Bessie V.R. Skinner (1852–1951)

Follow the purple arrows on the signs as you walk

Bessie Skinner’s beautiful Tudor revival house at the northwest corner of Fourth Street and Chestnut Avenue was designed by Massillon’s leading architect, Herman Albrecht, in the early 1920s.

In 1905, when her brother, Robert Peet Skinner, editor and publisher of The Evening Independent, left Massillon for a career in the U.S. diplomatic service, in her early 50s, Bessie Skinner took over operation of the newspaper—a position rare for a woman of her era.  

In 1928, she wrote Massillon Once Upon a Time, a short comprehensive history of Massillon’s first century.

She was active in Massillon, serving on civic boards and helping to pave the way for women to have broader roles in the community.

Directions: Now, continue to the middle of the next block and look across the street at the little tan house, 315 Fourth Street, the smallest residence on historic Fourth Street.