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_____THE NICHOLSON FAMILY_____
James and Betsey Nicholson were the first permanent settlers in the area now known as Lakewood. James left Chatham, Massachusetts in 1803 to "go west" and met and married Betsey Bartholomew in 1812 in Conneaut, Ohio. They settled briefly near Warren, Ohio. In 1818 James purchased 142 acres in Rockport (Lakewood) for $1335. He first erected a log cabin on the north side of Detroit (near Nicholson Avenue) but soon built a larger frame home across the road. The house creaked in the wind because wooden pegs were used in place of scarce nails, and so finally, in 1835, construction on the present house was begun. Timber used in its construction was hewn and dried on the grounds; the doors and window sashes were made by hand. The house was home to four generations of the Nicholson family.The Nicholson's were active in all areas of community life. James took part in the initial meeting of Rockport Township and was elected overseer of the poor. He built the first school and the first church. The youngest of his and Betsey's seven children, Ezra, lived with them and inherited the estate. Ezra was the inventor of the Nicholson Self-Recording Ship Log and Speed Indicator as well as other devices. He was a respected community leader and businessmen. He was among the first to allot his property and pave streets and sidewalks. He promoted the first railroad, drilled the first gas well, served as the first school director and helped choose the name Lakewood when the hamlet was organized in 1889.
_____THE NICHOLSON HOUSE_____
This house is regarded as one of the most authentic examples of New England architecture in northern Ohio. In 1935 it was included in the Historic American Buildings Survey, our nation's permanent record of existing architectural remains of historic value, now kept in the Library of Congress. In 1979 the house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The exterior reflects the natural evolution of a pioneer home. The original home, built in 1835, had a two story front section and a one story back section. Around 1900, a second story was added to the middle section and the side porch expanded.
In 1947, after the death of Josephine Nicholson, the last family member to occupy the house, it passed from the Nicholson family's ownership. It was divided into four rental units. In 1985 the house was saved from possible demolition as it was purchased by the Lakewood Historical Society and the City of Lakewood. The restored home is now available to be used for social and business functions.
1870'S RENOVATION: The widowed Betsey Nicholson undertook an extensive modernization of her house around 1870. At that time, the twelve-over-twelve pane windows were replaced with the present two-over-two and a Regency portico was installed at the front entrance. Interior changes included replacing early mantels with marble Italianate mantels in the front two parlors, replacing floors with narrow-row-planking with border inlays, and installing gas lighting. The interior of the house has been restored to this Victorian era.
_____CENTER HALL_____
The stairway has a simple main post and a lotus flower pattern carved on the sides. The wood-work has been restored to the original graining. Graining imitated "better" woods that were unavailable, expensive, or difficult to work. Except for a few patches, the front door is all original graining. At the foot of the front staircase is a lovely kerosene fixture with cranberry glass surrounded by circular plaster molding. The wallpaper in the hallway is of the ashlar style depicting stone blocks. This style was practical in stair halls where damage was repaired by replacing a "block." The pier (pier = a piece of wall between two openings) mirror, the long narrow glass above the small table, was convenient for checking one's appearance when the arrangement of capes, hats and gloves was of great social importance. The stuffed birds appealed to the Victorian sentimental interest in nature. Stuffed species, exotic and ordinary, were considered decorative and highly instructive. This was encouraged as a good hobby for genteel ladies. The birds in the hallway are doves and woodcocks._____EAST PARLOR (LADIES' PARLOR)_____
The East Parlor is decorated in the Rococo Revival style widely popular during the mid-Victorian period before 1870. Wallpaper samples found on the walls during restoration indicate this style which has characteristics of oft-repeated S or C curves and naturalistic representation of floral patterns. The period gas chandelier has been replated. Heavy, elaborately layered window treatments covering lace panels, were fashionable after the introduction of gas lighting meant the house no longer depended on natural lighting. The right window on the rear wall was uncovered during restoration. It had been walled over complete with the curtain still on it! The flamboyant wall-to-wall carpeting copies patterns popular during the Victorian era. The large mirror hanging over the fireplace was a significant status symbol. It also reflected light, important in the age of candle or gas lighting, The portrait in this room is of Hadassah Ballard Folsom (1802-1882), the second wife of Gilman Folsom, Jr. whose portrait hangs in the West Parlor. Her father operated a stage coach between Mayville and Jamestown, New York. The portrait is believed to have been painted in the 1840's; the artist is unknown.
_____WEST PARLOR (GENTLEMEN'S PARLOR)_____
The Rococo Revival period continues in this parlor with floral wallpaper and layered window treatment. The narrow row-planked floor with border inlays replaced earlier wider plank floors. The 1870's flooring in the West and Center Parlors shows water damage suffered when the house was divided into apartments. The portrait over the fireplace is of Gilman Folsom, Jr., (1796-1870) born in New Hampshire. As a young man he settled in Buffalo, New York and later resided and conducted a general merchandise business in the Ohio City area of Cleveland. He served as a member of the Ohio City Council and was later employed as a Superintendent of the West Side Market. The portrait of his wife, Hadassah Ballard Folsom, hangs in the East Parlor. The portrait is believed to have been painted in the 1840's; artist is unknown. "The Sale of the Pet Lamb" steel engraving, hanging on the east wall, is the type of artwork which thrived in the United States from 1840-1900. Prints of contempo-rary events told the story of American life in both city and countryside. Information discovered on this print when the original mat was replaced revealed "The Sale of the Pet Lamb" was engraved by A.B. Walter and litho copied in 1866.
Hair wreaths were popular Victorian senti-mental expressions of eternal love and everlasting friendship from 1860-1900. They often contained hair from several generations of a family, both deceased and those still living. Hairwork, including jewelry, was the work of professional jewelers as well as a pastime of Victorian ladies.
