A Day Out//Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens is the former home of F. A. Seiberling and his family. Sieberling was the co-founder of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. F. A. Seiberling and his brother C. W. Sieberling turned Goodyear into the largest manufacturer of tires in the world and put Akron, Ohio on the map. The estate was built between 1912 and 1915. Seiberling and his wife, Gertrude, lived there with their family.

Yes, I did just include two photos of the library. Would you expect any less of me? Besides, how could anyone possibly resist that bookcase that swings open to, I suppose, a secret room. There wasn’t anyone nearby to ask which might be a good thing. I would be horribly disappointed if it simply led to the next room or to something utilitarian like a bathroom.

The Stan Hywet Hall is built in the Tudor style. Visitors can buy tickets to visit the grounds, the grounds and the house, or the grounds and a guided tour of the house. We forwent the guided tour since it was a beautiful day and we wanted to make the most of the gardens. However, the house was absolutely fascinating and the Seiberling family was interesting. We would happily return to do the guided tour.

The grounds are very pretty and include such things as a rose garden, Japanese garden, English garden, lagoon, and conservatory. We were there just as the daffodils and tulips were starting to fade but before the other flowers were in full bloom.

When we first moved to the area and I heard of the Stan Hwyet house I thought that Stan Hwyet was someone’s name. Obviously, I was wrong. Stan Hwyet is Old English and can be loosely translated to ” stone hewn” or “stone quarry.” There was an abandoned quarry on the property and now the Lagoon is in the same area.

We had a lovely day and would be happy to return. The tour of the house is definitely something we would like to do and the English garden was being used for a wedding so we could not visit it. All in all, it was a very successful day out.

Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens

714 North Portage Path

Akron, OH 44303

stanhywet.org