Harlem's 1841 House

House of Seven Gables a.k.a. House of Seven Gabriels
Has been in only 3 families from 1841 October 2014

On Sunday, October 19, 2014, the historic house at 4987 Harlem Road was open for visitors from 1 to 4 p.m.

Constructed in 1841 from materials found or made on the farm such as sandstone, brick and local woods (oak and black walnut), it is known as the house of Seven Gables or more often the House of Seven Gabriels.

Ransom Noble Keeler and his bride Mary Curtiss received this new house as a wedding present.  Mary was the daughter of Marcus Curtiss in Genoa Township.

Ransom's father, Diadatus Keeler from Vermont bought 300 acres in Genoa Township 1816.  Over a period of years he added 472 acres of Harlem Township to his  Genoa property.  He had moved hid family off 11 children from a log house to a large frame house overlooking the creek with hundreds of mature Spruce trees.  Ransom's house was in the Harlem part of the property with an uncleared woods between them.

Mary died in 1852 from a fall leaving  at least three children. Ten years later Ransom died at the age of 46.  His brother Lucius inherited his farm.

Two years later Lucius and his sister Mary Hughs sold two tracts of the land to Thomas H. Marriott.  For the next three generations they worked the farm and added orchards. The farm was lost during the Great Depression in 1927 and was held by loan companies who rented it out for farming.

On October 31, 1936, Walter Lee and Mary (Thomas) Gabriel bought the property from Bellefontaine Savings & Loan and moved from a rental farm on Bokes Creek to Harlem township with three kids and a $10,500 mortgage.  The young family moved to the old house, rundown farm buildings and equipment.  They added 2 more sons, and improved the farm and buildings. 

Only three families - the Keelers, the Marriotts and the Gabriels  - have owned this house until October 2014.

It has an ice house-smokehouse, a stone pantry plus a 3-seater privy.

(11/11/2014)