Rose Hill and Community House
Why it's listed
Rose Hill and Community House stand in Cahoon Park at the corner of Cahoon and Lake roads in Bay Village, Ohio. Rose Hill is a two-story frame farmhouse whose oldest section dates from 1818, built by settler Joseph Cahoon. Later additions brought Gothic Revival and Colonial Revival influences. Nearby, the Cahoon barn of 1882 was remodeled in 1936 into Community House, with Colonial Revival detailing, a cupola and a large meeting room. The basement once held the fire department and now houses a senior center. A small sandstone smokehouse moved to the site is not counted as historic to the farm. The complex matters because Ida Maria Cahoon left the 128-acre farmstead to the village in 1917, requiring that the house be kept as a library and museum. It was the first gift of its kind in greater Cleveland to protect a historic building. The park later became a center of community activity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues significance under Criterion A for association with the innovative philanthropy of Ida Maria Cahoon, who bequeathed the 128-acre family farmstead to Bay Village and required that Rose Hill be kept as a library and museum. It was the first such gift in greater Cleveland to specify preservation of a historic building. The lands later became the center of civic and social life in the village, aided by Works Progress Administration development.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 94000413, listed May 13, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of Cahoon and Lake Rds., Bay Village |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | May 13, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000413 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1917-1943 |
| Architect / builder | Cahoon, Joseph (original house) |
| Architectural style | No Style; Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rose Hill is now used as a museum and Community House serves as a meeting hall with a senior center in the basement; the apartment on Rose Hill's second floor is no longer in use. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 41.48792, -81.92642 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 94000413.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137636187
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.