Michigan man discovers piece of family history in Canfield

CANFIELD

A lot of time has passed between when a Southern farmer and abolitionist settled on a piece of Canfield property and one of his descendants learned about it — 38 presidencies, to be precise.

“I recently did an ancestry search ... and I read about this place and was interested in seeing what it’s all about,” said Martin Barnes, referring to the Loghurst Farmhouse Museum, which he visited for the first time Friday.

A few months ago, the Fair Haven, Mich., man learned that his great-great-great grandfather,

Jacob Barnes, once owned the three-story house and museum at 3967 Boardman-Canfield Road, which the Canfield Heritage Foundation operates.

The home on seven acres was built in 1805 and is said to be the oldest log home in the Western Reserve, noted Claire Neff of the heritage foundation.

The elder Barnes moved into the home with his wife, Nancy, and eight children after having arrived via covered wagon from Virginia in 1826, when John Quincy Adams, the nation’s sixth president, was in office. For about 10 years, Barnes, who fought in the War of 1812 and was a staunch abolitionist, farmed the land and used the home as an Underground Railroad station for the safe passage of slaves seeking freedom in the North.

Barnes, a retired municipal worker, took time with his wife, Delores, to tour the home, which includes a Victorian-style parlor with an original tea set.

For more on the history of the house and famliy, read Saturday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.