Now known as the Richfield Heritage Preserve, discover how a farm owned by the Oviatt family in the early 19th century evolved into the former beloved Girl Scout camp, Crowell Hilaka.
The Oviatt family, who farmed the land for three generations sold the land to inventor James B. Kirby in 1919. With the fortune he made from vacuum cleaners and washing machines, Kirby built a home above his patented lake, powered it with electricity from his experimental mill, and invited friends to dance on his spring-loaded dance floor. Cleveland Girl Scouts turned the property into Camp Julia Crowell in 1937. In 1957, the Scouts purchased the adjoining remnant of the Neal estate, named the new addition Hilaka, and upgraded for the possibility of making Crowell Hilaka an international destination. The people of Richfield reclaimed the green space and the history when they voted to buy the former camp in 2014. The property is now a public park.
Author Lynn Scholle Richardson is the historian for Friends of Crowell Hilaka, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Richfield Heritage Preserve. She has drawn from the archives of the Richfield Historical Society; Girl Scouts of North East Ohio; Cleveland State University; the Oviatt, Neal, and Kirby families; and scores of camp alumni to tell the story of this beloved place.
