The Historic Henninger House: A Parma Landmark

Located at the busy intersection of Snow Road and Broadview Road in Parma, the Henninger House is hard to miss. It stands out from all of the businesses in the area, not just because of its green lawn and neatly trimmed shrubbery, but because they don’t build houses like these anymore.

Construction Started in 1849

The Henningers, Philip and his wife Sofia, immigrated from Germany to the United States in 1830. They settled in the newly incorporated township of Parma. First building a log cabin on their 100 acres of land along what is now Snow Road to the north, Broadview to the west, and Old Rockside Road to the south, they quickly had a number of children and outgrew their initial home.

In order to create a home big enough for himself, his wife, and their ten children, Philip began to quarry stone from his land, using it to build the two-story, Greek Revival style house. He built the home on the footprint of the original log cabin, keeping his 1830s barn intact as his tinsmith workshop.

Built to Last

The main part of the house is constructed of sandstone blocks. The basement area, which also provides the foundation for the home, has blocks that are 30 inches thick. (You read that right.) The remaining exterior of the home has 14-inch thick walls. All of the blocks were cut by hand, as evidenced by the toolmarks that remain visible.

The Henninger Family Legacy

As expect of a family with a patriarch who played a role in local government and spent five years as a Township Trustee, the Henningers’ legacy is more than just a stone house. Philips son, Henry, was described as “one of the most prosperous farmers in Parma” at the time. He also spent 12 years working as a Justice of Peace.

Going one generation into the future, Philip Henninger’s grandson, William, opened the Henninger and Decker Hardware Store in 1906. He and his business partner ran the store, which was located at the intersection of Krather and Pearl Roads for decades. The store was well-known for its high quality merchandise, and even provided large steam pans, gutters, and other necessities to the builders of the Schaaf Road greenhouses.

The Future of the Henninger Homestead

Members of the Henninger family lived in the house until 1988. The house sat empty for over a decade, despite a 1994 tax levy brought about by the city of Parma designed to save it. The levy failed, but those who saw the history of the house refused to give up. Thankfully, in 2001, it became part of a Quarry Creek Historic District, allowing it to be saved by the Trust for Public Land in 2003.

Today, the West Creek Conservancy owns the house, and is dedicated to preserving it for future generations.