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Fowler Historical Society

David & Melissa Butts - 1852 House Museum

The David and Melissa Butts House, built in 1852 out of locally fired brick, served as the family home for over 65 years. Sold to outside interests in 1920, it continued as a private residence until the late 1990's. In 2001, Fowler Township purchased the house and with some remodeling and restoration converted the building to house the offices of both the Township Clerk and the Township Zoning Inspector as well as the Fowler Township Museum.

Admission is free to both the Butts House and the Town Hall with donations accepted. Museum hours are every third Sunday of the month from June through October, from 1 to 5 p.m. with special programs in May and November. Groups and tours are welcome at other times by appointment. Call 330-637-2006 or 330-638-6646.

The History of Fowler

Fowler was formed when Samuel Fowler purchased the newly surveyed township from the Connecticut Land Company for $12,903.23 in 1798.

Fowler's first settler was Abner Fowler, a brother of Samuel. Abner helped survey this area and in the spring of 1799 built a log cabin near the center of the township. He acted as a land agent for his brother and helped induce early settlers to come here. He was also the township's first recorded death in 1806. Abner originally came from Massachusetts, having served in the Revolutionary War from that state.

Originally called Westfield, the name of the township was soon changed to Fowler in honor of the founding family. Along with the settlement in Fowler Center, early settlers also located at Tyrrell, aka Tyrrell Hill, on the southern edge of the township. On the western edge of the township, near the intersection of Route 305 and Ridge Road, early settlement was also begun. In 1817 the Fowler family gave five acres of land at Fowler Center to the people of Fowler to be used as a park or common with the provision that no permanent building ever be built on it. That is why we have the township green area to this day.

When the railroad came to town in the mid 1870's, much industry and commercial development occurred along its tracks. This took place about one mile east of Fowler Center on Route 305 at Fowler Station also known as Nutwood. Two miles south, along the same tracks at Tyrrell, the same thing happened. Included in addition to a train station at both places were stores, a food processing plant, a creamery, several feed and flour mills, a chair factory, a nail factory, a machine repair shop, two post offices, cattle corrals, boot shops, a gun maker, and a blacksmith shop among others. With the demise of the railroad in the 1950's, this activity vanished and now only Fowler Center remains as the focal center.

The buildings on all four corners at Fowler Center were built from the 1840's to about 1865. That is why visually the scene at the center is much as it was at the time of the Civil War. We have in Fowler at least 14 families that trace their origins here to the 1840's or earlier. Several of these families still live on the farms that have never been outside of family ownership since the founding of the town.

Fowler Town Hall

Built in 1850, this rather plain little building was the center of township government for 146 years until 1996. Restored in 1999, this building serves as a fitting environment for period artifacts and other items relating to our pioneer past here in Fowler.

Both the David and Melissa Butts House and the Fowler Town Hall are owned by Fowler Township and staffed by volunteers of the Fowler Township Historical Society. Both of these buildings are part of the Fowler Township Historical District.

2005-2006 Officers

President - Dave Cover

Vice President - Nancy Kimble

Recording Secretary - Susan Cleland

Corresponding Secretary & Membership - Shirley Marshall

Treasurer - Ella Rising

Museum Co-Chairpersons

Judy McDonald

Nancy Kimble

Committee

Claudia Suverison

Rose Ann Mahon

Judy Gates

©2008 Fowler Township