Worthington Historical Society

Life on the Farm, Family Day at the Orange Johnson House
2022-10-02 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Orange Johnson House, 956 High St, Worthington, OH, 43085, United States
This popular event at the Orange Johnson House is back!
Goats, lambs, chickens, ducks, turkeys and rabbits, and even a pig, will take up residence on the Orange Johnson property on Sunday, October 2nd. The Johnson family raised sheep, and likely had some of the other animals that are coming to visit on their farm. “Bring the Farm to You” will join with the Society to allow visitors a chance to see and even touch the animals that provided the Johnson family with both food and fiber. Admission on this Sunday will include a visit with the animals and a look inside the Orange Johnson House where self-paced tours will be on offer. In our lower level young visitors can try their hands building log houses and barns with Lincoln Logs, fill the barn with animals the Johnsons might have had on their farm, try on pioneer outfits, read books about pioneer lifestyles, and making quilt patterns with magnetic quilt piecing kits.
Admission Free!
Parking available in lot adjacent to the museum.

Ohio Open Doors in Worthington
2022-09-18 13:00 - 16:00 | Worthington, Ohio, Worthington, OH, United States
Seven historic Worthington sites will take part in the Ohio History Connection’s event, Ohio Open Doors, on the afternoon of Sunday, September 18th.
The statewide event, which takes place Fri., Sept. 9 through Sun., Sept. 18, highlights historic buildings and landmarks across our state as they open their doors for events. Explore fascinating places that reflect Ohio’s rich heritage. All Ohio Open Doors events are free and a full listing is available online at ohiohistory.org/opendoors.

Worthington sites that will be open on September 18th include:

The Old Rectory/Worthington Historical Society: 1 – 4 pm; Behind the Scenes open house with seldom seen items from the collection on exhibit; 50 West New England Avenue

The Orange Johnson House/Worthington Historical Society: 1 – 4 pm; Visit the museum at an open house; Suzanne Newcomb will play the Trondlin fortepiano; 956 High Street

St. John AME Church Open House: 2 – 4 pm; St John African Methodist Episcopal Church was Worthington’s first African American church. This building was constructed in 1914, and the congregation was founded as Bethel AME Church in 1897; 682 Plymouth Street

Sharon Memorial Hall Open House; 1 – 3 pm; First built as the Wright residence in 1861, this property came under the care of the Trustees of the Sharon Township Memorial in 1945. The building retains many early features including fireplaces and staircase; 137 E. Granville Rd.

St. John’s Episcopal Church Open House, 1 – 3 pm; Tour the church’s campus including the sanctuary, cemetery and Township Hall; enjoy performances by the St. John’s choir and two pipe organs; 700 High Street

McConnell Arts Center, 1 – 4 pm; Tour the on-site visual arts exhibition, “Drawing the Line: Comic Artists of Columbus” in the building that once housed Worthington High School, designed by architect Frank Packard; 777 Evening Street

Flint Cemetery; “A Time To Remember” event 2 – 3:30 pm; cemetery open all day; The COVID years have been stressful. Visit the Flint Cemetery as it provides time and space for you to reflect, to remember, to rejoice, to mourn, to grieve, to find comfort, to find a measure of healing. A public reading of names of those we’ve lost will take place at 3:20 pm; , 8187 Flint Road, Columbus

St. John's Cemetery Walking Tour
2022-07-10 13:00 - 14:00 | St. John’s Cemetery, Behind 700 High Street, Worthington, OH, 43085, United States
Sunday, July 10th, 1 pm
Meet at St. John’s Cemetery, 700 High Street
St. John Episcopal Church and cemetery are the oldest in all of central Ohio, founded in 1803. The first burial was of Abner Pinney in 1804, 27 years before the church building was constructed. The last burial was Charles Edward Burr in 1882, although Walnut Grove held its first burial in 1859. On this tour, hear the stories of some of Worthington’s early pioneer families buried in this charming cemetery in the heart of Worthington.
Guests will walk along both gravel paths and uneven ground. In the event of thunderstorms or heavy rain the tour will be canceled.
$5 Donation per person recommended.

Walnut Grove Cemetery Walking Tour: Worthington’s Veterans
2022-05-29 13:30 - 15:00 | Walnut Grove Cemetery, Milton Drive, Worthington, OH, 43085, United States
Visit the final resting place of Veterans representing the War of 1812 through the Gulf War, and hear their interesting stories on this Society tour. Many of the names will be familiar as having been very involved in the history of Worthington and Columbus area.
The tour will meet by the cemetery office near the Milton Street entrance and will be about 1.5 hours long. Parking is available by the service buildings as well as along the streets (one side only, please!) Guests will walk along both paved paths and uneven ground. In the event of thunderstorms or heavy rain the tour will be canceled.

General Meeting & Program: Elizabeth Greer Coit “Mother, Are You Strong Minded and Do You Wear Pants?"
2021-11-10 19:00 - 20:30 | The Griswold Center, 777 High St, Worthington, OH, 43085, United States
Free & Open to everyone!

