Hammond-Cranz Farm (120-55): Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Regions 3, 4, & 5 Park Cultural Landscapes Program

The Hammond-Cranz Farm is located near the junction of Ira Road and Oak Hill Road in Summit County, Ohio and is a component landscape of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The property consists of mowed fields surrounding the cluster of farm buildings, which face west along the road. Ira Cemetery, holding several generations of the Hammond and Cranz families, is located at the north end of the farm. Although the cemetery is owned and maintained by Bath Township, it is within the National Register-established boundaries and considered part of the cultural landscape. The property is bordered by private farmland and gently-sloping forested hillsides and bisected by Ira Road. Contributing structures within the farm include a house, two barns, chicken shed, carriage house, cider house, and smokehouse. There is also a non-contributing two-stall stable. Mature trees and several ornamental shrubs are interspersed across the lawn. The Hammond-Cranz Farm was listed in the National Register in 1993, locally significant for the period 1860 to 1930. Although the property was initially developed by Lewis Hammond in the early 1800s, the year 1860 corresponds to the year that the carriage house – considered to be the oldest standing structure – was first constructed. The year 1930 is established by the Agricultural Resources of the Cuyahoga Valley Multiple Property Documentation Form, used as a cut-off date to comply with the National Register requirement that fifty years must have passed between the end of the period of significance and the date of nomination. Since years have passed since the 1980s surveys were completed, the significance of the farm should be reevaluated. Lewis Hammond was notable for introducing Merino sheep to the area. Following his death in 1849, the property passed through several owners until it was purchased by William Cranz in 1864. Beginning with William and continuing under his son Eugene, the Cranz farm became a prosperous and innovative operation. Eugene Cranz was an early advocate of agricultural conservation practices such as reforestation, diversification, and horticultural experimentation, particularly in the area of tree grafting. The family’s tenure of the farm was shaped by developments in transportation and the agricultural industry, and the landscape continues to reflect these historic associations. The vernacular architecture of the farmstead also contributes to its significance. The house contains elements of the Prairie and Craftsman styles, while the barns reflect the Cranz’s German heritage. Construction of the other outbuildings reflects their utilitarian purposes. Overall, the Hammond-Cranz Farm exemplifies the traditions and innovations that defined the development of agriculture in the Cuyahoga Valley. As the farm is also associated with Eugene Cranz as an historically important individual, the period of significance could potentially be extended to include the entire duration that he directly interacted with and impacted the landscape; that is, until his death in 1951. The National Park Service (NPS) took ownership of the park in the 1970s, and the land is currently used for recreation, interpretation, and private agriculture leases. Partnerships have developed in an effort to rehabilitate and revitalize some of the farms of the Cuyahoga valley, restoring their historic condition and supporting land use as a means to sustain the landscape. The Hammond-Cranz Farm retains its aspects of integrity, with the clustered arrangement of buildings and surrounding fields and forests still conveying the traditional agricultural use of the landscape. The existing vegetation is testament to Eugene Cranz’s horticultural endeavors, although some has been removed to reflect the farm's historic appearance.

Hammond-Cranz Farm (120-55): Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Cuyahoga Valley National Park

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