MIDDLE BASS ISLAND, Ohio — Under a sunny sky on a brisk November morning, about 150 people gathered Friday to witness the ceremonial ribbon-cutting and dedication of the $3.9 million effort to restore the historic Lonz Mansion on Middle Bass Island.

The project was financed largely by taxpayer dollars, but also private money raised by the Ohio State Parks Foundation.

The mansion has historical significance because of the role the Lonz family played in promoting Ohio’s wine industry, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz told the crowd.

“We’re protecting not only our natural heritage, but our cultural heritage as well,” she said.

Several of Lake Erie’s islands have had a history of producing grapes that have been made into wine.

“Bringing this mansion back helps tell the whole story,” Ms. Mertz said.

The first floor is a museum dedicated to George Lonz and his wife, Fannie Lonz, former owners of the restored Lonz Winery just a few steps away.

The second floor was converted into four bedrooms the public can rent out for the chance to experience history and get one-of-a-kind views of Lake Erie.

Rooms for next summer can be reserved on the Ohio DNR’s website starting Dec. 1. 

Ms. Mertz said in an interview after the event that prices for each room are currently under negotiation with a potential contractor.

She began her presentation to the crowd by emphasizing the need to unite history with state parks, and how she believes the Lonz Mansion could one day be viewed with as much reverence as the Marblehead Lighthouse.

It wasn’t an easy sell, though.

After acquiring much of Middle Bass during the former Taft administration, the Ohio DNR expended millions of dollars on rebuilding and expanding the island’s marina and creating Middle Bass Island State Park, anchored by its restoration of the Lonz Winery and the construction of a large, covered pavilion.

When Gov. Mike DeWine and his wife, First Lady Fran DeWine, met Ms. Mertz on the island to look at what had become a decrepit mansion, they seemed less than thrilled about having the state move forward on the project, Ms. Mertz said.

In fact, Steve Berezansky, chief of projects for the Ohio DNR’s engineering division, said the state came “this close” to demolishing the structure, holding his thumb and forefinger closely together.

Ultimately, though, Governor DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly got behind the project. Legislators authorized up to $5 million to be spent on the mansion renovation. The total came to $3.88 million, Mr. Berezansky said.

The mansion’s renovation is part of some $20 million the state has invested in Middle Bass over the past 20 years ago, including the marina, the winery, the state park, and other expenses, he said.

Jon Dobney, assistant chief of the Ohio DNR’s parks and watercraft division, is one of many people who are glad the mansion was saved.

He said his parents used to own a summer house on the island, and that he recalls spending many of his summers growing up there.

“It is my pleasure to be back and see what’s been done, because there have been some lean years,” Mr. Dobney said.

Several historical markers and informational signs offer details about the Lonz family.

One of the mansion’s most outstanding features is the large, wraparound porch, much of which faces Lake Erie.

Another is its gorgeous oak floors.

The grounds were decorated with lots of hardy mums, and — of course — there were multiple bottles of Lonz wine set out as decorations.

The mansion’s first floor has an antique piano to represent the Lonz family’s love of music. Mr. Lonz was fond of playing his violin, with his wife playing along on piano, Ms. Mertz said.

The building’s original curved windows are intact, with antique chairs near them on the first and second floors.

“We've gathered many period-appropriate pieces to fill the space,” Ms. Mertz said.

The dining area includes china on display, and the typewriter that Mr. Lonz used for his correspondence is in a side room with an antique radio and telephone. The kitchen is decorated in the style of years past, including a replica icebox.

Each of the upstairs bedrooms is small by modern standards, though there’s more room to stretch out in the master bedroom with its curved windows and king-sized bed. The other three rooms will have queen-sized beds.

The decor blends in with that of the first floor, yet there’s still a little flexibility given for modern conveniences. Each of the rooms is equipped with a microwave and small refrigerator, though they’re behind closet doors.

Aleks Daskalov, an architect hired by the Ohio DNR to work on the project, said he agrees the mansion has historical significance to the region and said it’s been a pleasure working on it.

The state of Ohio purchased much of Middle Bass Island after the Lonz complex's popular terrace collapsed on July 1, 2000. One person died and 75 people were injured in what became one of the largest and most complex rescue operations in Ohio history.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources reopened the winery as a museum in 2017 on the grounds of what is now known as Middle Bass Island State Park. It put at least $6 million into stabilizing that structure, which dates back to the 1860s.

Middle Bass Island once had 85 percent of its cropland covered by vineyards.

The winery’s main cellar was built in 1863 by German immigrant Andrew Wehrle. In 1872, the company, then known as the Golden Eagle Winery, was America’s largest winery with a capacity of 500,000 gallons.

Mr. Lonz was the winery’s best-known owner. According to an Ohio Department of Natural Resources fact sheet, he and his father, Peter Lonz, merged their own winemaking business in 1884 with the Golden Eagle Winery.

During Prohibition, the Lonz family business survived by selling bottles of grape juice with instructions for fermenting the juice at home. After Prohibition was repealed in 1933, George Lonz got busy rebuilding the winery complex, agency records show.

The Lonz Winery has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1986.

First Published November 1, 2024, 9:44 p.m.