others are
mementoes planted by the late President
Hayes. including willow from st. Helena,
another from Washington's grave at
mount Vernon, two oaks grown from
acorns from the charter oak at Hart
Iord. tulip trees from the Virginia home
interest All trees of importance are
marked with tablets giving their botani-
Cal names. and several have additional
tablets OF dedication to famous men.
Spiegel Grove was the site of a vii
| lage OF the Wyandot, or Huron, Indians.
and station upon the great natural
| trail of the earliest French explorers,
missionaries and Indians in passing
from the great lakes to the Ohio and
preserved for half a mile through
Spiegel Grove. and the ruts made by
| the heavy wheels OF the wagons Of the
command Of Gen. William Henry Har-
ward to the battle of the Thames are
still clearly defined. and are protected
| by guards.
During the war OF the revolution
Daniel Boone, and Simon Kenton were
led captive along this trail, and many
other Indian prisoners. including the
Moravfan missionaries Zeisberger and
Heckewelder. and others less famous.
Nicolas. the renegade Huron chief;
Indians camped in Spiegel Grove. No
other spot in the country combines
more natural beauty and early historical
| interest. 4
In 1917 the Indian title being ex-
tnguished, spiegel Grove was entered
! as homestead by ]. B.
Early Stewart and william
| r-..f.r, Oliver, afterward sold
to Jacques Hulburd, and
later to Martin Baum, by whom 1t was
transferred in 1916 to sardis Birchard,
the uncle OF President Hayes Mr.
Birchard. who was a man Of sentiment.
called 1t Spiegel. a German word con-
nected with fairy tales that were dear
to his childhood, and built the present
mansion in 1859
Sardis Birchard was a native Of Yer
I mont. and. being left an orphan, was
adopted by Rutherford Hayes. husband
OF his sister. and father Of the future
President. When his sister became a
widow he assumed the care OF the fam
lily. and treated Rutherford Orchard
1 Hayes as his own son. He never mar
ried. and his sister kept house for him.
He had extensive business enterprises.
was a banker, contractor, railway build
er. and had an active part in the de-
| velopment of this section Of Ohio until
his death. in 1874.
President Hayes came here to live in
1873. and enlarged the house by the
/ n Tn Sf{l
| further extensions were made, but as
it now stands it was the home OF the
ex-President. and was identified with
the serene and dignif1ed contentment
his life. He loved the place more than
| any other spot on earth. because Of it's
natural beauty, the grandeur OF the
| trees. the historical associations, and
1t was inherited. 1t is large house,
| the rooms are unusually spacious, the
ceilings are high. the halls are wide.
and there is q veranda eighty feet long
and fourteen feet WIDE extending along
two sides, so arranged as to furnish
promenade thirty-three laps to the mile.
| The drawing room Is forty-six feet long.
and is connected by an open archwav
| with library OF the same length. where
| a valuable collection of books is arranged;
the dining room Is Of similar dimensions.
! large enough to seat seventy-five or
eighty guests. The furniture consists
| Cnleny Oh ne1TlOOfHS ueSceHueu ITOlIl the
Birchard and Webb sides Of the house
An antique CLOCK which ticks circum-
specify in the corner was brought from
the ancestral Hayes homestead I'm Brat
tleboro. VT. On the top of this clock sits
an owl. which. by dangling on the plumb
| line of the Washington Monument during
| the administration of President Hayes
caused q decided sensation. The eng-
| neers thought the structure was ''wob-
bling" Two mahogany serving tables
were used by President Madison in the
| White House. and other furniture repre-
| sents other administrations. with superb
Korean and Chinese chests.
| Almost everything in the house is his
| torical or in some way associated with
| the lives OF Presidents of
| Historical the United States. There
n-,. are several notable paint
| As0AAeS' ings. including an origi-
nal portrait OF Washington by Gilbert
Stuart several portraits of President and
Mrs. Hayes. bronze figure of Lincoln. a
cast OF his hand, seals used by him and
| by President Jackson, and other relics.
Among the books are many rare and val
liable volumes. autographed presentation
copies and editions de luxe, presented to
the late President while he was in the
White House. and six great vellum vol
umes of autograph letters received by
him.
| In a glass case hanging to pillar In