East Point Manor
Also known as: Payer,Harry Franklin,Estate
Why it's listed
East Point Manor is a former country estate on East Point, a long peninsula reaching east from Middle Bass Island in Lake Erie. Lawyer and Roosevelt administration official Harry F. Payer began it in 1925 as a weekend and summer retreat. The estate once covered about 100 acres of meadow, orchards, vineyards and a nine-hole golf course. Later owners subdivided it, and the surviving buildings now sit among summer cottages. The listed area centers on a long, low limestone manor house of 1925-1926, designed by Cleveland architect J. Milton Dyer and built by Alfred Schnurr of Sandusky. An octagonal central pavilion and copper-trimmed gables give it a mix of Prairie School and Tudor character. Nearby are a 1936 stables complex of rubble stone with a cobblestone courtyard, a stone entry gate and a pump house. The property was recognized for its link to Payer, who served as assistant Secretary of State and advised on recognition of the Soviet Union, and for its architecture.
Significance in brief: The estate is tied to Harry Franklin Payer, a Cleveland trial lawyer who became an assistant Secretary of State and an unofficial member of Franklin Roosevelt's "Brain Trust." The manor house is an unusual example of work by Cleveland architect J. Milton Dyer, blending Prairie School and Tudor Revival influences. The stables are notable for their use of local stone.
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 87000804, listed June 15, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S. Shore Dr., Middle Bass Island |
|---|---|
| County | Ottawa County |
| Listed | June 15, 1990 |
| Reference number | 87000804 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1925-1936 |
| Architect / builder | Alfred Schnurr/J. Milton Dyer |
| Architectural style | Prairie School; Tudor Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Manor house and stables survive amid later summer cottages. The estate was subdivided in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Current functions are listed as domestic single dwelling and secondary structure. |
| Acreage | 5.4 |
| Coordinates | 41.69457, -82.78694 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 87000804.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.