Symbol of Success

Symbol of Success. . This house reflects Stephen and Mehitable Frazee’s transition from being subsistence pioneers to successful farmers. They may have come to the Cuyahoga Valley as tenant farmers as early as 1811. Within 10 years they were able to buy more than 600 acres. The Frazees built this substantial brick house in 1825-1827 on a prominent hillside site. Bother were signs of success – this family was here to stay. The Frazees based many of the house’s Federal-style features on Asher Benjamin’s book, The American Builder’s Companion. A popular 1806 style guide, the book did not include how-to-do-it instructions. Ultimately the Frazees built their home with bricks they me themselves using local materials and local knowledge., Caption , “Strength, convenience, and beauty, are the principal things to be attended to.” Asher Benjamin, The American Builder’s Companion, 1806., Fragments discovered by archeologists indicate the dishware was imported, probably on the canal, and typical of the middle class., The Frazees were inspired by Asher Benjamin’s plan for a country house. What similarities do you see? Notice the boxy shape and how the windows, chimneys, and roofline are balanced and symmetrical.