About Spring Hill Historic Home

Spring Hill Historic Home and Underground Railroad Site is a privately funded 1820s farmhouse and grounds located in Massillon, Ohio. The home was inhabited from the 1810s through the 1970s, first by the Rotch family and later by three generations of the Wales family. Both families were strong supporters of the abolitionist movement and opened their home as a station on the Underground Railroad. Spring Hill began as a wool farm and transitioned to a dairy operation in 1878.

In the 1960s, Irene McLain Wales, the home’s last resident, worked with a dedicated group of volunteers to purchase Spring Hill and ensure its preservation. In 1966, the Massillon Museum Foundation, Inc. was established to protect the property from redevelopment. Following Irene McLain Wales’s death in 1973, Spring Hill was preserved as a historic home and continues her legacy of sharing its history with the community and visitors from around the world. In 2006, the Massillon Museum Foundation was rebranded as Spring Hill Historic Home.

Today, Spring Hill invites visitors of all ages to explore its rich history through historic home tours, educational programs, community events, and active membership. Spring Hill Historic Home offers a welcoming space to connect with history and to become part of its ongoing story.

Our Mission

To preserve unimpaired for future generations the house, outbuildings and grounds known as Spring Hill; to interpret Spring Hill and the families who lived there in light of their historical importance; and to maintain Spring Hill as a historic site open to the public.

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Spring Hill Leadership

Staff