Stan Hywet Collage

So I finally got around to getting these pictures home and online, and now I'm sharing them with you all. This is from the Stan Hywet trip (hence the title) and I ended up taking the huge house as an opportunity to do my weekend picture-taking for Photography (the project was to make a collage out of something, as you can see). Enjoy!


Stan Hywet: Snapshots by ~ob0eplayer4life on deviantART

For another version of this (where all the pictures are black and white but I've tinted a few of them like pink and blue), go here:
http://ob0eplayer4life.deviantart.com/art/Stan-Hywet-B-W-Tinted-106427455

Stan Hywet/ Hale Farm

Touring Stan Hywet seemed so much different than just going through the gardens. Outside it was more beautification and inside was wealth. Which the family was very wealthy for their time. Time seemed so relaxed than. Now society is just about wealth, obviously the Seiberlings lived the best. They weren't very showy though. Also, families were huge back then. Families were big so most families could run things like a farm on their own.
Hale farm has decreased in size since it first was established and is still now, huge. The workers and family definably put a lot a work towards it. It was cool to see how people could rein act that. Our actor that we interviewed told our group so much about sour kraut that I didn't know that there was that much history.
Overall it was a great learning experience and should definitely be kept on the Valley voyages list of trips.

Blogged by Evan

Stan Hywet and Hale Farm

I think the experience of learning from a first person historic interpreter was a very interesting experience, and I think I prefer it to a historical tour guide. With a first person historic interpreter, you see things more from the point of view that they people of the time saw them, which makes the experience much more genuine. A historical tour guide simply presents the facts in the same manner that a textbook would, instead of a real-life account of what actually would be going on.

Despite my preference for a first person historic interpreter, I believe that the method of self-discovery is a very good way to learn about places like Stan Hywet. It allows us to explore places that may or may not be covered on the tour, and draw our own conclusions from what we see, which I think is an excellent learning method.

The 21st century is not exactly hard to miss in a place like Stan Hywet, with the computers, fire alarms, and fire extinguishers sitting around in random places, and Hale farm has the obvious gift shop. I believe I would be most comfortable living around the time of the Stan Hywet recreation, since I am very reliant on modern conveniences, and Stan Hywet seemed to have a significantly larger amount of these than Hale Farm. In my opinion, not much is really worse now than back then. Technology has only benefited us, and we don't exactly have any more or less problems, just different ones. Things like medical care would be an obvious downside to living back then.

Stan Hywet-Hale Farm Journal

(Yeah, this took me a while to get up...sorry...plus, I'm warning you now, this is pretty long)

So overall, I really liked the whole day, and actually THINKING about the different historic interpretation styles was an interesting idea. I think they were both good, each with their strong and weak points. With a tour guide, like at Stan Hywet, you learn a little less about more, but with a person acting as though they're from the 1830s, you get to learn more about less, you know? Like with Stan Hywet, you learn kind of an overview about the house and the servants and such, but with Hale Farm, you learn everything there is to know about candle making. Personally, I enjoyed the interpretation at Hale Farm better because it seems like they can really get into it and enjoy what they're doing (and, I'm not gonna lie, the costumes look fun! haha), but with Stan Hywet, one would think the tour would get boring after a while...just saying the same thing over and over and over for ten years or however long the guy had been doing it.

I also liked Hale Farm better in that we could go wherever we wanted and just explore...that sense of freedom is nice. Stan Hywet was nice as a tour, but if you wanted to stay longer in one place or shorter in another, you couldn't really do that.

I also liked the fact that Hale Farm was totally 21st-century item free. We would go into the offices and whatnot of the mansion, and the guy would be like, "Here's where the head maid" (or whatever she was) "would stay and she kept thus and such in these cabinets," and you didn't really get the real feel of the room due to the computer sitting on the desk. I know the Seiberlings were ahead of their times and everything, but come on..!

Overall, I definitely would've been more comfortable to live on a farm. As much as I love old houses, I wouldn't want to manage one. I like the cozy down-home feel of a farm. Though perhaps I would like being a servant in a huge mansion, because although you have to work hard every single day, you'd probably get to gossip about the owners and their friends quite a bit (wow, that sounds pretty shallow, doesn't it? But come on! You can bet the lifestyles were pretty interesting and talk-about-able!).

I think that people back then were probably a bit more down-to-earth than people now because they didn't have internet and such, so they had to rely on each other for entertainment. Things that are worse would probably include hygiene, medical care, and obviously transportation.

