about us
This historic farm property has a rich history and we are honored to host guests for their special occaions.
Built in the 1850s, the historical octagonal home has 3 bedrooms, a full kitchen, 2.5 baths, laundry and plenty of space for guests to relax. The home is included in all event rentals for guest use, or can be rented through AirBNB.
The Barn
The bank barn on the property has been updated on the exterior, but maintains the rustic details inside. With modern amenities like private bathrooms, heating and cooling, a patio and space for 250 guests it has become a popular event venue.
The Farm
The surrounding farm fields have various crops depending on the year, but wide open spaces with beautiful sunsets are the backdrop. The property itself has a variety of unique settings, including woods, a barn patio and smaller patio behind the house.
"We have enjoyed learning about and bringing the entire property back to life. Meeting the guests and seeing them enjoy the house, barn and outdoors has been rewarding."
Bill & Janet Frankart
The Frankart family purchased this property in 2021. Bill was raised at the neighboring farm up the road and often mowed the yard for the previous owners.
The house was built before 1860 by Thomas Dunnage and was owned by Rahla Pontius from the mid-1920s until at least 1961. Eldon and Kathryn Powell purchased the property in 1968. The Powells weren’t looking for an octagon house specifically when they purchased the home, they were looking for a farm, and the home sat on prime, available land. In the end, they raised their family in one of the few livable octagon houses in Ohio.
The octagonal design is one of the first American architectural designs not drawn from European influence. It was popularized by amateur architect and phrenology proponent Orson Squire Fowler, who authored the book, “The Octagon House: A Home for All.” As he designed octagon houses, he drew inspiration from nature in an effort to create greater comfort and efficiency in homes.
The Frankarts have done updates, including the addition of a new heating and central air unit. New flooring, a new bathroom and two electric fireplaces were also added. They upgraded the fixtures, painted walls, and reroofed part of the home. The garage also got a makeover, the floor was finished and the space is now used as a game room, with a ping-pong and pool table.
When purchasing the property in 2021, the Frankarts too were interested in the farmland and ensuring this unique property was maintained. As they put in work to both the home and barn, interest was piqued in using the space as an AirBNB rental. As they saw success with that, further renovations were completed on the barn and the opportunity to open that space up for events became an option as well.
