Gardens And Grounds At Adena

Earlier this week we visited historic Adena Mansion and Gardens where I told you about the home and the people who lived there. The house tour is interesting but I also thoroughly enjoy simply walking the grounds.

Mrs Worthington’s flower garden was beginning to show signs of life with tulips, bluebells and other spring beauties.

I spent a fair amount of time standing amongst the lilacs, simply absorbing the aroma of spring.

There are trails as well as a couple of important buildings to explore. My favorite of these has always been the barn and I typically dwell here.

There are a handful of artifacts kept here.

The actual barn is the showstopper though.

Here’s a view from the door onto the property.

If you’re in the area and enjoy history, this place is well worth the price of admission. They tell important stories here, stories that we would lose if not for historic sites like Adena. Read more about this place by clicking here.

Adena Mansion and Gardens

As part of Saturday’s Tourist In My Own Backyard adventure, I revisited Adena Mansion and Gardens. This historic site in Chillicothe, Ohio was the home of one of Ohio’s founding fathers.

Thomas Worthington came from a background of neglect before becoming a politician, a surveyor and a businessman. He is most famous as Ohio’s sixth governor. He also platted the nearby town of Logan, Ohio. He advocated for public education, opposed the War of 1812, opposed slavery and established the State Library of Ohio.

His legacy is vast and impressive.

Completed in 1807, Adena was designed by famed architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe. Our tour guide said it is one of just three Latrobe houses left standing in the country.

The sandstone was quarried on the property and I imagine that the wood for the house and furniture was cut there as well.

I was lucky to catch a tour with just two other people. To provide some perspective, the tour after mine was so big they had to split it up into two groups.

After a lifetime of periodically taking this tour, it still surprises me that I learn something new every visit. Our tour guide this time is a high school French teacher and she did a great job of telling the story, weaving together the human stories with the historic events.

I learned that Thomas Worthington was a notorious cheapskate. I knew that there were many instances in this house where faux techniques were used to fake mahogany and marble. This was done partly out of practicality because shipping in marble across the wilderness was expensive. It was also done partly because Thomas Worthington simply didn’t like to spend money. You aren’t allowed to take pictures inside so you’ll have to take my word for it that the marble faked with a turkey feather is pretty convincing.

There are also many interesting tidbits about the Worthington family that you’ll learn along the way. For example, Thomas and Eleanor Worthington had ten children and all lived to adulthood, an impressive feat for that time. One daughter, Sarah, opened Philadelphia’s School of Design For Women in 1848. That school still exists today as Moore College of Art and Design.

If you pay attention on the tour, you will find it thought provoking. It always makes me shudder to think what it was like for Mrs Worthington to leave civilization to come to the Ohio Territory and set up housekeeping. Their first home on this property was a log cabin and was about an hour walk from town.

Here’s a fun fact. From the hilltop where Worthington built his home, inspiration was found to create the Ohio State Seal. They have a pull off where you can stop and enjoy the view. It looks a lot different today but it’s still an important piece of Ohio history.

Some significant events and conversations took place here. Henry Clay was such a frequent guest there’s a bedroom named in his honor. Shawnee Chief Tecumseh visited here along with Blue Jacket, Roundhead and Panther. Tecumseh presented Thomas Worthington a tomahawk with the promise that he would never lift his tomahawk to him in battle. This meaningful artifact can be viewed in the museum on site.

Sadly, some members of the Worthington family fell on hard times and the home was in bad shape by the time it was sold to another family. You see, it had been left vacant for several years and local farmers used the home to store hay and to keep their chickens. It was sold at the turn of the 20th century to another family that adapted the house into a summer home. It began operating as a tourist attraction in the fifties. Restoration projects over the years have revived the home to reflect how it would have appeared when the Worthingtons lived there.

In addition to the house tour, there’s a museum, some outbuildings and trails to walk. My favorite spot is a toss up between the old barn and the garden. Admission is just $10 for an adult. Watch their online calendar or follow them on Facebook for special events. You can even host your own event or wedding here.

Ready to visit or learn more? There’s a ton of history available on the Adena Mansion and Gardens website. Tomorrow I will show you some pictures from the grounds.

