Former Timken Stables property in Canton headed for auction after lengthy court battle

CANTON − After a long and contentious legal battle, the former Timken Stables property is slated to be sold through a sheriff’s sale.

The famed property at 2317 17th St. NW is owned by Beit HaKavod Masonic Synagogue.

Congregation leaders were engaged in a years-long legal fight with Canton over the building’s condition and their failure to make city-sought repairs.

Stark County Common Pleas Judge Kristin G. Farmer on March 11 denied the congregation’s motion for a stay while awaiting its petition to the U.S. Supreme Court to hear its claim of religious discrimination.

Members of Beit HaKavod are messianic Christians who observe Jewish holidays and customs and believe that Jesus is the Jewish messiah; however they are not considered Jewish.

When will the former Timken Stables property be sold?

Canton Law Department chief counsel Kevin L’Hommedieu said a specific date has not been set for the property sale.

The minimum bid will be $2 million.

Earlier this year, the Ohio Supreme Court declined to hear Beit HaKavod’s appeal after the 5th District Court of Appeals unanimously upheld Farmer’s original ruling in favor of the city.

Built in the early 1900s, the iconic round building originally served as horse stables on the H.H. Timken estate. It features a slate roof, 14-inch-thick walls and turrets, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Rabbi Mark Lancaster purchased the structure at an auction in 2013. Its former uses include being a restaurant owned by Massillon Washington High and Ohio State football legend Chris Spielman.

Disputes over numerous building code citations have been ongoing since 2018.

Beit HaKavod’s battle with Canton

Lancaster has claimed needed repairs were made. The city responded that some were improperly done by unlicensed contractors, while others were never completed. The city contends the ministry can’t afford to complete the repairs, estimated at more than $1 million.

Lancaster and his wife, Heidi, have alleged Beit HaKavod has been unfairly targeted so that the property can be confiscated, possibly by the Hall of Fame Village, claims the city has denied.

In August and October of 2019, the Fire Department cited the ministry for fire code violations. No one from Beit HaKavod attended the subsequent appeal hearing.

Author: ‘Donut barn’ is a national treasure

In a response to the Lancasters’ latest motion, L’Hommedieu wrote that the state is entitled to collect civil penalties based on a section of Ohio law that deals with fire code violations.

Beit HaKavod lost its tax-exempt status in 2023 as a result of not conducting worship services in its building since 2019. The group has been leasing space from another church.

Robert Kroeger, author of the book, “Historic Barns of Ohio and Round Barns of America” said he hope the historic building he calls a “donut barn” can be saved.

“The Timken round barn can be classified as a ‘donut barn’ because of the hole in the middle,” he explained. “Only a few are left. As such, it is a remarkable piece of American heritage, a national treasure, not just an Ohio gem.”

An order for the sheriff’s sale to proceed was issued on June 11.

Efforts by the Canton Repository to reach the Lancasters and their attorney for comment were not successful.

Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com.

On Twitter: @cgoshayREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Former Timken Stables property in Canton headed for auction after lengthy court battle

Reporting by Charita M. Goshay, Canton Repository / The Repository

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