Mary Campbell Cave, also known as Old Maid's Kitchen, is a small secondary cliff cavity cave in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The cliff and cave roof are sandstone of the Sharon Formation, while the cave wall is shale of the Meadville formation. The cavity in the cliff was formed when water passing through the porous sandstone eroded the shale, leaving a ground-level cavity beneath the cliff. The cave is currently part of the Gorge Park, administered by Summit County Metroparks, and is accessible by Gorge Trail. It is located on the north wall of the gorge overlooking the Cuyahoga River. GPS coordinates are N 41.124303° W 81.497349° WGS 84, Elevation of floor approximately 960 feet AMSL.
The cave is notable as the temporary home of Mary Campbell. A small plaque in the center of the cave gives visitors the story of her capture by native Americans. The approximately 40 meter wide cavity extends from a few to around fifteen meters into the cliff, and is tall enough to accommodate standing for much of the cavity's floor area. It affords good protection from precipitation in calm conditions, but the cavity would have had to be walled to provide protection from wind.
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“The others “acted” a role; I was the role. She who was Mary Garden died that it might live. That was my genius ... and my sacrifice. It drained off so much of me that by comparison my private life was empty. I could not give myself completely twice.”
—Mary Garden (1874–1967)
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—Thomas Campbell (1774–1844)
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)