In 1873, Rutherford B. Hayes began buying a 7-acre Lake Erie island that became his family’s summer retreat; after listing for $5 million, the undeveloped island is now asking $3.8 million
A private seven-acre island in Lake Erie once owned by former US President Rutherford B. Hayes has had a major price cut. The asking price for the property has dropped to $3.8 million from its original $5 million listing price. Mouse Island is located about 1,500 feet off the coast of the Catawba Island peninsula in Ottawa County, Ohio. The property is a rare private island with a direct connection to 19th-century presidential history. It is currently listed through real estate company Howard 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. Along with his law partner Ralph Buckland and local doctor L.Q. Rawson, Hayes initially purchased shares of the property. Over time, Hayes became more attached to the wooded island. Around 1900, he bought out his co-owners and gained full ownership of the island for his extended family.
Decades of presidential family ownership
During his one term in the White House, Hayes visited the island only a few times. His family, however, turned it into a summer retreat that remained in use for 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. 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. 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. Hayes’ wife, First Lady Lucy Hayes, enjoyed outdoor activities and spent time fishing along the island’s rocky shoreline. The Hayes family owned the island for 93 years. Several generations used the property before the family sold it in 1966 to Marianna H. Mercer of Rocky River, Ohio, for $16,500. The original cabins and other structures later fell into disuse and were damaged by fires and natural decay. 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.
Potential for off-grid or custom development
The property went on the market in September 2025 with an asking price of $5 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. 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. The property does not currently have modern utility connections, but local zoning rules allow private residential use. Howard Hanna promotes the island as an off-grid retreat or a place to build a custom private compound. Access is limited to private boats traveling from nearby mainland marinas. Boaters also need local knowledge when navigating the waters around the 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. The reef can be dangerous for boats that draw more than three feet of 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.
