Ashland County Historical Society

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Ashland County Historical Society ACHS brings history to life through education, preservation, and community engagement. Come be a part of history!

Join us as we explore the vibrant and inclusive stories of all who have lived, learned, worked, and visited Ashland County. Our campus consists of four buildings filled with items that represent the rich history of Ashland County. Highlights are the turn of the century streetscape, military display, and Ashland County Sports Hall of Fame in the Noonan House. The Manor House is a Victorian home built in the mid 1800's. Several well known families lived in the home before it became the Historical Society's very first building. The home is filled with memorabilia from the Victorian era, and is a step back in time from the moment you enter. In the Carriage House, you will find several interesting collections beginning with the Sam Brucato glass figurine display, the Industrial Era displays, and the Thornburg insect collection. In the barn are antique farm tools and an original Studebaker Wagon. We are very proud of our museum and invite you to visit us.

10/14/2026

We're a little over one week away from the 2026 History After Dark program! The forecast is looking great for perfect Fall weather that can only be complete with hot c***r and cocoa, and local spooky stories. Don't miss out on this eerily fun event - get your tickets before they're gone!

Visit www.ashlandhistory.org/events to reserve your tickets today for any of the 4 tour times or call 419-289-3111.

Join us for chair yoga at 11:00 AM on Mondays at 1260 Center Street. We still have spots open for October and November! ...
10/09/2026

Join us for chair yoga at 11:00 AM on Mondays at 1260 Center Street. We still have spots open for October and November!

Free registration at https://www.ashlandhistory.org/events/

We’re a little over two weeks away from the 2026 Cemetery Walk in Hayesville! If you loved the event last year, we can’t...
08/28/2026

We’re a little over two weeks away from the 2026 Cemetery Walk in Hayesville! If you loved the event last year, we can’t wait to see you in Hayesville this year. The team of staff and volunteers at ACHS have spent the past year researching, identifying, and creating an engaging event that brings local history to life – literally! But, that with 2026 not only commemorating America’s 250th anniversary and ACHS’s 75th, we’re launching a renewed focus on amplifying our countywide stories? Starting this year, ACHS is embarking on a rotating format for our Annual Cemetery Walk. In the even years (i.e., 2026), we’re hitting the road and partnering with our communities around the county to highlight local movers and shakers. Then in the odd years (i.e., 2027), we’re back in the City of Ashland.

So, make plans to join us for this family friendly living history walk made possible thanks to our sponsors Lighthouse Wealth Management and Denbow-Gasche Funeral Home and Crematory, and our accessibility partners, Brethren Care Village for their support in free transportation from Ashland to Hayesville. Check out the Events page to get tickets and reserve your spot before we hit capacity!

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Have you heard the news? ACHS is partnering with Lissa to offer chair yoga at the Freer Children's Home starting in Sept...
08/12/2026

Have you heard the news? ACHS is partnering with Lissa to offer chair yoga at the Freer Children's Home starting in September! This low impact welcoming environment helps improve flexibility, balance, and strength. Chair yoga is a gentle form of yoga that is practiced sitting on a chair or standing using a chair for support. It is a great option for those who have limited mobility, injuries, or find it difficult to get up and down from the floor. In this program, participants will learn different yoga poses and breathing techniques.

Lissa is a certified yoga instructor and has been teaching yoga since 2017, and has over 500 hours of experience. Join Lissa and ACHS at the Freer Children’s Home on Mondays at 11:00. Registration is required as space is limited.

Each month, we will release the registration for the following month. To learn more, visit: https://www.ashlandhistory.org/events/

📢Registration is now open for the 2026 Cemetery Walk!🙌This year, we're heading to the Vermillion Township-Hayesville Cem...
08/11/2026

📢Registration is now open for the 2026 Cemetery Walk!🙌

This year, we're heading to the Vermillion Township-Hayesville Cemetery. Our re-enactors are already meeting to bring history to life and can't wait to see you on Sunday, September 13! This event is perfect for learners of all ages, and our living historians are busy at work bringing the lives and history of folks who helped shape Ashland County. You may recognize just some of the individuals featured this year...Eddie Stover, Mabel Bera, and more!

To register, visit: https://www.ashlandhistory.org/event/hayesville-vermillion-cemetery-walk/

Space is limited to ensure an enjoyable experience for all participants. Tours begin at 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, and 3:30.

