Nonprofit takes ownership of Monteith Hall with aim to save a piece of history

ELYRIA — For the first time in 70 years, Monteith Hall has new owners. Located at 218 East Ave., the historic home, arguably the most-historic building still standing in Elyria, according to one local historian, was transferred by the Elyria Woman's Club to the Friends of Monteith Hall in January. "At its height, the Woman's Club had more than 400 members, but just like many other organizations, it has encountered declining membership in recent years," said Janet Bird, president of the Elyria Woman's Club. "Today, the club has just 35 members, too few to keep up with maintenance of the historic home." Janet Bird also serves as secretary of the Friends of Monteith Hall. In 2015, the Friends of Monteith Hall was formed for three reasons — to help preserve the historic integrity of the home and assist with maintenance; to educate people about the history of the building, who lived there and their contributions to society; and the historic preservation of the community at large. While the Woman's Club was never designated as a 501c3 nonprofit, as it is a social club, the Friends group was able to obtain that designation, allowing it to apply for grants for much-needed repairs. The Friends of Monteith Hall have been able to secure funding in several ways as a result of the non-profit designation, including private donations, a named fund through the Community Foundation of Lorain County, the William A. Ely Testamentary Trust and its membership program. Built by John and Abigail Monteith in 1835, Monteith Hall is steeped in local history and was the first property in Elyria to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Janet Bird said. Over the years, the Woman's Club, which meets at Monteith Hall twice a month, has rented space in the building to pay for costs of upkeep, including apartments. "The idea was to complete one major project a year and smaller things as necessary," said Bill Bird, president of the Friends of Monteith Hall. "We've done basement waterproofing, asbestos removal in the basement and reinstalling pipes, radiator valve replacement." The Friends group also refurbished the apartments when they became vacant and worked to have the roof redone. "As membership has been reduced, and we've all gotten older, it has become too much," Janet Bird said. "This seemed natural for the Friends to take over since they've already worked on maintenance to preserve the property." Talks began in 2024 to have the Friends group take over the property, as the Woman's Club was having trouble filling offices. "I am humbled by the trust the Woman's Club has put in the Friends of Monteith Hall," Bill Bird said. "We started 10 years ago as a really new entity on the scene. At first, it was 'This is great, they're going to give us money,' but as time went on, they could see the careful, supervised projects that we were doing to protect the integrity of the house and we gained their respect." As of January, the Friends of Monteith Hall became the third entity to own the house. "It's a very heartfelt feeling to know that we've been trusted to take care of this property," Bill Bird said. "It's scary not knowing what the future holds, but we are very thankful to the Woman's Club for taking care of it for 70 years." The Woman's Club will continue its bimonthly meetings at Monteith Hall, as well as holding its annual events, which includes a wine tasting in March, a bewitching tea and spaghetti dinner in the fall and a brunch around the holidays. "We want this to be a seamless transition," Bill Bird said. "The Woman's Club is still going to meet there, and we will continue to protect the architectural integrity. We don't want the purpose of the house to just be about raising money. We want to get the word out and get people to come tour the house and join as a member. If we want to create traffic and have tours and usage, we need more members and we need members willing to chaperone the property. We need people who can be docents and want to learn the history so they are able to give tours." While the Friends group continues to get a feel for the house, there are a few projects on its radar, including refurbishing or possibly repurposing the third-floor apartment; tending to the deteriorating pillars on the front of the building; and keeping an eye on the aging boilers. "We're excited about the opportunity to continue this legacy, but it's also a big responsibility and comes with its own sense of trepidation," Bill Bird said. "We need to ferret out folks in the community who care about preservation." The newest member of the Friends of Monteith Hall is Elyria Mayor Kevin Brubaker, Bill Bird said. "We're hoping to raise awareness with the city and have city officials as involved as possible," he said. "We also hope to be added to the Lorain County Convention & Visitors Bureau Underground Railroad Trail." Contact Christina Jolliffe at ctnews@chroniclet.com.