Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens

I have had the privilege of visiting this grand estate. Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens rivals all of the greats-- the Biltmore Estate, Oak Alley Plantation, Monticello, and Mount Vernon. Likewise, this book is a sheer testament to the Sieberling's country home. If you ever get the chance to visit the Akron, Ohio area, I strongly suggest visiting this wonderful and magical place!

This is an outstanding book that describes a beautiful mansion and archtectural treasure in terms of the family that built it, lived in it, enjoyed it, shared it, and ultimately saved it. The photography is excellent and the story of the family - with its ups & downs - fascinating.

For someone born and raised in the neighborhood that now surrounds this once country home of Rubber Baron F.A. Seiberling, this book is a wonderful rememberance of one of America's fine castles.The Foreword is written by John F. Seiberling, F.A.'s grandson, who spend his childhood growing up on the estate. He provides a wonderful account of the history of this family home which is interwoven with old family photos.Steve Love's text provides a wonderful account of the house and it's history. For us neighbors, Love sets some of the myths we had learned about the house and contents straight. He provides us not with the story of a house but the tale of a family and their home. Love also paints a picture of very wealthy man who had not forgotten respect for nature he learned as a boy growing up on a nearby farm and as a man who shared prosperity with his workers as he employed his landscape architect to lay out communities for his workers as well as his executives. Seiberling's contribution to the Akron area in parks and community planning have shaped much of the area today. It seems only proper, upon FA's passing at 95, the community gathered to for the Foundation which has kept this estate intact and preserved it's beauty for us to share.Photographers Ian Adams and Barney Taxel take us on a pictorial tour of the estate and choose to organize their work by the seasons. This seasonal account continues to present the estate as more than a building but as a family home capturing the beauty of the fabulous landscape throughout the year. The colors and clarity of their work captures this marvelous old home at it's very best. We see the inside and outside in great detail,thus sharing the spendor of this great manor.This book should be a required reading for all Ohio school children as part of required Ohio history studies. For those who enjoy history of the industrialists of the last century this is a delightful read. For those those who have an appreciation for architecture, interior design and landscaping, this book capture the essence of this home. This book can prepare one for a visit to the estate, serve as a keepsake for those who have been there, or provide a tour to those who don't have a chance to visit our neighborhood. This book perpetuates the Seiberling family motto - Non Nobis Solum (Not for us alone) as this wonderful photographic and verbal account of this family home serves to further share the beauty of this magnificent estate with all who read.