Adventure Day Close To Home

Yesterday was epic. I didn’t travel far or do anything expensive. Instead, I spent the day being a tourist in my own backyard in nearby Chillicothe, Ohio.

The truth is, I didn’t actually do anything I had planned. The original plan was to go for a walk, hit a car show and eat Donato’s plant based pizza at the park.

None of this actually happened.

The lovely thing about solo adventures is there’s no one to complain when you go off script. What’s even better is that off script is often where the magic happens.

I started my day at Adena Mansion and Gardens, the historic home of Thomas Worthington. He was Ohio’s sixth governor, a founding father of Ohio who did so many things in his lifetime that he and his home will require their own story this week.

Ten dollars buys you a guided tour of the home, admission to a museum and access to explore the grounds. Here you’ll learn about life in Ohio when the state was young, about the life and career of this important figure in our history, and about others like Tecumseh and Henry Clay who visited here.

After that I hit up downtown Chillicothe which has experienced a rebirth in recent years. There are several nice specialty shops and restaurants here and the business community has done a great job of advocating for themselves. They have made improvements in the historic downtown and worked hard to draw in visitors who have money.

Downtown was busy as there were a couple of events in town and some stores were taking advantage of the extra foot traffic with sales. I don’t enjoy crowds so I didn’t dwell here but having live music was pretty cool

I had lunch at Carl’s Townhouse which is a 1939 era dinner that began life at the New York World’s Fair. A quick grilled cheese and fries were just the ticket to provide sustenance for the rest of my day.

Then it was a stroll down the street to Apollo Records where I chatted with the owner about the Flying Burrito Brothers and an amazing up and coming artist named Charlie Crockett. I found a great vintage Aretha Franklin album and a Roseanne Cash that I didn’t know but literally purchased for the cool cover art.

Then it was up the street to Grandpa Joe’s Candy Store for a cold drink and dessert before heading to Wheatberry Books for a new title and a chat with the clerk. She was excited about the Wendell Berry book I had chosen. Wheatberry is a small independent bookstore but their shelves are lined with all the books I either own or want to own. They even have a robust section for kids. Here’s something I once wrote on Wheatberry.

After that, it was a stroll through Yoctangee Park to see the swans, geese and ducks. I followed the sound of music to the ice cream truck because it was hot and humid and everyone’s a kid when the ice cream truck is nearby!

Afterward, it was a quick browse through Chillicothe Antique Emporium where I located a bargain and chatted with the owner about the old time soda fountain he assembled and added to his store. He collected the various pieces over time and from places as far away as Georgia. It is well done and you can sit for a cold drink, some ice cream or fresh popcorn! Click here for something I once wrote about that place.

Chillicothe has a lot of history and there’s much more than you can accomplish in a day. Hopewell Culture National Historical Park is an interesting stop to learn about the mound builders of this region. It has become internationally renowned and we are lucky to have it. In the summer, the outdoor drama Tecumseh tells the story of the Shawnee Chief who promoted intertribal unity to push back against the US Expansion into tribal lands.

Chillicothe has carved out a place for itself for specialty interests. The bookstore and record shop are practically unicorns in this day and age but there are other specialties. There’s an old school bike shop, a music store, a stained glass shop, a dojo and a place that specializes in aromatherapy. Plus antiques, clothing boutiques and a place where you can buy specialty toy soldiers designed for the serious collector. There is literally something for everyone in a tidy space along downtown streets lined with some very cool architecture. There’s even a great bike path and tons more to see and do than you can fit into a day.

Along the way yesterday, I had meaningful conversations with people who I never imagined I needed to meet. My Adena docent was fantastic and I met two retirees on my tour who I could have chatted with for hours. They didn’t bat an eyelash when I struck up a conversation and, as it turns out, they were open to talk about topics that I’ve never quite been comfortable discussing with my own friends.

It was an enriching and rewarding day, not necessarily for what I did so much as who I met along the way. More on that soon. For now, know this: the price of admission will get you into a place. The act of learning comes from talking to people about things that are new to you, talking to people about things that are important to them, talking to people about things that enlighten you.

Always, always, always be open to hearing someone else’s perspective.

Check back this week for stories about yesterday including more on Thomas Worthington and his Adena.

