T h e V e r m i l l i o n I n s t i t u t e
Steven McQuillin & Associates, Building Preservation Consultants
Hayesville is a village of approximately 300 people located 8 miles south of Ashland, Ohio and is at the intersection f State Routes 60 and 179. In addition to the historic Vermillion Institute, the town contains the National Register-listed Opera House with its grand restored interior, and a historic former Studebaker garage undergoing conversion to a fresh foods market and dining facility.
The village also contains a restaurant and one of the region's best custom sandwich shops, plus a pizza parlor. Hayesville is also near the heart of Mohican country, with lots of outdoor recreation, including boating, kayaking and tubing the Mohican River and the nearby scenic reservoirs such as Charles Mill Lake and Pleasant Hill Lake.
The region is known for its excellent bike trails and beautiful scenic and lightly traveled paved country roads. The town is also fairly close to Mansfield, which has plenty of shopping, a historic downtown and the great Kingwood Center Gardens with its magnificently landscaped grounds. Wooster and its college and cultural center lie 15 miles east of here.
Another destination to check out is the Hayesville Opera House and the Kelley Hardware-Odd Fellows Hall Project. The two-story Italianate style brick building is in the planning and early construction stage in its conversion to loft-style apartments. See below for more information.
KELLEY HARDWARE-ODD FELLOWS HALL PROJECT
The
historic 1885 Kelley Hardware-Odd Fellows Hall in Hayesville is located just down the
street from the Vermillion Institute at 7 E. Main Street (the Hayesville Opera House is located next door). This two-story
Italianate style brick building is in the planning and early
construction stage in its conversion to loft-style apartments.
The
building began its existence as a social meeting space above a hardware
store. The upper floor has been abandoned for close to 100 years and
the lower floor has been empty for a decade.
The
building is distinguished by its 14-foot ceilings and slender 9 1/2
foot tall windows, complete with robust trim and interior wood
shutters. Unusual features include a hidden entrance to the basement,
two trap doors and a primitive dumbwaiter system. The building is
notable for its highly ornamented metal cornice with gothic accents,
its Corinthian storefront columns and elegant display windows.
Note: As plans move forward with the conversion please check back for additional information and renderings to be added to this page (updated 11/14/17)
The Village Point Market, a Hayesville landmark, was rehabilitated earlier this year by Ben Ferguson.
Located kitty-corner from the Kelley Hardware-Odd Fellows Hall Project, the market boasts many of the building's original features, and serves an array of sandwiches, snacks, produce, ice cream and baked goods.