Special thanks to one of our partners in 2026, Brethren Care, for being our accessibility partner by offering transportation to the walk on a first come first serve basis.

Mary Young is offering her expert headstone cleaning skills for free over the next year. In a project funded by the Ashl...
07/14/2026

Mary Young is offering her expert headstone cleaning skills for free over the next year. In a project funded by the Ashland Monument Company, Mary will be cleaning headstones at the Ashland Cemetery, at no cost to any families. However, in order to do so, she requires permission from the descendants.
If your ancestor is buried in the Ashland Cemetery and their headstone needs cleaning, reach out to ACHS to complete the required request form. Before you complete the form, please note the following:

- Headstones must have death dates prior to 1900.
- Stones must be under 5ft tall.
- The signatory giving permission must be a direct descendant of the person buried in the associated grave.
- Limit 2 stones per family will be considered. The decision whether to accept or decline the headstone cleaning is solely at Mary Young’s discretion. She reserves the right to accept or decline to clean a stone for size or condition.
- Mary will clean headstones as she is available and may not be able to accommodate all headstones requested in a year.
-https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/ZM3V8j5VnA

Mary Young is a resident of the Ashland, OH area. She is a retired nurse who took a great interest in gravestone cleaning and restoration after caring for family tombstones in NY state. Mary has volunteered her time to multiple cemeteries at her own expense. Since 2021, Mary Young has cleaned 445 gravestones and cenotaphs in Ohio and western NY. Locally, Mary has cleaned many headstones in the Ashland Cemetery with permission by the Ashland Cemetery Association. Mary has taken classes on repairing stones through the 48 State Tour sponsored by Atlas Preservation. In 2025 and 2026, she taught classes on cleaning gravestones at Ashland Public Library, the Ashland Cemetery, and Marvin Memorial Library in Shelby, OH.

Throughout 2026, Mary’s historic headstone cleaning will be focused in the Ashland Cemetery as well as in her hometown of Little Valley, NY – projects made possible in part through funding from Ashland Monument Company and the Little Valley Fund. For her, this is an honor and joy to connect those from the past to those in the future by doing grave preservation.

Thank you to America 250-Ohio for joining us as we celebrated and contemplated what it means to be free during our 3rd A...
06/23/2026

Thank you to America 250-Ohio for joining us as we celebrated and contemplated what it means to be free during our 3rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration last Friday! Want to learn more about the commission’s undertold stories effort? Head to their website www.america250-ohio.org and follow them on Facebook to stay up-to-date on events around the state.

Thank you to everyone who came out for the 3rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom & Family! We welcomed our 16th P...
06/19/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out for the 3rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom & Family! We welcomed our 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, himself, had an energetic performance by the AFRXNTS, an amazing meal catered by Buehlers, and great questions on our tours of the Manor House! Now on to bookend the day with a special screening of the documentary, “A Higher Law: The Oberlin Wellington Rescue of 1858” with a Q&A with the filmmakers and the Oberlin Heritage Center at The Ashland.

Couldn’t make it to the screening? No worries. The Q&A is being recorded and will be posted later our YouTube. You can stream the documentary for free on PBS. Thank you for joining us for a day of celebration, community, reflection, and local history.

Special thanks to the Ashland Public Library Ohio, Ashland Main Street, America 250-Ohio, the The Cleo Redd Fisher Museum, Buehler's, Oberlin Heritage Center, Richland County Historical Society, and to our amazing team of volunteers who made this event the best yet. We can’t wait to see you next year and in the months in between as we continue to bring Ashland County History to life.

What an incredible start to today’s Juneteenth Celebration! Thank you to all who came out for the first round of living ...
06/19/2026

What an incredible start to today’s Juneteenth Celebration! Thank you to all who came out for the first round of living history tours thay are bringing local history to life! Couldn’t make the earlier tours? No problem! It’s almost time for our free community picnic, live jazz performance from the AFRXNTS, and our 6:00 tours! Don’t forget to join us at the Ashland Theatre for our documentary screening of “A Higher Law: The Oberlin-Wellington Rescue of 1858” followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and the director of the Oberlin Heritage Center at 7:00. Can’t wait to see you there!

Address

420 Center Street
Ashland, OH
44805

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 3pm
Wednesday 10am - 3pm
Thursday 10am - 3pm
Friday 10am - 3pm

Telephone

+14192893111

Website

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