A seven-acre Lake Erie island in Ottawa County, Ohio, once owned by former U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes, has seen its asking price reduced to $3.8 million after initially being listed for $5 million. Purchased in parts starting from 1873, the island served as a summer retreat for Hayes' family until it was sold in 1966 for $16,500. Today, only remnants of original structures remain, but the property can be developed either as an off-grid retreat or with custom residential use allowed under local zoning rules.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In 1873, Rutherford B. Hayes, who later became the 19th president of the United States (serving from 1877 to 1881), started purchasing parts of a seven-acre island in Lake Erie near Catawba Island peninsula in Ottawa County, Ohio. Initially, Hayes bought shares along with his law partner Ralph Buckland and local doctor L.Q. Rawson, but he eventually acquired full ownership by around 1900. The island, known as Mouse Island, has been a summer retreat for the Hayes family since then. Although Hayes himself visited the island infrequently during his presidency, it became an important part of his extended family’s life. Currently, the property is listed for sale at $3.8 million, down from its original asking price of $5 million through real estate company Howard Hanna. According to Julie Mayle, director of manuscripts at the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, the family valued the island primarily for its natural beauty and outdoor access.
Written for “Hayes Island Purchase” on 2026-10-04,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
A private seven-acre island in Lake Erie once owned by former US President Rutherford B. Hayes has had a major price cut.
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island → own → cut
The asking price for the property has dropped to $3.8 million from its original $5 million listing price.
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price → drop → price
Mouse Island is located about 1,500 feet off the coast of the Catawba Island peninsula in Ottawa County, Ohio.
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Island → locate → County
It is currently listed through real estate company Howard Hanna.
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It → list → Hanna
Hayes, an Ohio native who served as the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881, first started buying parts of the island in 1873.
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who → serve → 1873
Along with his law partner Ralph Buckland and local doctor L.Q. Rawson, Hayes initially purchased shares of the property.
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Hayes → purchase → property
Over time, Hayes became more attached to the wooded island.
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Hayes → become → island
Around 1900, he bought out his co-owners and gained full ownership of the island for his extended family.
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he → buy → family
Decades of presidential family ownership
During his one term in the White House, Hayes visited the island only a few times.
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Hayes → visit → island
His family, however, turned it into a summer retreat that remained in use for generations.
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that → turn → generations
According to historical records kept by the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Hayes' son, Birchard Hayes, and his children developed the property into a working holiday camp.
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son → accord → camp
The family built two small wooden cabins, a boathouse, a dock, an ice house, a tennis court and a hand-operated ferry to connect the island with the mainland.
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family → build → mainland
Julie Mayle, director of manuscripts at the Hayes Presidential Library, said in historical accounts that the family mainly valued the island because of its access to the outdoors.
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family → say → outdoors
Hayes' wife, First Lady Lucy Hayes, enjoyed outdoor activities and spent time fishing along the island's rocky shoreline.
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wife → enjoy → shoreline
The Hayes family owned the island for 93 years.
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family → own → years
Several generations used the property before the family sold it in 1966 to Marianna H. Mercer of Rocky River, Ohio, for $16,500.
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family → use → 16,500
The original cabins and other structures later fell into disuse and were damaged by fires and natural decay.
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cabins → fall → fires
Today, regional tourism authority Shores & Islands Ohio reports that only the stone chimneys and parts of the original cabin foundations can still be seen among the trees.
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chimneys → report → trees
Potential for off-grid or custom development
The property went on the market in September 2025 with an asking price of $5 million.
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property → go → million
After nine months without a buyer, listing agent Kyle Recker of Howard Hanna reduced the price by $1.2 million to the current $3.8 million.
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Recker → reduce → million
Real estate records from MLS Now show that the island covers about seven acres of heavily wooded land, with mature trees and views of the lake in every direction.
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island → show → direction
The property does not currently have modern utility connections, but local zoning rules allow private residential use.
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rules → have → use
Howard Hanna promotes the island as an off-grid retreat or a place to build a custom private compound.
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Hanna → promote → compound
Access is limited to private boats traveling from nearby mainland marinas.
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Access → limit → marinas
Boaters also need local knowledge when navigating the waters around the island.
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Boaters → need → island
Navigation charts from the Ottawa County Auditor's Office and regional boating guides show that a shallow limestone reef sits between Mouse Island and the mainland.
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reef → show → Island
The reef can be dangerous for boats that draw more than three feet of water.
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that → draw → water
With the new $3.8 million asking price, the historic property remains one of the few private islands available for purchase along the Lake Erie shoreline.
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property → remain → shoreline
The Aporia