Here’s one more picture from the park.

Isn’t it peaceful?

Close To Home: Adena Mansion and Gardens

On Sunday I met a friend at Adena Mansion and Gardens, a site operated by Ohio History Connection. I’ve been several times but she had not and I will use any excuse to support having this historic site so close to home.

Adena was the home of Thomas Worthington, the sixth governor of Ohio. Completed in 1807, the stone mansion has impressive 22″ thick standstone outer and support walls. It has been restored to look much like it might have when the Worthingtons lived there. They even have some original Worthington furnishings, paintings, books and artifacts.

The home is impressive for many reasons but partly because it was designed by famed architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe and is just one of three Latrobe houses still standing today.

The estate originally spanned about 2,000 acres but today there remains just 300 acres for the home, buildings, walking trails and a reasonably new visitors center.

For just $10 for adults, $5 for kids 6-12 (and no charge for 5 and under) you can take a guided tour of the home and then explore the grounds, gardens, trails and museum on your own. Friends will understand that the terraced garden filled with flowers, vegetables, shrubs and trees is my favorite part of any visit.

I love how alive their garden is – not just with plants but with birds, butterflies, bees and insects. We even saw bunnies that afternoon.

They know a good bit about the Worthington family and about Thomas Worthington’s work. They also know about some of the terrible things that were done to this amazing house after the last Worthington lived there in the late nineteenth century and before the property was willed to the state in the mid nineteenth century. Years of restorations have revealed to historians clues about how the house was lived in and even about details like the original wallpaper patterns.

Our tour guide Sunday was superb. Her name is Catherine with a ‘C’ (as she introduced herself more than once) and she was both knowledgeable and passionate about the stories she told. I appreciate guides who sound as excited about the tour they’re giving on day 100 as they did on day one.

I tend to believe that people who think they don’t like history simply have never been taught history from a perspective they can appreciate. If all I knew of history were the dates and names, I wouldn’t care much for it either. However, learning the stories of the humans behind all those facts is fascinating, if you ask me.

Thomas and Eleanor Swearingen Worthington had ten children. Tour the home and you’ll learn about how they lived, where they dined and about the servants employed to care for them. You’ll learn about troubling times and about how Ohio very nearly was split down the middle, following the Scioto River as a border, and made into two states.

We have Thomas Worthington to thank for Ohio becoming just one, sort of heart shaped state, rather than two that resemble Indiana and Illinois.

He served as governor and as U.S. Senator but he also had private business interests in numerous areas including land surveying, shipping, farming and milling. He supported the construction of river canals and he supported the concepts of libraries and public schools.

Tour the home and you’ll learn about the perils of travel to Washington D.C. in the early nineteenth century and about the children who called this place home.

Adena sits high atop a hill overlooking Chillicothe. If you’re familiar with the Great Seal of Ohio, this imagery was inspired by the view from here. The view is now partly obscured by trees and is less picturesque thanks to industrial clutter down below. Nonetheless, the hills remain and it is moving to stand there and know this was the view that inspired our Great Seal.

There is a shelter house with some picnic tables – you might consider packing a lunch so you can make a day of it. Note, there are no concessions available on site most days. On Sunday, there was an old timey baseball game played by the Ohio Village Muffins so you could buy cold drinks and snacks for this special occasion. Otherwise, you need to take your own.

Interested in visiting? You can find rates, hours, special events and other important information here.

There are other things to do in the area. I would highly recommend seeing the outdoor drama Tecumseh. I worked in the box office when I was in college and marveled at the talent and quality of this show.

I found that a lot of locals had never even seen the show while I sold tickets to people literally from all over the world because it was one of the best outdoor dramas in the nation. If you do see the show, go early for a backstage tour. It’s interesting for all ages but especially helpful for kids to see that it’s really just play acting and nothing to find frightening.

Chillicothe also has a historic downtown with a few good restaurants and some nice shops and antique stores. The National Park Service operates Hopewell Culture National Historic Park  not far from Adena. I haven’t visited since I was a kid but it’s on my list for this summer.

Photography of any kind inside the house is strictly prohibited but I had fun taking pictures of the gardens and areas surrounding the home!