The Lathrop House is a nineteenth-century building in Sylvania, OH with purported connections to the Underground Railroad, and a considerable body of historical evidence links the site to the larger effort of transferring slaves from bondage to freedom. It was recently shorn from its foundation and moved to a new location in Sylvania’s Harroun Park.
The Reverend Lucien
Lathrop, circa 1860
There is substantial evidence that the site may indeed be worthy of its rumored status as a Railroad station. A wide variety of documents from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries make mention of the site and its oral history. In addition, one of the early owners, Reverend Lucian Lathrop, was a politically active, avowedly anti-slavery citizen; among other doings, he attended the Free Democratic Party convention in 1849, which adopted a platform stating “slavery to be a moral, social and political evil.”
The site’s physical proximity to the Ten Mile Creek ravine also lends credence to traditional claims; one can easily envision the ravine’s potential as a surreptitious conduit for human contraband. Finally, the hidden room in the basement and the tunnel leading to the ravine certainly suggest that the house served purposes that needed to be veiled.
A Parish of Privilege
The future status of the site is in doubt. St. Joseph’s Church (the building’s owner) refuses to consider any proposal that contains even a sliver of the building’s black walnut log foundation remaining on site, and preservationists prefer that the church leave the building intact.
As the largest and wealthiest parish in the Toledo Diocese, St. Joseph’s Church has the financial wherewithal to mount a costly legal battle. In addition, the newly appointed Bishop Blair demonstrated that he is unwilling to challenge the position of St. Joseph’s in this announcement on April 6, 2004:
The church’s original intent was to demolish the structure, as noted in the original demolition permit. Public outcry and eminent domain threats then forced the church to consider other alternatives, and the decision was finally made to relocate the structure.
Lathrop Family Reunion photograph
(10-04-1896) at Lathrop House
A Path to Freedom
Runaway slaves emerging from the ravine might have looked upon Reverend Lathrop’s house perched upon the hill. The hidden stairwells and tunnel were located in the rear of the house, but have since been razed.
The route to freedom most likely continued northeast from the house, following an unnamed creek that flows behind the house.
Runaway slaves might have continued down the ravine along the waterway. This stream, which currently flows at a trickle, travels approximately ¼ mile until it empties into Ten Mile Creek.
Just past this juncture, Ten Mile Creek meets its northern branch, which forms the western boundary of Toledo Memorial Cemetery. The joined streams form the official beginning of the Ottawa River. With its access to downtown Toledo and Lake Erie, the Ottawa River likely served as an important corridor in the Underground Railroad.
The contributions of the Lathrop family to the abolition movement and to the Underground Railroad have a longstanding oral tradition, and numerous family documents attest to Reverend Lucian Lathrop’s role as a conductor.
Recent news
The Metropark system now owns the building, but it appears that little activity has taken place since the building was relocated1. The Metroparks website says that "through a partnership with the City of Sylvania, Metroparks has agreed to restore the home and provide future public programming."
Lathrop House today
In March of 2005, it was announced that the Metroparks would receive nearly $260,000 in federal money to use for exterior renovations2.
She said it's hard to say when the metroparks actually will receive the money, but it should happen within the next few years. Mr. Rettig said the park system will use its own money to start the renovations now that it knows the federal money is in the pipeline.
Mr. Rettig said the federal money, which will be matched by $64,478 raised by the Friends of the Lathrop House, will be used to repair portions of the foundation, recondition windows and doors, and renovate porches, among other projects. He said the citizens group has raised nearly $200,000 overall, which includes a $25,000 donation from the Devers Family Foundation.At the moment it does not appear that much activity has occurred in the 18 months since the building was moved from its original site. Protective fencing around the house has been torn down.
References
This article is reprinted with permission from historymike who published it on his blog at http://historymike.blogspot.com
1 From a December 30, 2005 blog posting by historymike.
2 March 11, 2005 Toledo Blade story
See Also
The unofficial Lathrop House blog : http://lathrophouse.blogspot.com/
