Monteith Hall

Monteith Hall, operated by the Elyria Woman's Club, is the former home of ardent abolitionist Rev. John Monteith. Rev. Monteith turned his home into a station on the famed Underground Railroad. Guided tours available. Monteith Hall was built in 1835 as the residence of Reverend John Monteith (1788-1868) and family.  Before coming to Elyria as the first superintendent of the new high school, Rev Monteith was an educator and minister in Detroit, Michigan.  He was instrumental in founding the University of Michigan, originally located in Detroit, and became its first president.  William Gates, Rev. Monteith's grandson, enlarged Monteith Hall in 1897.  Monteith Hall was a station on the Underground railroad on the route that extended from Oberlin.  A tunnel, which ran from the basement of the home to the Black River, was used to help slaves escape to the shore of Lake Erie.  Rev. Monteith managed the network on the southern shore of Lake Erie, and aided fugitive slaves in boarding ships to cross the lake to Canada.