Stewardship from a “Stone Quarry”

Our family has just returned from a weekend vacation that included a visit to an abandoned sandstone quarry in Akron, Ohio.  I know, that doesn’t sound very exciting.   But, that’s what we did, and a bit more.  

 Our family at the "stone quarry." (Photo by Bradley Silvius)

We wanted to share variety of activities together including the “stone quarry visit,” scenic hiking at Brandywine Falls within Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and several indoor activities like eating, swimming, and a rousing table game of Rummikub at the hotel where we lodged for the weekend.  Included in our party, in addition to Abby and I, was our son Bradley and his wife Raquel; and, our daughter Mindy (Silvius) Salyers with her husband Steve, and two daughters, Kiara Maetta and Della Rose.

But, maybe you are still wondering why we wanted to visit an abandoned stone quarry.  For starters, visitors arriving at the entrance to the property containing the quarry will see a sign, “Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens.”  The name “Stan Hywet” in Old English means “stone quarry” or “stone hewn.”   Our participation in a guided tour of the Manor afforded us with important lessons in local and American history for both the young and old among us.  Abby and I were especially blessed to accompany our offspring in what was our first return to Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens since we enjoyed our junior-senior banquet there at the manor while we were students at Malone College, in 1968.  That was “ancient history” to our granddaughters.
  
Stan Hywet Manor House is the 64,500 square-foot home of the Frank A. Seiberling family, constructed from 1912 to 1915 on the edge of an old sandstone quarry overlooking the Cuyahoga River valley.  The original area of the estate was about 1,500 acres until parts of it were sold for community development or deeded to conserve green space in and around Akron and the Cuyahoga Valley.

In addition to the Manor House are the Gate Lodge and the Carriage House.  All three structures were part of an elaborate landscape plan that integrated the natural landscape with the buildings in order to accentuate the quarry and adjacent rolling hills.

Frank Seiberling, in partnership with his brother Charles, founded the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, named for Charles Goodyear, the man who had invented vulcanization of rubber in 1839.   Although Goodyear developed a number of rubber products, his business misfortunes and poor health left him penniless at his death, in 1860.  On the other hand, F.A. and Charles Seiberling, were very successful as a result of F.A.’s 19 patents.  The most famous patent was his Seiberling State Tire Building machine which was patented in 1908.  The machine mechanized tire building and eventually made Akron, OH the “Rubber Capital of the World.”

The inventive and entrepreneurial success of the Seiberling’s are impressive.  But I am most impressed by the way in which they exercised stewardship of the massive wealth they acquired.   For example, by 1910 F.A. Seiberling and his wife Gertrude began to discuss the construction of a larger home for their growing family.  But when they began land acquisition and plans for the Estate, F.A.’s elderly mother, Catherine, prevailed upon her son and daughter-in-law not to change residences so that their beloved family traditions could continue until her passing.  So, out of respect for their family, F.A., Gertrude, and children rented a house next door to his mother on E. Market St. in Akron.  They delayed creating Stan Hywet until after Catherine’s death, in 1911.

Another example of “Seiberling stewardship” became evident to me when our tour leader pointed to the crest above the Manor House entryway.  The phrase in Latin expressed the attitude of the Seiberling family  toward  their guests:  Non Nobis Solum (“Not for Us Alone”).   Throughout its existence as a family home and in the years since then, Stan Hywet has been a symbol of warm and gracious hospitality to friends, the Akron community, and visitors from all over the world.  According to Wikipedia, “ a 1937 Akron Beacon Journal article, stated on behalf of the Akron community, ‘One reason we all like the Seiberlings is because they never went ‘high hat’ on Akron…’” 

Not only did the Seiberling family open their great home to visitors, but F.A. exercised exemplary stewardship of his great wealth toward the Akron community and beyond.  According to the Akron Beacon Journal article cited above, F.A. Seiberling “used his fortune and influence to create fair housing, build a hospital, improve transportation both locally and nationally, preserve green space for the community’s enjoyment and fund countless arts and culture programs and organizations.  F.A. believed true prosperity was gained through the enlightenment and improvement of every citizen.  …perhaps no other local family ever enjoyed greater prosperity and achievement . . . yet they were never so busy as to turn a disinterested ear to any pleader for Akron’s future or civic welfare . . . No man in Akron ever had a broader conception of Akron’s civic problems than Frank Seiberling.”  The list of F.A. Seiberling’s philanthropic affiliations is extensive and varied.

