The Summit County Historical Society of Akron, Ohio

What The Summit County Historical Society of Akron, Ohio does

The Summit County Historical Society of Akron, Ohio is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation founded in 1924 by seven women of the Cuyahoga-Portage Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to plan Akron's centennial. It owns and operates three flagship historic properties in Akron — the Perkins Stone Mansion (home of founding family and one of Ohio's best examples of Greek Revival architecture), the John Brown House (abolitionist John Brown's 1844–1854 residence), and Old Stone School (in partnership with Akron Public Schools) — and stewards an extensive archival collection of photographs and documents housed at the Akron-Summit County Public Library.

The Society's core products are educational and interpretive: guided and self-guided property tours, the 4th Grade Outreach program ("A River Through Time" and "Towpath to the Past" at $40/classroom), school field trips ($3/student), the "Remember When..." adult programs delivered off-site across a five-county radius, ten themed Discovery Trunks loaned free to schools and community organizations, and the award-winning "Artifacts with Edie" Facebook broadcast. The Women's History Project of the Akron Area, Inc. has operated as an integrated program since 2013.

Revenue is built on seven streams: membership subscriptions ($20–$500 across seven tiers), tour admissions, school program fees, "Remember When" adult program fees, gift shop merchandise (Mutton Hill Gift Shop), tax-deductible donations, and grants from a diversified foundation roster (Akron Community Foundation, GAR Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, Ohio Humanities, F.W. Albrecht Family Foundation, LeBron James Family Foundation, among others). The organization is led by President & CEO Leianne Neff Heppner (with the Society since 1999, CEO since 2010), runs on roughly six paid staff plus a sizable volunteer base, and operates exclusively within the Akron and Summit County region of Northeast Ohio.

Name

The Summit County Historical Society of Akron, Ohio

Legal name

The Summit County Historical Society of Akron, Ohio

Website

https://summithistory.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Summit County Historical Society of Akron, Ohio is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1924 that preserves and interprets Akron and Summit County history through owned historic properties, K–12 and adult educational programs, and an on-site gift shop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Museum and Historical Preservation Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (712120), Historical Sites (71212), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Historic Preservation & Landmarks Conservation (BPAGAHAE)

Keywords

• Historical preservation services
• Museum educational programs
• Historic property tours
• Archival collection management
• Community heritage education

Headquarters

HQ city

Akron

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership program with multiple tiers ranging from $20 (Young Professional) to $500 (Simon Perkins Benefactor), providing recurring revenue and community engagement.
2. School Programs: 4th Grade Outreach Programs at $40 per classroom and school field trips at $3 per student/chaperone. Thousands of students reached annually.
3. Tour Admissions: Admission fees for guided tours of Perkins Stone Mansion and John Brown House, with special group and school tours.
4. Remember When Programs: Adult education programs delivered to nursing homes, assisted living, libraries, and community organizations for fees.
5. Gift Shop Sales: Mutton Hill Gift Shop sells merchandise including Merino Sheep stuffed animals ($15), local history books ($21.99), and other historical items via email ordering.
6. Donations: Tax-deductible donations accepted as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Includes Founding Families Membership and Diamond Business Membership special categories.
7. Grants and Foundation Funding: Receives funding from multiple foundations including Akron Community Foundation, GAR Foundation, F.W. Albrecht Family Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, Ohio Humanities, and corporate sponsors. Supports free and reduced-cost programming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Summit County Historical Society preserves and interprets the history of Summit County, Ohio through stewardship of historic properties (Perkins Stone Mansion, John Brown House, Old Stone School), curated archival collections, and educational programming. It delivers guided and self-guided tours, K-12 outreach programs (4th Grade Outreach, Discovery Trunks, school field trips), adult education programs (Remember When...), an online educational show (AWE - Artifacts with Edie), a retail gift shop, and a tiered annual membership program.

Product overview

The Summit County Historical Society operates as a single unified organization offering educational programs and museum services rather than a technology platform. Its core offerings center on historic property tours (Perkins Stone Mansion, John Brown House), school outreach programs (4th Grade Outreach, Discovery Trunks), and adult programming (Remember When... presentations). The AWE - Artifacts with Edie program represents an online extension of their educational mission. Additional services include school field trips, membership subscriptions, and retail through the Mutton Hill Gift Shop. The society also partners with other organizations for collaborative initiatives like the Portage Path Collaborative and Women's History Project of the Akron Area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Perkins Stone Mansion Tours Guided and self-guided tours of the Perkins Stone Mansion, a Greek Revival historic home of Akron's and Summit County's founding family (the Perkins family). The mansion contains hundreds of artifacts and is recognized as one of Ohio's best examples of Greek Revival architecture.
• John Brown House Tours Tours of the historic John Brown House located across from the Perkins Stone Mansion, where abolitionist John Brown lived from 1844-1854 while in partnership with Colonel Simon Perkins. Available for guided school and group tours, with self-guided tours during regular hours.
• Discovery Trunks Ten self-contained educational footlockers filled with artifacts covering historical themes including WWI, Victorian era, African-American migration, John Brown/Abolition history, and the Ohio and Erie Canal. Includes classroom activities and background narratives, designed for hands-on learning in schools, libraries, scouting groups, and community settings, available free of charge.
• Remember When... Programs for Adults Interactive educational presentations delivered to adult audiences at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, libraries, and community organizations across a five-county radius. Programs cover historical themes including WWI, WWII, Victorian era, 1960s, and local Akron history, often used for memory engagement and reminiscence.
• 4th Grade Outreach Programs In-class educational programs for fourth graders delivered directly to classrooms at $40 per classroom. Includes 'A River Through Time' (ice age to Native Americans) and 'Towpath to the Past' (Ohio and Erie Canal history), approximately one hour each, reaching thousands of students annually.
• School Field Trips Guided tours for school groups at the Perkins Stone Mansion and John Brown House with curriculum-aligned educational activities, available April through October and December. Priced at $3 per student or chaperone.
• AWE - Artifacts with Edie Live online show-and-tell program broadcast on Facebook featuring historic themes, review questions, and a featured 'Artifact of the Day' from the Society's collection. Winner of the Ohio Local History Alliance Outstanding Achievement Award in 2020.
• Mutton Hill Gift Shop On-site retail gift shop selling local history merchandise including books (e.g., local history books at $21.99), Merino Sheep stuffed animals ($15), and other Akron-themed historical items available via on-site sales and email ordering.
• Membership Program Annual membership program with tiers ranging from Young Professional ($20), Individual ($40), Companion ($50), Family ($60), Summit Sponsor ($100), John Brown Benefactor ($250), to Simon Perkins Benefactor ($500). Provides recurring revenue and community engagement benefits.

