The Kent Flea

Atlantic and Great Western Railroad and located the railroad shops in the village of Franklin Mills. In 1864 the town was renamed Kent in honor of and in gratitude of Marvin Kent's efforts. On June 7, 1880 the first stone was laid for the homestead. Construction was performed partially by locals and partly by master craftsmen from as far as New England. The architect was Isaac Tuttle of neighboring Ravenna. Kent searched all over Northern Ohio for the finest wood for the home. When an old covered bridge was torn down a few years earlier (approx.1876), he took what he thought was the finest pieces and prepared it in the Alpaca Mill in Ravenna. They were carved and placed in the home, somewhere near the west entrance. They are believed to be the three arched headers in the west entrance hall and in the main center hall. The elaborate, interior woodwork was performed by master craftsmen brought in from New York City and Cleveland. They lived in Kent until their work was finished, boarding in the DePeyster home on South Mantua Street. The walls and partitions of the home are solid brick. The foundation walls and entrances are very thick sand stone. The sloped portion of the roof was slate. The flat portion and gutters of the roof were tar and felt. When the family moved into the home in 1884, it boasted 7335 finished square feet with twenty rooms, including the ballroom and ten fireplaces, each with unique tile and carved wood mantles. During the time the Kent family lived in the homestead they hosted many notable guests including four U.S. Presidents; Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Howard Taft, and Warren G. Harding, either before or after their term. These special guests slept in the southeast, second floor bedroom. This room remains much the same as it did then. This unique room has a separate, attached washroom with an ornate sink and warm and cold running water. The warm water came from assistors located on the third floor. One additional feature original to the home was a central vacuum cleaning system for all three floors. It was operated with a bellows and a treadle mechanism in the basement. The third floor was used as a ball room until the death of Kitty Kent the wife of William S. Kent, son of Marvin Kent. She was badly burned by a fire in the ballroom and died the next day. It was then closed to all social functions and used only for storage. The property originally had a wrought iron fence that encircled it. The fence was removed in 1917 and used for armament during the First World War. It was later replaced with the low brick wall that is present today. Most of the interior and exterior of the homestead remain much as it was when the Lodge took possession in 1923 except for an added metal fire escape on the east side which accesses the three floors. Marvin Kent often commented that he intended the homestead to be a monument to the Kent family. The homestead, which is in good structural condition, is in need of continual maintenance and care if the homestead is to be preserved. It is open to private tours.