Vermillion Institute Mission

The Vermillion Institute is home to Steven McQuillin & Associates, a historic preservation consulting firm that has been in business since 1982.

The firm assists in planning the rehabilitation of historic buildings and assists property owners in obtaining federal and state preservation funding.  We also consult with historical organizations on their historic properties and nominate buildings to the National Register of Historic Places. 

Vermillion Institute Founder Steven McQuillin is a preservation consultant based in Hayesville, Ohio with more than 40 years of experience in the field of historic preservation.

A graduate of Oberlin College and Columbia University's Preservation Program, Mr. McQuillin first began working for the Ohio Historic Preservation Office and has worked on his own as a consultant for more than four decades.  Among his projects are the rehabilitation of Cleveland's Terminal Tower and adjacent Higbee Building along with numerous projects throughout Cleveland's Warehouse District. 

The Vermillion Institute in Hayesville, Ohio was a co-educational school that during the mid-to-late nineteenth century was a preeminent center of higher education that trained people who became prominent in various professions.  At one time it was a rival to "Oberlin, Kenyon or Denison".  Additionally, this academy/college had an enrollment of about 600 students who came from 13 states.  Founded in 1843 as one of the first institutions of higher in north central Ohio, it was chartered by Ohio Legislature on March 4, 1845. 

Originally Baptist, by 1849, it became Presbyterian-affiliated.  Its cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1845.  Future U. S. President Rutherford B. Hayes was said to have attended the dedication, music for which was provided by the Jeromesville, Ohio band.  It was built by Edwin Hubbard and its design is credited to Ashland, Ohio native Ozias S. Kinney (1811–1869), who later was an architect in Chicago.

View historical photographs along with pictures of the Institute during the time Steven McQuillin bought the property in November 2013. 

Reconstruction is one of the most powerful tools that can reshape our culture and environment; however, it has been grossly neglected in our country.  In Europe, it has been widely used to create beautiful urban environments, recalling glorious landmarks of the past that were lost through unfortunate circumstances.

This tool can be used as a means of educating people to the value of our built environment, stimulating interest in our past.  Reconstructed buildings have the potential to reshape our culture, by emphasizing beautify and detail.  Valuing the role of human craftsmanship creates a broad jobs market for skilled workers, technicians, artists, and designers.

Steven McQuillin is a building assessor for the American Institute for Conservation, which operates the Conservation Assessment Program (CAP).  This program provides grants to museums and other cultural organizations around the United States to assist them in the operation of their public facilities. 

Steve McQuillin has long had an interest in public buildings.  As a graduate student at Columbia University he published a report on the renovation of the Ohio Statehouse that proposed saving what is now the Senate Building plus a plan for re-landscaping the square, both of which were later implemented.  He also testified before a state senate committee in 1976. 

Steven McQuillin has had many associates over the years, ranging from carpenters, research assistants, student interns, architects and engineers. 

They have helped on his own personal building renovation projects as well as on his tax credit and research projects.