Stewart Manor House in Quail Hollow Park

Quail Hollow State Park (now managed as Quail Hollow Park by Stark Parks) is a 700+ acre mix of rolling meadows, wetlands/marshes, and pine and hardwood woods—built for a full day outside, whether you’re hiking, birdwatching, fishing, mountain biking, picnicking, or visiting for seasonal programs and guided history tours. At the center of the park experience is the Stewart Manor House, a 40-room historic home that adds a cultural “time capsule” to the trails and natural areas around it.

The manor is closely tied to Harry Bartlett Stewart and the rise of the Akron, Canton & Youngstown Railway (AC&Y)—a railroad incorporated in 1907 by Akron-area industrialists and developed to connect the region’s manufacturing and resource economy. While the railroad’s name promised routes to Canton and Youngstown, histories of the line note that the AC&Y ultimately ran as an east–west Ohio route and became known for dependable regional service. Inside the house, spaces like the manor’s library help interpret Stewart’s era—when business leadership, correspondence, and record-keeping often lived side-by-side with family life under one roof.

The home’s design and rooms also tell the story of the Stewart family’s day-to-day life—formal entertaining spaces and grand bedrooms alongside very practical “behind-the-scenes” rooms. Tour and interpretive materials highlight features that feel surprisingly modern for the time, including hidden compartments/secret spaces and other unusual details that visitors love to discover.

Downstairs, the manor even includes specialty rooms tied to both household management and hobbies: planning documents and preservation materials describe basement areas such as a flower room and a dark room (among other service spaces), underscoring how this was a working estate—not just a showpiece. Today, the Stewart Manor House continues to serve the public through tours, education, and community events—making it a standout stop where Stark County nature and local history meet in one place.