The City of Chillicothe will celebrate Ohio Statehood Day on Saturday, March 7th, and five local locations will be hosting events to commemorate the day.
Five of Chillicothe’s local historical sites, museums, and organizations will host open houses on Saturday, March 7th in commemoration of Ohio Statehood Day, the annual observance of the founding of the State of Ohio which took place on March 1st, 1803.
Among the highlights during this year’s observance will be special exhibits and programs focused on Ohio’s founding and its first capital, Chillicothe; local African American history; military and sports history; artistic and literary history; and many other aspects of local, state and U.S. history.
The Ross County Historical Society Heritage Center, 45 West Fifth Street, Chillicothe, will be open 12 Noon to 4 PM. Featured will be a special one-day exhibit of Ohio statehood documents from the society’s archives; a special one-day display of sports memorabilia once belonging to local athletes who made it to the major leagues; and an exhibit on the area’s most notable artists and authors from the past showcasing rare examples of their art and literature found in the historical society’s museum and library collections. Also featured will be an extensive display of early American military firearms and equipment from private collections. In addition, the event will offer an excellent, cost-free, opportunity to see all other exhibits on local and state history found within the Ross County Heritage Center museum complex. The event will be capped off with live traditional dulcimer music performed throughout the afternoon.
Adena Mansion & Gardens, 847 Adena Road, Chillicothe, will be open 10 AM to 4 PM. Adena is the historic home of Thomas Worthington, Ohio’s first U.S. Senator, sixth governor, and “Father of Ohio Statehood.” Mansion tours start every 30 minutes beginning at 10:30 AM with the final tour beginning at 3 PM. In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to step back in time to 1802 and join in a fiery political debate over whether Ohio should become a new state or remain a part of the Northwest Territory. Debates will take place hourly beginning at 11 AM. through 3 PM in the museum located in the Adena Visitor Center.
The David Nickens Heritage Center, 71 West Fourth Street, Chillicothe, will be open 1 to 4 PM. Featured will be fascinating exhibits on local, regional, and national African American history and culture, including a new exhibit titled “African Americans in the Military.” Other exhibits, including “Freedom’s Journey: The Underground Railroad,” “African American Women in the 19th Century,” and “The Black Church in America,” will be featured. Visitors will also have the opportunity to view the acclaimed video about the Underground Railroad titled “Flight to Freedom” and learn about the center’s African American genealogical resources.
The Lucy Hayes Heritage Center, 90 West Sixth Street, Chillicothe, birthplace of Lucy Webb Hayes, wife of 19th U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes, will be open 10 AM to 4 PM. Featured will be special exhibits of Hayes family memorabilia, early Ohio maps and statehood documents, and 19th century home furnishings and decorative arts representing the era when Lucy Webb lived in the house. New this year will be a special program featuring Ohio’s first Governor, Edward Tiffin, as portrayed by David Tillis that will begin at 3 PM.
The Ross County Genealogical Society, 303 South Paint Street, Chillicothe, will be open 9 AM to 3 PM. The public is invited to stop in and learn about the large number of resources available for anyone interested in researching their family tree.
Chillicothe’s annual Statehood Day Open House is free and open to the public and provides an enjoyable opportunity to learn about the community’s many historical resources and treasures. For more information, please call (740) 772-1936.