Wildwood Preserve Metropark

Wildwood Preserve Metropark is a nature reserve and historic estate located in Sylvania Township, Ohio. Wildwood is the most-visited of the 19-park Metroparks Toledo district.[2]

Wildwood Preserve Metropark
The Manor House at Wildwood Preserve Metropark.
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TypeNature reserve
LocationToledo, Ohio
Coordinates41°41′00″N 83°40′00″W / 41.6833333°N 83.6666667°W / 41.6833333; -83.6666667
Area493 acres (200 ha)[1]
Created1975[2]
Operated byMetroparks Toledo
OpenYear-round, 7 a.m. until dark daily[3]

Metroparks Toledo purchased the property in 1975 following a citizen-led effort to preserve the grounds of Stranleigh Estate.[2] The Georgian colonial style house and surrounding buildings comprised the family residence of Champion spark plug magnate Robert A. Stranahan, Sr., his wife Paige, and their children, including professional golfer Frank Stranahan.[2][4][5]

Wildwood features one of the last remaining public, free-admission gardens designed by Ellen Biddle Shipman.[6] The park also features the former Oak Grove School, a one-room schoolhouse built by the Sylvania Board of Education in 1897.[7]

Wildwood Manor House

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Built in 1938, the Wildwood Manor House was the home of the original owners. The house, still decorated in a Georgian colonial style, is now partially open to the public for free tours, while other buildings on the property are now used as public restrooms, visitors centers, and offices.

References

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  1. ^ "Metroparks Toledo Agency Overview". Metroparks Toledo. Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "Wildwood Preserve Metropark". Metroparks Toledo. Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Rules and Regulations". Metroparks Toledo. Metroparks Toledo. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Manor House Historical Marker". The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Putting Green Historical Marker". The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  6. ^ Barnes, Melvin. "The Manor House". See Ohio First. Ohio Humanities. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  7. ^ Gindy, Gayleen (2014). Sylvania, Lucas County, Ohio: from footpaths to expressways and beyond. Volume 4. AuthorHouse. p. 390. ISBN 9781728367477.
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