Property owners argue time capsule was theirs to open
Copper box found inside Pythian cornerstone
Medina County Historical Society president Brian Feron (right) shows off the contents of a time capsule found in the cornerstone of the former Pythian Sister home to representatives of the property’s current owners, Eschelon Senior Living Group LLC, Jill Risner (left, with phone) and Debbie Garrett (center). Photo by KEVIN MCMANUS
MEDINA – Now that the question of “what’s inside” has been answered, the new question is “who legally had the right to open it?”
When contractor Ted Clingan, of Allsite Construction LLC, the crew hired to raze the former Pythian Sisters Home on North Huntington Street, recovered a time capsule within the building’s cornerstone, he immediately turned it over to Medina County Historical Society president Brian Feron.
Feron then informed media and local excitement quickly grew ahead of the unveiling July 15. Feron said he consulted with Medina County Probate Judge Kevin Dunn, present at the unveiling, who allegedly told Feron he could legally open it. The items were assessed and entered into the Historical Society’s 95-year-old collection of county history.
“When somebody calls up the Historical Society and asks if we’d be interested in something like that, you bet we’d be interested in something like that,” Feron said.
The contents of the time capsule included copies of The Medina Sentinel and The Medina County Gazette newspapers, dated Oct. 2, 1914 (two days ahead of the building’s cornerstone laying), as well as a document from The National Veterans’ Women of America, a Pythian Sisters pendant, a few coins, a Pythian Sisters business card belonging to Ruth A. Arnold and other indecipherable documents that succumbed to moisture.
Although the monetary contents of the capsule are next to nil, the property’s owners, northeast Ohio-based Eschelon Senior Living Group LLC, took offense to the box’s opening without them present or even consulted. They claim they should have been the ones to open it, wanted to do so in conjunction with surviving Pythian officials and alleged calls to coordinate with the Historical Society were not returned.
Feron, while sharing the capsule’s contents with The Post inside the Historical Society’s John Smart House museum on North Elmwood Avenue July 17, was unexpectedly visited by Eschelon representatives Jill Risner and Debbie Garrett.
Jill Risner and Garrett quickly got property owner Jeff Risner and attorney Darrel Seibert on speakerphone, asking whether they should take possession of the capsule’s contents.
For now, the contents will remain in the care of the Historical Society with the intention of Eschelon eventually taking what they say is legally theirs to possibly incorporate in their forthcoming senior living facility on the site as a way to honor the Pythian Sisters’ local legacy. Donating it back to the Historical Society is also an option, Seibert said.
“We feel it has a value in respect to the Pythian Sisters. We want to do what’s best for the community. We’re just a little taken aback that Ted from Allsite took the property knowing full well we wanted to have that property,” Seibert said, adding the demolition agreement stated the cornerstone, as well as what may or may not have been inside it, was to be given back to Eschelon at the request of the Pythians.
Jeff Risner added, “I’m the one that spoke to all those (Pythian) ladies about preserving that history and incorporating pictures in our facility, telling them they can have their meetings in our facility and keep the Pythian legacy alive. We were going to be that continuation. It’s really significant to us in what we’re trying to accomplish as an organization caring for people as the Pythian ladies did. We wanted them to be included in that.”
Eschelon purchased the Pythian property two years ago, Jill Risner said, and is currently constructing senior living facilities with 98 suites, 33 of which will be “memory care” residences. They’ll be open next year.
The previous property owners intended to construct cluster housing, but those plans were abandoned during 2008’s struggling housing market climate.
“We want to work with you. It’s just unfortunate things have transpired as they have,” Seibert told Feron.
Feron said in order to give the capsule and its contents to Eschelon, the items would have to be “de-assessed” by the Historical Society’s board. Both entities are currently working on an amicable solution.
“People bring stuff into our door every week and we assess them into our collection,” Feron said. “We have issues sometimes where stuff is donated and relatives come out of the blue saying ‘that was great-grandma’s; I want it.’”
The former Order of the Pythian Sisters Home – a longtime philanthropic hospital and residence for elderly women, which eventually accepted men – operated at the location from 1916-2002. The building remained mostly vacant from 2002 until 2012 when a church occupied the first floor of the 10,000-square-foot building for a short time.