I think this trip was the best so far in my opinion. the only reason i think this is because i have always enjoyed the experience of going to Hale farm and i have never gone to Stan Hywett before.
What i thought was really cool was when we got to interview the people in hale farm because some of the workers there were really into there jobs there in the farm like the lady that was at the Goldsmith house she was really cool. and going to Stan Hywett was a great experience for me because i learned about how people live back then in a hands on way and i got to travel through a wonderful home with all there newer age tech. hidden and stashed away. over i had a wonderful time it was great!!!!

but even though that i got to feel a little of what its like living back then i would definitely prefer to stay in this peiriod of time.

Stan Hywet and Hale Farm

The difference between the interpreter and the guide had a lot to do with how much I enjoyed each experience. At Stan Hywet, the guide showed us the past of the house and gave us facts and information on how life was in that time period, which was a lot more innovative than Hale Farm because of the greater span of technology emerging. At Hale farm, the interpreters made us live the experience and all of the people there were really enthusiastic and detailed about the lives they were interpreting. The time period at Hale farm was more friendly and comfortable. I think that might have to do with understanding the way they lived back then better than at Stan Hywet. I would prefer living in that time period because I felt like I understood it better after hearing the interpreters and it was a lot more plain and simple.
Modern technology somewhat interfered in Stan Hywet. Even though the guide told us not to pay attention to the desk and computer, it was hard to not notice. Also, he mentioned that a good portion of the items like vases were donated and not part of the original house. This also might be true of Hale Farm. Hale Farm, though, had less impact from modern technology.
I really enjoyed this trip but I would have preferred more time at both places, especially outside at Stan Hywet. We spent most of the time inside, which could be done in winter when it would be good to be inside, but while the weather is nice I like to be outside. I had never been to Hale Farm before and really enjoyed it.

Reflection of Stan Hywett and Hale Farm

I enjoyed this trip i just wish that we had more time at both places, but it was still fun either way. I think first off that learning with the first person interpreter gave us all more of an inside of the history rather than just the straight facts. This is a much better way to teach things.
I liked the tour a lot for the house but i do think it would have been interesting to go through ourselves first and then with a tour guide. The one thing i will say is that it was neat to be able to go through all of the little rooms that the people not on the tour could not go into. Seeing how that wealthy family lived in the early 1900s i have realized that though many things have changed, some still have not. Many business people nowadays still buy big houses and second homes to impress others. The one thing that is different now though is that people didn't need to see how everything in the house happened, as we saw many of the modern conveniences were tucked away so the guests would not see them. I still though would much rather live in our era now where i can wash and dry my clothes in a machine that is not bigger than my living room. One other disadvantage of the homes was having to store and process all of their own drinking water, something we take for grant it everyday. The one thing that was much better about those times though is sometimes things (at least as we see them) were much simplified as in the way they lived.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the day and i can't wait for next time.

Stan Hywett & Hale Farm

-- Cyrus Sethna --

I just stole the idea of the name thing from Ashley, but somehow I don't think that she'll mind.

A historic interpreter and a tour guide both serve the same purpose, but work towards the common goal with different methods. I felt that at Stan Hywet (hereafter referred to as SH) we were shown around by a tour guide (despite his claim that he was an interpreter) and at Hale Farm (henceforth referred to as HF) we encountered Historic Interpreters.

At SH, the guide that we had simply showed us around the place and told us about what we were looking at. Once in the attic, he tried to do some acting, but I saw that as a rather poor attempt to mimick historical figures.

At HF, the majority of the persons that we encountered (save for the saurkraut fellow) were historic interpreters. The best kind were the sort that dressed their part and were able to perform the tasks that they would have historically. There were a few that felt it was necessary to talk in funny voices and speak in a provincial manner, but I found that they had to try too hard to do it and it detracted from the overall experience. However, I felt that these people all meet the requirements to be a "historic interpreter" because they are actually doing some interpreting of history (each interpreter had to properly understand their trade and how what they would have done would contribute to the society of the past).

With a tour guide, one gets a straightforward presentation of the facts as we received at SH. They tell you what it was like, what things were for, and how things were used. You use your brain and store the information, much as I do in class.

When one encounters an interpreter, one can see firsthand exactly what the person is talking about, and it has a much different effect. I feel that it helps some people (like myself) better understand what they are learning, and for others it probably doesn't make much of a difference.

