Joseph Cahoon brought his family from Vergennes, Vermont, to Dover Township in 1810, and they became the first permanent settlers in what would become Bay Village, Ohio. The family first built a log cabin, and in 1818 the Cahoon house, called Rose Hill, replaced it. Granddaughter Ida Maria Cahoon bequeathed the family’s 115-acre homestead to the citizens of Bay Village in 1917 as Cahoon Memorial Park. In keeping with the family’s wish, Rose Hill serves the community as a museum and library. Also on the grounds are the Reuben Osborn House, built in 1815 and thought to be the oldest frame house between Cleveland and Lorain, and the Community House, built in 1882 and formerly the Cahoon barn. Cahoon Memorial Park is the center of community activity in Bay Village.