As our family enjoyed the beautiful Tudor-style architecture and lovely landscaping which afforded wonderful avenues of ripening grapes, birches, and sycamore trees, my belief in the free enterprise system was renewed.  In spite of the positive role of free market economics in American history, we now live at a time when many young Americans are soured against capitalism in favor of the hollow promises of socialism.  Thankfully, the history of F.A.  Seiberling and family demonstrates the explosion of benefits to family, community, and nation that occurs when a successful entrepreneur creates and shares his wealth out of an understanding that his or her success is “Not for Us Alone,” but for the benefit of many.  This is the essence of good stewardship.

Like the sandstone rock foundation beneath Stan Hywet, many of the values of the Seiberling family were supported by a foundation of Christian faith.   According to the Stan Hywet archives, F.A.’s wife, Gertrude, was a devout Christian, raised in the Methodist faith.  After she married F.A. and they moved to Akron, “the Seiberling’s joined Trinity Lutheran Church where Gertrude was active in the choir.  …In 1933, like her daughter Irene and daughter‐in‐law Henrietta, Gertrude became interested in the Oxford Group, a spiritual group that sought enlightenment and self‐improvement in companion with organized religion.”

It was through the same Oxford fellowship of evangelicals that Henrietta Seiberling was instrumental in the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous.   When co-founders, Dr. Bob Smith and Bill Wilson, expressed reservations against including a biblical dimension in what became known as the “Twelve Steps” of AA, Henrietta replied,

Well, we’re not out to please the alcoholics.  They have been pleasing themselves all these years.  We are out to please God.  And if you don’t talk about what God does and your faith, and your guidance, then might as well be the Rotary Club or something like that.  Because God is your only source of Power.

In conclusion, our family was enriched to visit Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens together and to learn of the life and contributions of the Seiberling family.   Their example of hard work, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy has left a positive mark on the City of Akron and beyond because of their unselfish stewardship and commitment to something and Someone larger than themselves.  It was indeed fitting that the F.A. and Gertrude Seiberling Estate was named “Stan Hywet” or “rock hewn.”  In the Book of Isaiah, we read a reminder from Almighty God figuratively speaking that we should never forget the quarry from which we were dug, shaped, and given abilities to live a meaningful and fruitful life of service to God and to our neighbor as stewards.  The prophet writes,

Listen to me, all who hope for deliverance--all who seek the LORD!  Consider the rock from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were mined.

Non Nobis Solum… Ad Dei gloriam,  “Not for Us Alone…To God Be the Glory”

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Dedication:  I've been inspired to dedicate this article to our friends Roger and Margaret Riffle who live not far from Stan Hywet Hall.  The Riffle's are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary today, and I'm blessed to have served as Roger's best man on that special day, August 14, 1968.  Congratulations and much love to you, our dear friends.

Related Reading:
Stan Hywet Celebrates 100 Years 
There’s No Such Thing as Private Property, Oikonomia, March 28, 2015

For Further Thought:
Somewhat like the Seiberling family of the 20^th century is the generous philanthropy of NBA star, LeBron James, of the 21^st century.  It would be interesting to research the lives and the philanthropic impact of each upon the City of Akron and vicinity.  A somewhat related topic would be the potential danger when a community depends too much upon a relatively narrow economic base for its existence as was evident when the Akron community rose and fell in the 20^th century in response to the economic well being of its rubber industry.