The Swiss Homestead
The House
A typical Swiss settlement house, the three-bay Schumacher house was built by Christian Schumacher in 1843.
First Floor Highlights
1. Most of the furniture was donated by Swiss descendants.
2. Rocking Chair – used by Elizabeth Schumacher
Second Floor Highlights
1. Bedroom – furnished as a typical bedroom with hope chest, bed, quilt and wooden cradle. Above the bed is a bar on which they would hang their extra covers. If they got cold at night, they could reach up for more cover.
2. Schoolroom Area – One section of the long room upstairs features items from one-room schools of the era. Note the wooden globe.
3. Cooking Items – These include sausage grinders and cheese paraphernalia, since nearly everyone made cheese in their homes.
The Family
Christian and Barbara Elizabeth (Luginbuhl) Schumacher left a farm outside of Basel, Switzerland in 1835 and came first to Wayne County, Ohio to visit relatives. Then, with their four children Barbara, John, Peter, and Christian, they moved on to what was then Putnam County, Ohio, in 1836, locating on what is known as the Old Schumacher Homestead.In 1839, Peter married Elizabeth, daughter of Christian Suter, bishop of the Swiss Mennonite congregation. They raised sixteen children at the Schumacher farm; each grew to adulthood, married, and had an average of ten children, giving Christian and Barbara 163 grandchildren.
The Barn
The barn has an inscription stone reading 1854 set into the limestone wall on the east side, making it one of the earliest large barns in the area. It was originally built with banks on both gable ends—the east and west sides—-rather than on the long side of the barn as was usual. The hay wagons would be driven in one end, the hay thrown into the mows on the sides, and then the wagons driven out the other end.
After barn tracks came into use, the Schumachers decided to install a track, and built a wider bank on the south side.
According to Glenn Harper, Ohio historic preservation officer, this barn and the Isaac Neuenschwander barn, built ten years later, are the only two barns in Ohio that were built this way and then underwent the change from two banks to one.
Going into the barn, one can see the big timbers used and imagine the size of some of the trees that grew here at the time of the settlement.