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of students reached annually through 4th grade outreach programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Portage Path CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssembly of educators, organizations and individuals committed to preserving and sharing the history of the First People of Akron and Summit County. The Collaborative sponsors North American First People's Day events, creates dialogue with native people, and supports nomination of Portage Path as a traditional cultural property to the National Register of Historic Places.
• The Lippman SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAkron school with longstanding exchange relationship with Northern Cheyenne Nation of Montana. Collaborated to create web-based mobile app providing extensive information about the Portage Path trail including history and natural world. Founding member of Portage Path Collaborative.
• Summit Metro ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Portage Path Collaborative providing guided walks, archaeological expertise, and venue access at Big Bend parking area in Sand Run Metro Park.
• Akron-Summit County Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHouses extensive archival collections of photographs and historic documents for the Society. Partner in Portage Path Collaborative and hosts 'Stories with the Sheep' program with children's librarians.
• Akron Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortage Path Collaborative member; hosts in-school activities with Indian nation representatives; teachers create aligned lesson activities. Partner for school tours and educational programming.
• Northern Cheyenne NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding exchange relationship with The Lippman School; leads Portage Path Walk events drumming and dressed in regalia.
• Stewards for Historic PreservationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Portage Path Collaborative working on preservation and historical interpretation.
• University of Akron Institute for Human Science and Culture/Cummings Center for the History of PsychologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Portage Path Collaborative contributing academic expertise in human science and history.
• The Spicy Lamb FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for sheep presence at Mutton Hill property during summer months (May-September) supporting educational programming.
• Urban ShepherdsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShepherding partnership for sheep at Mutton Hill supporting agricultural education and heritage programming.
• Top Shelf FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Kerry Hill lambs for Free Farm Fridays educational programming at Mutton Hill.
• Baldwin Wallace UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic therapy students participate in 'Singing with the Sheep' program hosted by Edie Steiner at Mutton Hill.
• Women's History Project of the Akron Area, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBecame a program of the Summit County Historical Society in 2013 during the 30th anniversary year for the Project. Annual Woman of the Year Awards Luncheon held each March.
• Special Collections Division of Akron-Summit County Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHouses extensive archival collections of photographs and historic documents; available for viewing through Summit Memory Project.
• Glendale CemeteryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner location for 3rd grade student tours including activities and architectural education.
• Multiple Summit County Historical SocietiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork including Tallmadge Historical Society, Stow Historical Society, Cuyahoga Falls Historical Society, Hudson Heritage Association, Barberton Historical Society, and 15+ others documenting local history across Summit County.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hale Farm & Village: Historic living-history site in Bath Township (Summit County) operated by the Western Reserve Historical Society. Direct peer in delivering school field trips, heritage programming, and Discovery-style educational experiences within the same local market.
• Western Reserve Historical Society: Cleveland-based 501(c)(3) historical society operating multiple historic properties, archives, and educational programs across Northeast Ohio — the most direct regional peer to the Summit County Historical Society in scope, audience, and operating model.
• Tallmadge Historical Society: One of 15+ local historical societies within Summit County; operates a historic property (Muster Grounds) and conducts educational programming. Direct peer in local-scale historic site stewardship and school programming within the same county.

Regional players

• Sauder Village: Northwest Ohio living-history destination operating historic buildings, school field trip programming, and special events. Comparable historic-site nonprofit model with strong educational programming focus.
• Zoar Village State Memorial: Ohio-managed historic settlement site offering tours, school programming, and educational experiences. Functions as a peer in the heritage attraction / educational programming space in Ohio.
• Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens: Akron-based historic estate and gardens operating as a nonprofit with tours, educational programming, and events. Local Akron peer sharing the same donor pool, volunteer base, and tourism audience.

Broad incumbents

• Ohio History Connection: Statewide nonprofit that operates historic sites and museums across Ohio and awards the Ohio Historical Marker program that recognizes the Society's Portage Path. Functions as a sector umbrella, peer network, and partial funder/partner.
• Cuyahoga Valley National Park: National park located between Akron and Cleveland offering heritage programming, ranger-led education, and visitor services. Larger-scale peer operating in adjacent historic-preservation and educational programming space.

Others

• Summit Metro Parks: Regional park district and Portage Path Collaborative partner providing guided walks and programming. Adjacent peer in heritage interpretation and outdoor education programming in the same geography.
• Akron-Summit County Public Library (Special Collections): Houses the Society's archival collections and operates the Summit Memory Project; also a programming partner (Stories with the Sheep). Archival and programming peer with overlapping community audiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/schistorical
• Facebookfacebook.com/summitcountyhistoricalsociety
• Instagraminstagram.com/summit_history
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-summit-county-historical-society-of-akron-ohio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Summit County Historical Society of Akron, Ohio