Betsey Osborn Williams and Thomas (Barney) Williams house, 29357 Lake Road, c. 1873
The westernmost portion of the current house was constructed in 1873 closer to the street. It was turned sideways and greatly enlarged in 1939 by the famous George Steinbrenner III's parents. Photo by Will Krause
The 14th in a series of articles to be published as a walking tour of Lake Road by the Bay Village Historical Society in 2025.
Betsey Osborn, the granddaughter of pioneer Reuben Osborn and daughter of herbalist Seldon Osborn, married Thomas Williams in 1873. They married when Betsey was 33 and Thomas 21.
The house was built on land she inherited, and it remained in her name until her death in 1912 (he died at 43 in 1895). In 1914 Henry Steinbrenner Sr. and Sophia Steinbrenner purchased the Williams house and farm which extended from Lake Erie to the Interurban tracks.
In 1938 Henry Steinbrenner Jr. purchased the property from his mother’s estate. The property was George Steinbrenner III’s childhood home. George is most famous for his long ownership of the New York Yankees baseball team.
George continued to live in Bay Village until 1975 when he relocated to Tampa, Florida. His parents sold this property in 1964 and relocated to Westlake.
The house had several owners before it was purchased by the current owners in 1985. Originally the house was closer to the street. The westernmost portion of the current house was moved back on the lot and re-oriented west to east and greatly enlarged by the Steinbrenners.
William Krause
William R. Krause, retired as the Assistant Planning Director of the City of Westlake in 2020 after over 30 years with the city. He also served on the Bay Village Planning Commission for 9 years. He was a trustee for the Bay Village Historical Society from 2020 to 2021 and a former board member of the Westlake Historical Society. He was chair of their Lilly Weston Committee and was a member of the Reuben Osborn Learning Center Steering Committee. He is currently a Trustee of the Western Reserve Architectural Historians and the Gates Mills Historical Society. He has been married to Debra for 42 years and is the father of three grown children, grandfather of six and co-owner of a Yellow Lab named Sadie.