The home was built as a provision in the will of prominent city resident Sophia Huntington Parker, “made to build and maintain a home for elderly women,” according to Discovermedina.org.
When contractor Ted Clingan, of Allsite Construction LLC, the crew hired to raze the former Pythian Sisters Home on North Huntington Street, recovered a time capsule within the building’s cornerstone, he immediately turned it over to Medina County Historical Society president Brian Feron.
Feron then informed media and local excitement quickly grew ahead of the unveiling July 15. Feron said he consulted with Medina County Probate Judge Kevin Dunn, present at the unveiling, who allegedly told Feron he could legally open it. The items were assessed and entered into the Historical Society’s 95-year-old collection of county history.
“When somebody calls up the Historical Society and asks if we’d be interested in something like that, you bet we’d be interested in something like that,” Feron said.
The contents of the time capsule included copies of The Medina Sentinel and The Medina County Gazette newspapers, dated Oct. 2, 1914 (two days ahead of the building’s cornerstone laying), as well as a document from The National Veterans’ Women of America, a Pythian Sisters pendant, a few coins, a Pythian Sisters business card belonging to Ruth A. Arnold and other indecipherable documents that succumbed to moisture.
Although the monetary contents of the capsule are next to nil, the property’s owners, northeast Ohio-based Eschelon Senior Living Group LLC, took offense to the box’s opening without them present or even consulted. They claim they should have been the ones to open it, wanted to do so in conjunction with surviving Pythian officials and alleged calls to coordinate with the Historical Society were not returned.
Feron, while sharing the capsule’s contents with The Post inside the Historical Society’s John Smart House museum on North Elmwood Avenue July 17, was unexpectedly visited by Eschelon representatives Jill Risner and Debbie Garrett.
Jill Risner and Garrett quickly got property owner Jeff Risner and attorney Darrel Seibert on speakerphone, asking whether they should take possession of the capsule’s contents.
For now, the contents will remain in the care of the Historical Society with the intention of Eschelon eventually taking what they say is legally theirs to possibly incorporate in their forthcoming senior living facility on the site as a way to honor the Pythian Sisters’ local legacy. Donating it back to the Historical Society is also an option, Seibert said.
“We feel it has a value in respect to the Pythian Sisters. We want to do what’s best for the community. We’re just a little taken aback that Ted from Allsite took the property knowing full well we wanted to have that property,” Seibert said, adding the demolition agreement stated the cornerstone, as well as what may or may not have been inside it, was to be given back to Eschelon at the request of the Pythians.
Jeff Risner added, “I’m the one that spoke to all those (Pythian) ladies about preserving that history and incorporating pictures in our facility, telling them they can have their meetings in our facility and keep the Pythian legacy alive. We were going to be that continuation. It’s really significant to us in what we’re trying to accomplish as an organization caring for people as the Pythian ladies did. We wanted them to be included in that.”
Eschelon purchased the Pythian property two years ago, Jill Risner said, and is currently constructing senior living facilities with 98 suites, 33 of which will be “memory care” residences. They’ll be open next year.
The previous property owners intended to construct cluster housing, but those plans were abandoned during 2008’s struggling housing market climate.
“We want to work with you. It’s just unfortunate things have transpired as they have,” Seibert told Feron.
Feron said in order to give the capsule and its contents to Eschelon, the items would have to be “de-assessed” by the Historical Society’s board. Both entities are currently working on an amicable solution.
“People bring stuff into our door every week and we assess them into our collection,” Feron said. “We have issues sometimes where stuff is donated and relatives come out of the blue saying ‘that was great-grandma’s; I want it.’”
The former Order of the Pythian Sisters Home – a longtime philanthropic hospital and residence for elderly women, which eventually accepted men – operated at the location from 1916-2002. The building remained mostly vacant from 2002 until 2012 when a church occupied the first floor of the 10,000-square-foot building for a short time.
The home was built as a provision in the will of prominent city resident Sophia Huntington Parker, “made to build and maintain a home for elderly women,” according to Discovermedina.org.