At the Worthington Historical Society’s 2021 General Meeting, Leslie Blankenship will introduce one of Worthington’s notable women in first-person. Elizabeth Greer Coit’s eight-year old daughter Belle posed the question, “Mother, are you strong-minded and do you wear pants?” when she ran home from school crying. It was 1863, and Belle had been bullied by boys. One of the founders of the Columbus Soldiers’ Aid Society during the war, Elizabeth tolerated no nonsense and held recalcitrant male authority figures accountable for providing bandages and medicines to wounded men sent home and those in the field. Evidently, they didn’t take kindly to this “uppity” woman.

Born in 1820, the daughter of immigrants, Elizabeth grew up in the progressive village of Worthington, but endured several traumatic events. As a result, she became an ardent advocate for education and equal rights for women. As Treasurer, she and her friend President Frances Casement from Painesville, revitalized the moribund Ohio Woman Suffrage Association in 1884. That year, Elizabeth also founded the Columbus Equal Rights Association, the first woman suffrage group in Columbus. They met once a month in her home two blocks from the Statehouse at Third and Rich Streets.

In 1894, she and the state organization lobbied and won a bill permitting women to vote in school board elections, a first step. Also during the 1890’s, four states adopted women’s suffrage into their constitutions: Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Idaho. Elizabeth dedicated her life to the advancement of women, but she did not live to see ratification of the Federal “Susan B. Anthony” Suffrage Amendment on August 18, 1920. When Elizabeth passed in 1901, her daughter Belle picked up the torch and carried it to victory.

The program will follow a short business meeting, including election of Society officers, and is open to all. Masks required in the Griswold Center.

Tour the Doll Museum at the Old Rectory
2020-02-17 13:00 - 13:45 | Old Rectory, 50 West New England, Worthington, OH, 43085, United States
This boutique museum features a distinguished collection of 19th and 20th century dolls. This guided tour will include a brief look the c. 1845 Rectory’s restored parlor followed by a tour of the doll museum collections. The tour will be approximately 30 – 40 minutes. A shop with antiques and collectibles is also housed at the Rectory.

O My Heart! A Pop-up Valentines Exhibit
2020-02-13 13:00 - 16:00 | Old Rectory, 50 West New England, Worthington, OH, 43085, United States
Vintage Valentines will be on display for this fun pop-up event in the second floor exhibit space at the Old Rectory (50 West New England Ave). From loving tributes to the acerbic “vinegar” valentines, elaborate pop-ups, honeycombs and movables, a romantic “love knot” and of course the many “punny” cards, the Society’s collection is delightful!
The exhibit will be open Thursday February 13th from 1 – 4 pm, Friday February 14th from 10 am – 4 pm and Saturday February 15th from 10 am – 2 pm. The event is free and open to the public! Make time to stop in the Shop and visit the Doll Museum (regular admissions apply) while you are in.

Children's Christmas Registration
2019-11-14 - 2019-12-21 | Orange Johnson House, 956 High St, Worthington, OH, 43085, United States
As of 11/14/2019 there are a limited number of spots available for Saturday December 7th and Saturday December 21st. Please contact the Society at info@worthingtonhistory.org or call 614-885-1247 to register.
Let your children in grades 3-5 experience the Christmas holidays the old-fashioned way at the WHS’s Christmas program on Saturday December 7th, 14th OR 21st from 5 pm – 9 pm. Activities will include learning about school traditions, hearing Christmas stories, touring the Orange Johnson House, playing period games, making a craft, singing traditional songs, preparing and eating a typical early 1800s meal and receiving a gift from a very famous visitor.
Advanced registration is required to participate in this event and must be done in person only, and you may only register a child in your family. Cost per child is $25.00. Payment must accompany registration.

Camarata Trio in Concert
2019-09-13 19:30 - 20:30 | Orange Johnson House, 956 High St, Worthington, OH, 43085, United States
The Camarata Trio will return to the Orange Johnson House this September to celebrate Clara Schumann’s 200th birthday! Ariane Sletner, violin, Luis Biava, cello, and Suzanne Newcomb, piano, will present the Trio in G minor by Clara Schumann, as well as other works of the day, all performed on the historic Tröndlin pianoforte! Join us on September 13th (Clara’s actual birthday) & 14th at 7:30 pm in the beautiful Orange Johnson House.
Tickets will go on sale August 3rd at the Shop at the Old Rectory and are expected to sell out!

Annual Meeting & Talk by Jarrod Burks about Ohio's Ancient Earthworks
2018-06-13 19:00 - 20:30 | The Griswold Center, 777 High St, Worthington, OH, 43085, United States
Ancient earthworks abound in central Ohio, including immense mounds and earthen enclosures with geometric shapes that date back more than 2000 years. These ancient monuments occur in parks, farm fields, and our very own back yards. In this presentation Dr. Jarrod Burks, Director of Archaeological Geophysics at Ohio Valley Archaeology will review some of the latest discoveries in Ohio earthwork research using old aerial photographs and new high-tech remote sensing instruments. Recent archival work and field studies have located the remains of ancient wooden architecture and entirely new sites. We will consider these finds and their implications in regards to Worthington’s Jeffers Mound and the earthwork complex that once surrounded it. Might there yet be archaeological remains left in the park around the mound and in nearby yards? We ponder this and more at the Worthington Historical Society’s Annual Meeting.
Talk will be preceded by a brief business meeting. Free; open to the public.
