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Belmont
County
For most Ohioans approaching us from the west, Belmont County
begins with a stop in Barnesville. The village is just finishing a major
downtown streetscaping to go with extensive private renovations of its Victorian
downtown. Like nearby Mt. Pleasant, Barnesville began as a Quaker (Society of
Friends) town and was a very active station on the Underground Railroad. The
calm, determined strength of those years has never left Barnesville, but that
doesn't mean it's a somber place. Deep pools of shade on broad tree-lined ( and
very safe) streets, friendly people who welcome you on your first visit and
greet you like an old friend on your second, lots of little shops and plenty of
good food make Barnesville a refreshing stop on anybody's travel agenda.
Belmont County Museum
26 rooms of Victorian elegance greet visitors to
the Belmont County Museum at 532 North Chestnut Street in Barnesville. From the
24-karat gold trim on the tile to the intricate plaster moldings, the finest of
Victorian craftsmanship adorns every bit of this grand house. The downstairs
rooms are furnished as they were when the house was new; the upstairs rooms
house Belmont County Civil War and other memorabilia. The house is open Thursday
through Sunday from 1-4:30 PM from May 4 to October 1, with the last tour
beginning at 4 PM, or year-round by appointment. Admission for adults is $4,
children 7 to 18 $1, children under 6 free. There is a minimum 5-person fee for
specially arranged tours. Debbie Rockwell is the head docent. For further
information or to arrange a tour, call (614)-425-2926.
B&O Depot
Barnesville's development committee and its Girl
Scouts share the credit for the preservation of the town's 1913 depot. When CSX
abandoned its line through Barnesville in 1987, the depot was in terrible
condition. Within a few months, the town had raised the railroad's asking price
and countless volunteers began the hard work of cleanup and restoration. The
Girl Scouts got a national award for their tireless campaign. Barnesville got a
beautifully restored building that now serves as a community center and the
development committee's office. During the Pumpkin Festival in September, as
well as the depot's own strawberry festival in June, the building and its
outbuilding, a former B&O caboose, are alive with exhibits and activities.
Friends Boarding School and Stillwater
Meeting House
Olney
Friends Boarding School is one of the oldest schools in our area. It
maintains small classes, multicultural student body and a curriculum grounded in
Quaker traditions of peaceful service. Olney shares its campus with the
Stillwater Meeting House, once the home of the Ohio Yearly Meeting of Friends
and now the home of Stillwater Friends Meeting. There is a museum of Quaker
history on the grounds, open by appointment and during special community events.
Hutton Memorial Library
This library is just completing a major
renovation and addition. Visitors to the genealogy room, which has always been
one of the best in the local area, will find it in even better quarters this
summer.
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