HISTORY

 History

The Bihl Manor was built in the 1890s by Toledo native Jerome Bihl. The home sits just across the street from the historic Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums at Spiegel Grove in Fremont. Only a block away lies the site of Fort Stephenson, which was built in the early 1800s on the west side of the Lower Sandusky River.

Fort Stephenson became the site of an important American victory during the War of 1812. On August 1, 1813, a combined force of British soldiers and allied Native American warriors—estimated between 1,500 and 2,000 men—launched an attack on the fort. Inside, a small American garrison of about 160 soldiers was led by George Croghan. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the defenders successfully repelled repeated assaults by using skilled marksmanship and a single cannon known as “Old Betsy.”

The British forces attempted another assault the following day but were again unable to breach the fort’s defenses. Realizing his forces could not advance further, British commander Henry Procter halted the attack. After nightfall, Native American warriors approached the battlefield to recover wounded British, Canadian, and Native fighters. In the end, British forces suffered 26 killed, 41 wounded, and about 30 missing, while American casualties were remarkably low, with one soldier killed and seven wounded.

Jerome Bihl was a prominent figure in the Fremont area and owned several businesses, including a jewelry store and a piano shop. In the 1920s, the Bihl family relocated to Minnesota and sold the manor to Clarence and Daisy Wolfe.

Over the years, the Wolfe family also allowed the home to be used by friends and relatives for funeral viewings and memorial services. In 1942, Clarence Wolfe passed away in the home. Years later, after a period of declining health, Daisy Wolfe passed away in her bedroom in 1966.

The manor was later purchased by the Lucas County Children’s Services, which converted the residence into a children’s group home. During that time, the house provided care for mentally challenged children, seriously ill children, and others who had been placed in the system. According to one historian, a tragic incident may have occurred there involving a boy who either died accidentally or committed suicide.

After the facility closed in the 1990s, the home was purchased by a couple who transformed it into the Buckland Bed and Breakfast. The bed and breakfast operated until 2009, when the property was sold again. The family who purchased it lived in the home for about a year before eventually moving out for unknown reasons.