• Crouse farm in family for more than 100 years
• Million-dollar properties becoming more common on Portage Lakes
• Land for sale boasts barn built in 1862

A family steeped in Summit County history is selling a 27-acre property with one-third of a mile of Portage Lakes frontage.

The Green property at 4674 S. Main St. is owned by a limited liability company made up of Crouse family members and has been in the family since 1912.

The $4.5 million listing follows the sale of Turkeyfoot Lake Golf Links in January to local businessman Tim Adkins. The "Water Nine" section of the golf course in New Franklin will be developed, with the rest of the course in Green remaining as-is, Adkins has said.

The golf course can be seen across the lakes from the Mud Lake shoreline of the Crouse property.

'Time to move forward' with sale of Portage Lakes land

James Crouse, who lives on the Main Street property, said he's not sure what will be developed on the 27 acres, but he and his family don't want a "cookie cutter" project.

"Whatever is done, I would like it to be done properly," he said in a recent interview at the site. "I would like to see as big of lots as possible."

Crouse said it was a bittersweet decision for the family to sell, but "it was time to do something," he said.

In an email Friday, he said the property was managed by his mother, Polly Crouse Chase, after the death of his father in 1991.

"When Polly passed away in November of 2021, it became clear that it was time to move forward with the next evolution of the property," he said.

'One of the best views on the lake'

The Crouse property, known as Homewood Farm, once encompassed more than 350 acres, with pieces sold over the years.

The 27 acres for sale, and an adjacent 52 acres also owned by family members, are currently farmed with wheat and corn. A barn built in 1862 by the previous owners still stands and was a playground for Crouse in his youth.

"When I was kid, I had Halloween parties in here," he said.

When he was young, Crouse said, his mother would host parties linked to the annual Portage Lakes Fireworks Association fireworks display.

"It has one of the best views on the lake," he said.

Memories like that make it a difficult parting.

"While it's sad to think of selling, it's tempered a bit by the understanding that there will be many who will get to enjoy the beauty we've known for many years," Crouse said in his email.

Million-dollar properties more common on Portage Lakes

John Scaglione, a realtor with Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realty who is handling the listing, said buyer interest in lakefront property along Portage Lakes has surged in recent years.

"We're getting more and more million-dollar properties than ever before," he said. "People are buying homes and putting a lot of money into them and fixing them up."

Scaglione said he's sold more than 500 lakefront homes since he started in the business in 1993.

Rich history of Crouse farm property

The Crouse family roots in public service go back to Crouse's great-great-grandfather, George Washington Crouse, who was a Summit County auditor and treasurer and a U.S. representative from 1887-1889. He lent money to keep BF Goodrich afloat in 1878, 20 years before Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. was founded.

His descendants became frequent topics of newspaper society pages — including the Akron Beacon Journal's — with marriages and parties detailed in the florid style of the times. They've been business owners, society mavens and politicians.

A July 2, 1981, article in the Beacon Journal details a public sale on the property at a home where Crouse's grandfather lived much of his life. An Oct. 7, 1973, article profiled his grandfather, who was a farmer, rancher and Green Township school board member. A May 16, 1997, article covers a trip to the Crouse property by students of Crouse Elementary, named for Crouse's great-great grandfather. There are many others about the activities of the family through much of the 20th century.

Crouse's sister, Barbara Crouse Babbitt, is a Green councilwoman and is running for mayor.

Crouse said it hasn't been determined whether or when to sell an adjacent 52 acres also owned by family members. But he's always cognizant of the rich history it has, including his own.

"I grew up here," he said.

Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at[email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj.