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It was just a few weeks ago that I stood in what I suspect was the dining room of the historic E.N. Brown House in Howland, accompanied by Howland Historical Society Vice President Warner Taiclet.
That rainy morning, Warner, like many other local history buffs, was fretting over the future of the home, commonly known as the "Yellow House."
The home, situated across from Lowe's on busy state Route 46, was constructed around 1830 and is believed to be the oldest remaining house in Howland. Indeed, its location isn't ideal with the hustle and bustle of Howland. Its tiny entrance lane is difficult to see and can only be accessed when driving northbound in typically heavy traffic. Fast-moving motorists aren't generally patient as visitors struggle to spot the entrance and slow as they approach.
But when the Yellow House was built, Howland was a fledgling community in the rural and rugged Western Reserve.
It's believed the home was erected a few decades after Joseph Howland in January 1798 bought land from Connecticut Land Company in the Western Reserve. The area's first settlers moved here in 1799. The Yellow House, built about 30 years later, was occupied by ancestors of the Brown-Mackey family of Howland.
This historic home has been the focus of much debate over the past year because it stands on property located next to the state Route 82 ramp where, in 2023, the Ohio Department of Transportation plans to expand and redevelop thoroughfares with new, safer traffic patterns it's calling a "diverging diamond." The price of progress will require removal of the historical home.
I was privileged to receive a private tour that morning late last month. Warner walked me through the home, describing exhibits, many donated. One honored Howland's pioneer aviator Ernie Hall. Another gave the history of Howland Springs. There was a historical military exhibit; information about Howland's tuberculosis hospital; period furniture; and even school readers that children would have studied in their tiny school rooms of yesterday.
We climbed a steep, narrow, winding staircase to tiny bedrooms on the home's second floor, leaving me to envision what it must have been like to live there as a child or a parent nearly two centuries ago.
As Warner shuffled through the home speaking about each exhibit, it was clear he was troubled. The prospect of losing all this to the wrecking ball was devastating. We turned our discussion to the home's future. He speculated how it might be saved by lifting the building from its aging foundation, hoisting it onto a massive trailer and transporting it a short distance to a new property where it could be preserved and remain open to educate visitors about 1800s life in Trumbull County.
Later, as we stood on the wooden deck outside, dodging large, but random raindrops, Warner described the challenges of moving the home. To go south, property was more coveted closer to Eastwood Mall complex. To go north, the house would not fit under the overpass of state Route 82.
He said the house could be moved up and then down the state Route 82 ramps at state Route 46, probably on a Sunday morning, and then north to a possible site offered behind Giant Eagle.
I left the property that morning, preparing to write this column about the need to preserve history.
Then suddenly, last week, our newspaper received word that after many months of negotiations and discussions, the home's owner was donating the structure to the historical society for $1.
Apparently owner, area businessman Jason Altobelli, also realized what could be lost.
There still is much to tackle. The cost of moving the home won't be cheap. Howland Historical Society now is planning fundraisers and has set up a GoFundMe online account seeking donations. But suddenly there is hope.
For now, the home remains open to the public 1 to 4 p.m. the third Sunday of each month. Donations are welcome.