Worthington Historical Society

General Meeting & Program: Elizabeth Greer Coit “Mother, Are You Strong Minded and Do You Wear Pants?"
2021-11-10 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | 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.
