Joan Copeland and Mark Webster watched as dozens of people toured the lovingly
restored Lonz Mansion and examined the artifacts their families had donated to recreate the living space of George and Fannie Lonz.
Packed with excited people, the home was once again a center for Middle Bass Island residents and visitors to gather and enjoy each other’s company.
That’s just how George and Fannie Lonz, who were owners of the iconic Lonz Winery that once shipped wine across the country from Middle Bass Island, would have wanted it.
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Kristina SmithA tribute to the Lonz familyThe couple spent their evenings and weekends entertaining islanders, friends, and guests at their large Victorian home. Fannie played the piano – one from the time period sits in the newly restored living room – and George played the violin.
The
Ohio Department of Natural Resources opened the home, which was built in 1906 and purchased by the Lonzes in 1926, to the public during a ribbon-cutting and celebration of its completed $3.9 million restoration on Friday, Nov. 1. The home is part of the 124-acre
Middle Bass Island State Park.
“It’s really nice,” says Webster, who donated period artifacts, including the red velvet chairs in the living room sitting area, a historic radio, a clock, and other furniture. “It’s nice to know it’s being taken care of. I saw how bad this place was a few years ago. It was heartbreaking.”
A couple of years ago, the house was a decaying safety hazard that was very close to being demolished. After the Lonzes died, the house and its contents were auctioned in 1976 at a sheriff’s sale.
In 1979, Paramount Distilling Group took over the winery, and it used the home as a dormitory for winery workers.
When its
balcony collapsed in 2000, the winery closed. The state of Ohio took over the property and created Middle Bass Island State Park and its popular marina. Since then, ODNR restored the winery pavilion and press house, turning the wine cellars into a museum and leasing the press house to Jane Wolnik, who runs
Island Grind coffee shop and Prohibition speakeasy there.
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Kristina SmithMark Webster donated period artifacts, including this historic radio.The decaying mansion was the next step in adding more activities to the park and preserving island history, says Mary Mertz, ODNR Director. Although it had to be stripped to its bones, the structure itself was solid.
Next spring, the first floor will be open to the public as a museum, and the second floor, which includes four bedrooms and multiple bathrooms, can be rented out. ODNR plans to begin taking rental reservations on Dec. 1, she says.
“George and Fannie Lonz were known for being great hosts,” Mertz says. “We want to recreate that special welcome to all visitors. I think that’s just a really exciting thing for people who love history to be able to spend the night.”
The lakefront mansion, a short walk from the ferry dock, overlooks Lake Erie and sits next to the Lonz pavilion.
The project was finished under budget, says Karina Cheung, ODNR Spokeswoman. $5 million was allocated for the work, and it cost just under $4 million, a savings of more than $1 million.
ODNR chose to restore the home to how it looked in 1936, the heyday of the winery. Researchers chose historic paint colors and patterns and worked with island residents, including Webster and Copeland, to track down some of the home’s original pieces that were sold in the 1976 auction and items from the 1920s and 1930s. They were excited to acquire George Lonz’s desk.
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Kristina SmithGeorge Lonz's desk
“I would hear the stories of Lonz from the people who have been here for generations,” says Jon Dobney, ODNR Parks & Watercraft Assistant Chief, who spent many summers with family on the island since his childhood. “The stories and the memories are just unending. It just keeps weaving into the fabric of the community.”
Copeland, of Catawba Island, whose family has lived on Middle Bass Island for 10 generations, remembers going to the mansion with her grandparents and islanders often enjoying spending time with George and Fannie Lonz. For decades, her grandfather was the island dockmaster and knew the Lonzes well.
When ODNR needed help finding pieces to furnish the restored home, Copeland and her relatives were happy to help. They returned some of the original Lonz crystal stemware, a desk and donated her family’s china, which sits on the table, among other artifacts.
“Our family has already been giving back to the island, and we want to continue giving back to the island,” says Copeland, who attended the celebration with granddaughters Beth Rickenbaugh of Catawba Island and Kelly Green of Sandusky.
Webster, who is Copeland’s cousin, donated for the same reasons.
“I’m a history buff, and I wanted to make sure these things were taken care of,” he says. “It was hard to see it go, but it’s nice to see it set up here.”