Historic cabinet from former Sam Reeves home on display

The historic home that once stood near Dover High School is gone, but one piece of Sam Reeve’s home remains. Reeves was the oldest child and only son of Jane and Jeremiah Reeves.

The home was torn down in 2023 after efforts to relocate the building failed. The home was at one time used as an office by Dover Schools, which owned it.

Before its demise Dover Superintendent Karie McCrate invited the staff and volunteers from the Dover Historical Society, which operates the Reeves Museum, to go through and remove anything they wanted. That’s when they discovered the cabinet in the dining room.

“(Dover Schools was) very generous and worked really well with us. In old houses there are a lot of the small details that are not in houses today, that were still in that house,” said Shelagh Pruni, director of the Reeves Museum. “The hinges on the doors are beautiful. The doorknobs, the doorknob plates, the lock plates, the ornamentation on the framework around the doors, those things are beautiful.”

The cabinet held one secret — a sliding panel that led to the butler’s pantry.

“They could open it to put food through here, and then the servers didn’t have to come in,” Pruni said. “We toured the home, but it really wasn’t in good condition. This was really the last beautiful piece left in there.”

It is believed one of Jane Reeves’ brothers, Tom Rees, created the cabinet originally. This story was passed down to Patti Feller, a descendant of the Reeves family who now serves on the museum’s board of trustees.

It took volunteers Brendon Wyandt and Josh Sefert three hours to remove the cabinet, which was actually constructed in two pieces, from the home.

“It took that long because we just wanted to be so careful,” Pruni said. “It was a long, long evening.”

The cabinet is now displayed in the carriage house at the Reeves Museum.

“We were so grateful to have a spot here that it can lean against that wall,” Pruni said. “It’s a pretty spot, but it’s out of the way. We use this room for so many other functions. It might have been difficult to place, so I feel like it was just meant to be right here.”

Displayed with the cabinet are a few samples of wallpaper from the home and a photo of Sam Reeves.

Many of the hinges, doorknobs and other ornamental pieces were left in the house, and the historical society took some of those pieces that may be needed in the future.

“We might be able to repurpose it here and be able to say this doorknob was from Sam’s home, it wasn’t originally here, but there would be that connection,” Pruni said.

The Dover Historical Society also took the door to the Sam Reeve’s home. The door contains an ornate metal mail slot.

Dover Schools also allowed the Tuscarawas County Heritage Home Association to take what they wanted from the home after the DHS took the pieces they wanted. The association holds sales of these items to support its organization, and many who live in heritage homes rely on salvaged pieces to keep the authenticity in homes they restore.

For those wanting to visit the museum, displays change yearly.

“This year we are going to feature clothing from the 1920s all through the Reeves mansion,” Pruni said. “We were fortunate Jerry Stoughton donated to us his vintage clothing collection. He has some really magnificent pieces, so we’re really excited to put those out in the house.”

The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. through the month of October. The museum will then reopen Nov. 11 for the Christmas season with extended hours.

January through May, the museum is not open regular hours but does tours by appointment.

“We’re always willing to schedule a tour, which usually takes us a day or so to make sure we can get a tour guide scheduled, but we’re really happy to do that for people,” Pruni said.

The museum has a number of events throughout the year including period fashion shows, Adventures in History Camp for children in June, a little girls tea in August and ghost tours in the fall. More information on events and membership is available at www.doverhistory.org. The new Facebook page is Reeves Museum.