The bookcases in this room are typical freestanding units popular for Victorian libraries. The long glass doors with drawers in the base provided storage for a family's books. Interestingly, these bookcases were donated by a former tenant at the Nicholson House. The cases were in the house when she arrived. When moving from the house, she was allowed to take them. Seeing publicity about the Nicholson House restoration, she offered to donate them back to the house. While it is not known whether the bookcases belonged to the Nicholson family, it is interesting to note that their present location in the West Parlor is the only place in the house where they will fit.
_____CENTER PARLOR (DINING ROOM)_____
This parlor shows the transition into a new approach in decorating styles with the influence of Charles Eastlake in the 1880's. His philosophy was to divide walls into three areas: dado, field, and frieze, each having a separate pattern. Naturalistic designs in wallpaper were replaced with stylized patterns influenced by exotic cultures of the Far East. Anaglypta, a thick embossed paper, was a popular covering for the dado. Decorated ceilings replaced white ceilings. Colors changed from clear complimentary to muted tertiary colors. The dark green window shades show the trend toward simpler window treatments. The door leading to the porch and the door between the West and Center parlors were restored.
Family members, particularly females, were encouraged to cultivate their talents in the arts. Artwork produced as hobbies was often proudly displayed in Victorian homes. Gilding on frames for pictures and mirrors was much admired for its elegant, expensive look and its reflective quality with low-level gas candlelight. Its neutral color blends well with all colors used on walls, furniture and artwork.
The two oil paintings on the north wall are views of the Curtis Hall farm: The red brick house was built on Detroit at the NW corner of Cranford Avenue. The house is still standing but has been painted white and is now obscured by commercial buildings built on the Detroit and Cranford Avenue sides. Curtis Hall (1827-1927) was a son of Joseph Hall who brought his family to settle in Lakewood in 1837. The view of Lake Erie shows the farm as seen from the north side of Curtis Hall's house. Early farms along Detroit Avenue stretched north to the lake. Clifton Blvd. and Lake Ave. were cut through these farms at the turn of the century. The artist of both paintings is unknown, but is believed to have been a member of the Hall family.
On the South wall, there are two watercolors. The top painting is a watercolor with the following information written on the backside —"Down at the academy of fine arts by Frank Alexander about 1820 - New York." Francis Alexander (1800-1880), an American painter and lithographer, was born in Connecticut, studied in New York City, and settled in Boston where he was a successful portrait painter. In 1840 he was made an honorary member of the National Academy. In 1853 he settled in Florence, Italy where he ceased painting and collected Renaissance art until his death. His daughter, Esther Frances (1837-1917) known as Francesca, became a painter, illustrator and poet.
The bottom picture, a watercolor of a house near the water, is a charming landscape. However, the location of the scene and the artist are unknown.
_____SOUTH PARLOR_____
The South Parlor depicts the turn-of-the-century influence of Arts and Crafts designer, William Morris. The wallpaper is a reproduction Morris pattern illustrating his use of stylized flowers in rich colors. Boldly painted woodwork had now replaced graining. The cove between the ceiling and walls is paper in an unobtrusive pattern accented with a contrasting border to provide visual interest and give an appearance of height. The row of four windows facing east has been restored. Lace panels mounted close to the glass are a simple but refined window treatment providing privacy. Layers of paint were removed from the mantel, window seat and corner cupboards and the floor was refinished, all to expose the natural wood,. The corner cupboards and the window seat were probably later "modernizations.'' Evidence of a back stairway led to the restoration of the door and step in northwest corner. The light fixture, a reproduction "combination" fixture, could provide both gas and electric light during a time when electricity was new and unreliable.
_____OUTDOOR (COVERED) PORCH_____
_____KITCHEN / RESTROOM AREAS_____
The former kitchen has been divided to accommodate a catering kitchen and restrooms. Philadelphia fencing found underneath plaster walls has been exposed in the kitchen. In the hallway, note the framed piece of floorcloth. Floorcloths were used to cover floors in high traffic areas. They were made by using several coats of oil paint to size canvas cloth which was then painted with a pattern. This piece of floorcloth was found during restoration of the Nicholson House between layers of flooring. An historic consultant dates the cloth between 1860 and 1875.In the pink bathroom, the "Sunbeam'' girl was painted by Bessie Pease Gutmann, a prolific children's illustrator active in New York City during the early 20th Century. Ms. Gutmann was well-known as a bookplate designer and illustrator for St. Nicholas magazine.
In the beige bedroom, there is a collage on the wall. Victorian women with leisure time and artistic flair decorated their home with products of their own handicraft skills. Collages like this were created from illustrations meticulously cut with very sharp scissors from ladies' magazines, patiently arranged on a surface and artfully glued into place.
_____SECOND FLOOR_____
The second floor contains three rooms which will someday house the Society's textile collection. Painted floors, one even showing graining, were discovered when asphalt tiles were removed. A suite for a live-in caretaker occupies the back of the second story.The window treatment in the upstairs hallway contains a painted window shade, an extremely popular window covering throughout the 19th Century. This is a replica of an original painted shade that was found on a bedroom window in the Nicholson House that had been plastered over on the inside while preserving the window look on the outside of the house with a painted shade.
_____NICHOLSON HOUSE GROUNDS_____
The Nicholson Family was active in the horticulture business. A son, Lewis Nicholson, had a prosperous nursery business in Lakewood until his death in 1885. An 1870 catalog from this nursery has served as a resource in the selection of plant materials for the grounds. The small out building holds garden tools and was designed to resemble an outhouse.
