Historic Weymouth provides interesting stops on Medina County’s Fall Foliage Tour

Antique straw bonnet

This antique bonnet was made by Mrs. C.B. Summer, Fashionable Milliner, in Medina at her shop on the second floor of 7 Public Square in 1887 or 1888. (Mary Jane Brewer, special to cleveland.com)

MEDINA, Ohio -- On a brisk, sunny weekend, the little community of Weymouth provided two interesting, historic stops on the annual Medina County Fall Foliage Tour Oct. 12-13.

The first was the Weymouth School, built in 1925 as Ohio’s first tax-supported school for children with special needs. The building was restored by the Weymouth Preservation Society in 2012 and now serves as its local history museum.

Curator Susan McKiernan showed visitors around the two-room schoolhouse and talked about the collection of vintage hats artfully displayed, along with photos of historic scenes showing women wearing hats to events in Medina County.

Janet Baran and restored Weymouth mural

Janet Baran is shown here with the mural she recently restored at Becker Garage in the tiny Medina County community of Weymouth. (Mary Jane Brewer, special to cleveland.com)

An especially fetching bonnet was made by Mrs. C.B. Summer, Fashionable Milliner, in Medina at her shop on the second floor of 7 Public Square in 1887 or 1888. It is straw trimmed with tatting, fabric roses, braided straw edging, brown silk satin lining the brim and silk satin ties.

A second stop in Weymouth showcased a beautiful mural depicting the community as it looked in 1856. The mural, painted by teenager Craig Staufer in the late 1960s, is found in the former Becker Garage at 3280 S. Old Weymouth Road. The large mural features about 20 buildings, including two churches, a mill, a covered bridge formerly on Cook Road and several farmhouses.

The mural was in terrible disrepair until it was recently restored by local artist Janet Baran. She said the original painting was done in oils, but her restoration has been completed in acrylics. She began by stabilizing the flaking paint of the original, then spent about six months repainting the scene, copying the original colors.

Deteriorated mural

The mural, originally painted in oils by Craig Staufer in the 1960s, had deteriorated badly. (Mary Jane Brewer, special to cleveland.com)

The building housing the mural was purchased in 1986 by Robert and Marlene Shurell and has also been lovingly restored, with a new roof, windows, flooring, paint and energy-efficient utilities.

Robert Shurell said that in the 1920s and 1930s, people took rides in the country and stopped at the gas station for repairs or for “the original greasy burger” -- grilled by the same hands that had just changed their flat tire.

The station also had guest cottages for those who wanted to spend the night, and offered pretzel rods, candy, cigarettes, beer and billiards.

Sun News Becker Garage mural in Weymouth Ohio

Detail of the restored mural, which artist Janet Baran did using acrylic paints to match the colors of the original. (Mary Jane Brewer, special to cleveland.com)

The building is now available for rent through Russell Real Estate Services. Shurell thinks it is perfect for a small business that wants to be close to highway access, yet be in a quiet country setting.

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