This is part 4 of a 12 part series.
Indeed this luxurious home played a valuable part in American history. One interesting story our guide related to us began as we approached the top of a stairway to the second floor. There was a beautiful full length portrait of Henrietta Buckler Seiberling, the wife of John Fredrick Seiberling. The eldest son of F.A. and Gertrude Seiberling. John and Henrietta were having some marital problems so Henrietta was living in the gatehouse. One day Henrietta, a member of the Oxford Group, an evangelical fellowship of intellectuals who believed in the responsibility of Christians to solve social problems, received a phone call.The caller told her about Bill Wilson, a stockbroker from New York in who was in Akron on business. Wilson was a recovering alcoholic. Wilson told Seiberling that he had had a religious experience and found the strength to stop drinking.
Seiberling quickly arranged a meeting between Wilson and Doctor Bob Smith. Both had been hopeless alcoholics and the two worked together to support each other as they dealt with alcoholism. Working with Seiberling, they came up with many of the tenets that still mark Alcoholics Anonymous . AA's birth place was the gatehouse at Stan Hywet Hall.
@vickisfotos - Oh it is a photographers dream. The design of the building as well as the interior decor is out of this world. I wish we had more time to see more. I definitely want to go back.
@princessliz - Thank you very much Joan! I know isn't been a long series and I've tried to make the commentary as interesting as our guide did. A few more of the manor and carriage house and I'll post some of the flower and butterfly pictures I took there.
@sangwann - Thank you very much Dione! I never imagined what we were in for when we decided to go and see it. I am glad you are enjoying my series!
@lynnz - Thank you very much Lynn! I can see why they chose the architect they did! He certainly earned his money, As I read more after being there I found out that the Seiberlings were continually making changes to the point that Charles Schneider, the architect, wrote Mr. Seiberling a very harsh letter. After sending it we wondered if he had made a mistake that could cost him his job. But when Frank Seiberling read the letter he supposedly laughed and said to his wife that Schneider was right and that they needed to turn complete control of the blueprints over to Schneider.
A beautiful home doesn't mean a happy home and this seems a prime example of that. Really interesting about the founding of AA, an organisation that has done so much for so many.
@mittens - Thank you Marilyn! If you ever travel north and want something interesting to see I highly recommend this.
@pyrrhula - Thank you very much! I am glad that you are enjoying my series!
@paulaw - That is the case a lot of the time . I really don't know their private life was like except for that one of the rooms in the house was a game room which our tour guide said was very important to them.
@espyetta - I am glad you are enjoying my series MaryBeth! No I am afraid that it isn't the gate house. I didn't get any pictures of the Gate House. Time slipped away too fast. But I am looking forward for a return visit where I can plus other things we didn't have time to see. This is a porch off the music room. Right inside these doors is a stage where many famous artists performed. The tour guide told us that the Seiberling children would put on a play for their parents on this stage on Christmas morning.
@amandal - The next time you want to do a road trip consider visiting this place. I am going to check into what a membership allows you to photograph. I do know they don't want you making money by selling photos of the estate!
@eyesmile - Thank you Gena!
@calm - Thank you very much Cathy!
@kerristephens - I certainly is. Of course seeing it with your own eyes is so much better.
@dmdfday - Thank you Diane! I am glad you are enjoying the historical part as well.
@princessliz - Thank you very much Joan! I know isn't been a long series and I've tried to make the commentary as interesting as our guide did. A few more of the manor and carriage house and I'll post some of the flower and butterfly pictures I took there.
@sangwann - Thank you very much Dione! I never imagined what we were in for when we decided to go and see it. I am glad you are enjoying my series!
@pyrrhula - Thank you very much! I am glad that you are enjoying my series!
@paulaw - That is the case a lot of the time . I really don't know their private life was like except for that one of the rooms in the house was a game room which our tour guide said was very important to them.
@mtpagano - It truly is Michelle.