QHVA 2024 Board of Directors

President, Bradley Vincent

Vice President, Gary Miller

Treasurer, John Severa

Secretary, Marilyn Mattingly

Connie Michaels

Pam Severa

John Bozick

Love historic properties? Are you interested in bringing your time and talents to our QHVA Board of Directors? Do you have knowledge of event planning, fundraising, building membership, conservation, archival knowledge, or just want to contribute to the safe keeping of history for future generations?

We always looking for good people who can contribute theirs skills to keeping our mission alive. Please fill out the form below. Your information will be sent to our Board President for review and he will be in touch.

From all of us here at QHVA thank you for applying!

WHO WE ARE…

The Quail Hollow Volunteer Association (QHVA) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, which grew out of the Ohio State Park’s Volunteer-in-Parks program.. Founded in 1982, the Mission of the QHVA is to promote and enhance the Quail Hollow Park facilities and offer opportunities for the public to discover the natural and cultural history of the area. To encourage historical research of the property, collect, preserve, restore and protect the historic area and legacy of the H.B. Stewart Family.

QHVA supports the park by assisting staff, raising funds, and acquiring grants and donations to aid park operations and improve the facilities.

The Association has received numerous community, state, and national awards in recognition of the hard work and dedication its members have invested in preserving the natural and historic integrity of Quail Hollow Park. Manor House furnishings and interior improvements, gardens, trails, and recreational facilities are just a few of the projects that were made possible through the efforts of the Quail Hollow Volunteer Association.

HOW IT All BEGAN…

The turn of the 19th century witnessed the coming of frontiersmen to northeastern Ohio. Although the land was still wilderness, the American Indians were already being forced westward. Tribes native to what is now Stark County, principally the Delawares, were virtually gone by 1810.

Conrad Brumbaugh, one of the earliest settlers to enter the region, brought his family from Maryland to settle the land that is now part of Quail Hollow Park. His land acquisition totaled about 430 acres. The first home on his new property was a 24’ x 24’ log cabin built around 1820. In 1842 he built an impressive, two story-plus farmhouse to accommodate his expanding family of 15 children.

Acquisition of the former Brumbaugh homestead and other properties, ultimately totaling 720 acres, began about 1901 by Harry Bartlett Stewart, a Canton, Ohio attorney and founder of the Akron Canton & Youngstown Railroad. The Stewarts’ initial tract of land, adjacent to the Brumbaugh homestead, was called the Minnie Taylor Farm after Harry Stewart’s wife.

A small farmhouse had been built on that tract in 1838 by Nicolas Pontius, who sold it to William Rubright in 1867; it remained in the family until the Stewarts bought it in 1902. For the first few years, the Stewarts used it primarily for weekend retreats, especially during the autumn hunting season. By 1929, additions to the farmhouse and construction of its two neighboring structures were completed and the home became a permanent residence of the the Stewart family. The Manor house, the adjacent servants’ cottage, and the carriage house, appeared as they do today, reflecting strong Greek revival and Federalist architectural influences.

The Stewart’s son, Harry Bartlett Stewart, Jr. and his wife Catherine with their two children moved into the main house in 1938. Mr. Stewart, like his father, was chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad.

The Stewart family resided in their home until 1975 when they offered the acreage and building to the state for one-half the appraised valuation. The U. S. Department of Interior provided funds for the State of Ohio to acquire the property. On May 15, 1975 Quail Hollow State Park came under the administration and management of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation.

In 1982 the H.B. Stewart property was designated as a National Historic Site by the efforts of QHVA.

In 2016 the management of the park was transferred from ODNR to the Stark County Park District and is now included and managed within their park county-wide system.