A self-guided tour should have almost the same impact on a visitor as a guided tour, provided that the visitor is not a dolt and the tour guide knows what he or she is doing. If the visitor can read, think for itself, and has a fair pre-existing understanding of what it is looking at, then I think that this visitor would do just fine on a self-guided tour and might, in fact be slightly bored on a guided tour. There are always advantages to going on a tour with a guide however. A visitor cannot know everything and is bound to have some questions that he or she cannot answer on her own. On the other hand, this issue could be resolved with knowledgeable visitor service aids or docents.

I think I would prefer to live in the past provided that I was capital as opposed to labor. I could exploit my workers and profit immensely from the fruits of their labors. I could build a huge house where I could scare my wife without fear of her recourse and have affairs with other women and beat them all liberally.

Entry Numbah 2

I didn't like the Stan-Hewet tour as much as I did the Hale Farms deal. The preplanned tour was... kinda boring. And had too small a space for so many people. I got a little claustrophobic. Although I did learn some pretty cool stuff, it just wasn't as fun. Now, the self-guided tour was interesting. But still, we ended up getting stalked by a guide and it felt like preplanned tour all over again.

The 21century imposed itself in a little, and in a lot of ways. The Stan-Hewet tour hit 21 century with all the modern fire alarms, light bulbs, and other glass cased stuff I'm pretty sure wasn't in the original designs. Hale farms was a lot less prevelant, though, still sort of there in regards to how some of the people acted and spoke. One girl was pretty into it in the vocals while cutting bandages for the soldiers.

Honestly, I can't say I preferred either place more. I liked the old down home style of the farm, and I liked the intricacies of the house. I'd probably pick the farm, to be honest, if only for the intriguing, if not complicated, style of living. Personally, I still like the black smith. He was pretty cool. At least, the rose was awesome in the true sense of "left in awe."


What I thought was better was just the "back to basics" feel that both places gave off. The disadvantage was that same thing. The whole "back to the basic" was not only its one redeeming quality, but it was also its own nail in the coffin.

Jessica's Post

I personal liked learning from the historic interpreter rather than the tour guide. The interpreter really acted like they would back in the time period their profression was. Learning from the interpreter was more hands on because they did have different things we could do. The tour we had was okay but i really did not care much for our guide. He really did not seem like he wanted to be there. All of the interpreters I talked to really cared about what they were doing and how they came across to people.

In a programmed tour you're taught what someone wants to teach. The guide only tells you so much about certain things. With self-discovery you can explore whatever you choose. Self-discovery allows you to spend as much or as little time as you want on anything. At Stan Hywet Hall they had to use new water proofing to stop flooding inside. Hale farm was almost exactly what it would of been like bac in the day except for some restoring to some of the rooms in the houses. I personally would have rather lived in the time period of Stan Hywet Hall because of all the new technologies that were available. In that time period people were not as busy as we are today. There was not all the hustle and bustle as there is today. I also thin that people respected others more. Today proper respect is hard to come by. The only reason I really would not want to live in that time period is the fact that women were not totally equal yet.

Stan Hywet and Hale Farm

Lienne Sethna's Journal Response

The tour through Stan Hywet was an interesting way to look at how a wealthy family would live in the early 1900s. It surprised me to find that it wasn't as easy as it would seem to own a large manor house with the best modern conveniences of it's time. The Seiberlings were the hosts of many guests and had to prepare for each one's needs and make sure they were accommodated well. I think that it would be easier to live in those times because you didn't have to try to impress your guests. The Seiberlings tried not to show off by hiding away their technology like the telephones and baggage elevator. Having such a huge plot of land could be a challenge to the owners because they would have to worry about hiring enough staff to keep the area well maintained.

Walking around Hale Farm gave me insight to how common people would have lived without the comforts we have today. The villagers who dressed in costume and told their story were a good way for me to understand how their lives depended on things we don't think that much about, like how the weather will affect the vegetables they've planted. One way life was easier in that time was the way people were dependent on themselves and their neighbors. This could be good because everyone in the village would have a strong relationship with each other. Living in this time could also be hard because if there was a bad season and the crops were bad, it would be hard for the everyone to get food.

All in all, the trip to Stan Hywet and Hale Farm was a good way to learn about the history in Cuyahoga Valley.

Looking for the Stan Hywet/Hale Farm Journal Prompt?

Here it is:

Journal Requirements:

How was the experience of learning with a first person historic interpreter different from learning with an historic tour guide?

Compare the method of self-discovery to a programmed tour. In what ways have 21st Century life been imposed on these two historic places? Describe life in each time period represented and explain in which you would have been most comfortable living. Is there anything about those times that are better than ours today? What, other than modern conveniences, is worse?

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