Sight 2: The Cottage

L.L. Langstroth is largely considered “the father of American beekeeping.” With his invention of the Langstroth Hive, he took existing ideas about beekeeping and “bee space,” and combined them to revolutionize how bees are kept today.

“Bee space,” or the concept that bees will build different forms of comb based on the amount of space they are given, was described before Langstroth used it to make his revolutionary hive. Similarly, removable frames were implemented in some regions of Europe, but in general, beehives were made in hollowed out logs, boxes, or baskets, which had no internal structures. Beehives of the time were difficult to monitor, and harvesting the honey often meant destroying the hive.

L.L. Langstroth was born in Pennsylvania, but moved to Oxford, Ohio to become the local Presbyterian minister. In this cottage, he developed the concept for, and patented, the Langstroth Hive, which revolutionized beekeeping.

Langstroth’s gardens were specifically planted to attract bees to his yard. He loved his bees, and spent hours studying their behaviors, which led him to write several works about them. Towards the end of his life, he moved to Dayton to live with his daughter. He was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio.

The cottage was built in the 1850’s, purchased by L.L. Langstroth in 1859. The home, after being lived in by Langstroth for 28 years, has since undergone many renovations and uses, from Miami University faculty residence, to academic building, to the present-day use of the building as the Miami University office of the Butler County Regional Transportation Association. 

Langstroth’s love of bees led him to create a hive that allowed the harvesting of honey without killing a hive, and better studies of bees by beekeepers. Continue on your journey to learn more about the Langstroth Hive and bee space!

Head to the Miami University beehives to continue your journey!