A building in Akron, Ohio, that burned over the weekend has ties to the Charis Fellowship. Cornus Hill Mansion, once the home of Russell Firestone, son of Firestone tire company founder Harvey Firestone, was the site of Akron Bible Institute in the 1950s. President of the school was W. Russell Ogden, a former Grace Brethren pastor who died in 2013. A portion of a report about the fire from Sunday’s Akron Beacon Journal appears below. Click here to read the complete article.
Multiple fire departments spend night battling blaze that engulfed Cornus Hill Firestone mansion
Fairlawn fire officials said they’re still trying to determine the cause of the blaze that ripped through the Cornus Hill Mansion in Fairlawn Heights from Saturday evening through Sunday morning, destroying about a third of it and leaving the rest heavily damaged from smoke and heat.
Fairlawn Fire Chief Russell Hose said his crew spent about 12 hours on scene as they fought the fire that posed a number of challenges in the cold weather, prompting assistance from multiple fire departments and even snowplows. …
The 10,864-square-foot mansion, built in 1935, once belonged to Russell Firestone. He was the second son of Firestone tire company founder Harvey Firestone, and he moved into the property in 1937.
At that time, the two-story brick mansion had 31 rooms with a 156-foot brick facade surrounded by 13 acres of terraces and gardens.
Dorothy Firestone, Russell Firestone’s wife, sold Cornus Hill to the Akron Bible Institute a few months before he died of a lingering illness at the age of 50.
The mansion was bought in 1960 and turned into a convalescent home by George E. Wilson, who was Ohio development director in the James Rhodes administration and later served on the University of Akron’s board of trustees.
Click here to read the complete article.