Richard Vaughn Farm (106-02, 03): Cultural Landscape Inventory, Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Regions 3, 4, & 5 Park Cultural Landscapes Program

The Richard Vaughn Farmstead, an agricultural resource of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, is located just north of the junction of Riverview Road and Vaughn Road in Brecksville Township, Ohio. The cultural landscape boundary aligns with the National Register nomination and includes a 1.5-acre area containing the cluster of historic buildings, other features, and a variety of trees. The rest of the 33-acre property is considered adjacent land. The farmstead is located on a flat plateau, surrounded by dense woodland and a steep slope to the west. Due to the extreme topography, one can assume the historic landscape around the farmhouse was cleared for residential and dairy land use. Since the property is highly visible from the road, it is well suited for interpreting and understanding agriculture in the Valley. Historically, the farmstead was located on “Out Lot 80,” a long, thin 112-acre parcel of land that stretched westward from the Cuyahoga River. The Upright-and-Wing style farmhouse was built in the 1870s by the Vaughn family. It is believed that the Vaughn family lived elsewhere and rented the farmstead. In 1890, the lot was divided into west and east parcels along Riverview Road, with the west parcel including the farmstead and 65 wooded acres and the east containing agricultural fields. Unfortunately, no documentation exists today for how the farmstead and landscape were utilized after this date. The period of significance for the agricultural landscape is 1859 to 1890, beginning with the earliest record of agricultural land use (Cuyahoga County Assessment of Property, 1859) and continuing until to the division and parceling of the lot. Future research and documentation may expand this period of significance. The landscape is significant for its association with agricultural development in the Cuyahoga Valley, as well as for the representation of rural vernacular architectural trends employed during the late nineteenth-century. The activities of the Richard Vaughn Farm were common to late nineteenth century agriculture in the region, as industrialization, settlement, and the era of scientific farming in the river valley increased the demand and availability for fresh dairy products. The clustered building arrangement is the prominent landscape feature. The farmstead contains a grouping of five historic structures: a farmhouse, a raised-bank barn, a milkhouse, a workshed, and a privy. A garage, chicken coop, and shed are modern and non-contributing structures, and do not detract from the historic landscape. The cluster arrangement retains integrity since all the buildings are intact and unaltered (except for the addition in the rear of the farmhouse), standing in their original locations and able to be collectively read as a unit. Other important features of the landscape include views into the farmstead, vegetation (including two overgrown orchards), and several small-scale features. While the agricultural fields and pastures are no longer visible, the landscape exhibits evidence of the nineteenth century dairy farming that was a vital component of the agricultural heritage of the Valley. The National Park Service (NPS) gained ownership of the property in 1978, and the house is currently leased through the Countryside Initiative Program as the Spring Hill Farm and Market.

Richard Vaughn Farm (106-02, 03): Cultural Landscape Inventory, Cuyahoga Valley National Park

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