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Plans For Restoration of Thomas Rotch Fiomestead in Massillon, Ohio INTRODUCTION About ten years ago I became interested in the connec tion between Nantucket and the town of Massillon, Ohio, which was my Mother's hometown. The results of my investi gations were published in Historic Nantucket for April 1964. Kendal, the first name given to the town in the area now called Massillon, was founded by Thomas Rotch, who was the son of William Rotch. Thomas was born and brought up in Nantucket. He took with him to Kendal many Nantucket people, and others came out later. One of these Nantucketers was Captain Mayhew Folger whose grandson left the money to the Nantucket Historical Association which has resulted in the splendid museum recently finished. The lovely old house named Spring Hill which Thomas built is still standing in Massillon, and it is interesting to find out that plans have been made for this historic Ohio (and Quaker) landmark. Mr. David Palmquist of the Massil lon Museum has written the following account of the plans for the preservation of this house. Katherine Seeler
DAVID W. PALMQUIST
Massillon, Ohio, is a long way from the ocean, but not far enough to be out of reach of the restless people of Nantucket who went West in the early 1800's when the Embargo and the second war with England ruined whaling and shipping on the seas. Thomas Rotch, youngest son of William Rotch of Nantucket, was one of the pioneers, leaving Hartford, Connecticut, with his wife, Charity Rodman of Newport, Rhode Island, and a flock of several hundred Spanish merino sheep. He settled in 1811 on land near the present city of Massillon, where he laid out a town in the spring of 1812 named Kendal, after the English woolen manufacturing town of the same name. He set up a pottery, woolen mill, general store and a saw and grist mill. A Friends meeting of course was organized at once. In this venture, Thomas was joined by other transplanted New Englanders: Macys, Folgers, Colemans, Skinners, Micheners and Coffins.
