Lakeside in Ottawa County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Green Gables
Lakeside Heritage Trail
| — | Lakeside Chautauqua 150 Years 1873 - 2023 | — |
Photographed by Craig Doda, July 24, 2025
1. Green Gables Marker
Erected 2023 by Lakeside Heritage Society. (Marker Number 6.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1928.
Location. 41° 32.705′ N, 82° 44.999′ W. Marker is in Lakeside, Ohio, in Ottawa County. It is at the intersection of Walnut Avenue and West 2nd Street, on the right when traveling north on Walnut Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 161 Walnut Ave, Lakeside Marblehead OH 43440, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Lake Erie Shore and in the Toledo Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Midwest, on the Great Lakes, and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Bettinger Park Basketball Courts (within shouting distance of this marker); Orchestra Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); The Brick Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Donald & Coralen Bettinger Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Carrie Barge Cottage (within shouting distance of this marker); Danbury Township World War Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); The Carroll Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Lake/Central Park (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lakeside.
Also see . . .
1. Welcome to the Lakeside Heritage Trail. One hundred and fifty years ago, the founders of Lakeside stood on the shores of Lake Erie envisioning a place for the faithful to gather in community. Since then, millions of people have been beckoned to this beautiful, peaceful sanctuary to deepen their connection to Lakeside’s timeless mission…
To enrich the quality of life for all people, to foster traditional Christian
Photographed by Craig Doda, July 24, 2025
2. Green Gables Marker
With the new year, we welcome Lakeside’s 150th Anniversary – a time to honor the past, celebrate the present and look to the future. This exciting Sesquicentennial Celebration connects us to the mission through enriching religious life programs, educational lectures, cultural arts performances and recreational activities. (Submitted on August 11, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio.)
2. 6. Green Gables. Then
In 1883, brothers Langdon and Watson Hubbard and their cousin Rollin Hubbard of Sandusky purchased one of Lakeside’s prime vacant lots, south of the dock and facing the park. Langdon Hubbard owned a large timber mill in Huron City, Michigan and shipped the lumber to Sandusky for construction of the proposed cottage in Lakeside. The design was a Steamboat Gothic style cottage with steep gables in the shape of a Greek cross. It was to be known as Green Gables.
Mary Cook, the eldest of three unmarried sisters living in Norwalk, Ohio, purchased Green Gables in 1884. In 1893, Mary signed the lease over to her sister, Alice. Green Gables served as a boarding house for many years, and then sat empty for a few years after 1923, perhaps the result of the cottage’s deterioration due to lack of upkeep by the two aging sisters. So in 1928, A.L. Hoover, Lakeside’s General Manager, persuaded Alice Cook to sell Green Gables to the Lakeside Association. Mr. Hoover negotiated with the association’s trustees to have Green Gables serve as a clubhouse for a new women’s club. Hoover’s wife, Bessie, was to serve as the club’s founding president.
And so the Lakeside Women’s Club (LWC) was established in 1928. Lakeside women responded enthusiastically, and 623 charter members joined by the end of the first season. The first LWC Constitution stated the club’s purpose as “self-improvement and mutual helpfulness.” To support members’ literary interests, an LWC lending library started in 1941, open to the entire community. Then in 1944, the LWC Board initiated rental of four bedrooms to women guests. In 1947, the original north porch was enlarged for a meeting room; upstairs toilets were enclosed and a shower added for rental guests. Green Gables has continued to serve over the decades as a guest house for women visitors during the Chautauqua season.
Now
For 95 years, Green Gables has remained the beloved clubhouse of the Lakeside Women’s Club. Annual dues have risen from $1 in 1928 to $15 in 2022. Men are now permitted to be members and attend all activities. Tuesday afternoon educational programs continue to focus on “self-improvement” through various topics. LWC members are avid readers, evidenced by strong participation in weekly book discussions and book reviews. There are also weekly bridge and Mah Jong games. Through the years, the LWC has sponsored cottage tours, quilt shows, book author events and community service projects, as well as the publication of two cookbooks.
With over 200 LWC members attending activities every day of the week, Green Gables is a busy place all summer long. Everyone in the Lakeside community is welcome at Green Gables. (Submitted on August 11, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 11, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 62 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 11, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
