Please help us preserve our legacy
We believe that Delaware County has an extraordinarily rich history to share. From our earliest inhabitants to pioneer settlers, from farmers to presidents, to those seeking freedom from slavery, Delaware County has a tremendous history to showcase. Your financial help will make this legacy last. We take our education and historic preservation responsibilities seriously because we realize that when it’s gone, it’s gone.
We teach that local history can be fun. We receive dozens of thank you letters from students who tell us things like this: “I thought it was cool that the field trip was fun AND educational!” Or, “I really enjoyed the reenactment! I love how you guys incorporate a mixture of facts but still made it fun.”
The Garth Oberlander Barn, Meeker House and Nash House become living time capsules each time we share Delaware’s history with thousands of school children and adult visitors through programs, exhibits and tours offered there and around the city and county. Good neighbors like you make this work possible. Because of your generosity, we will save these buildings for our children and grandchildren and allow the work of educating future generations to continue.
Take a minute of your time and consider a donation that is meaningful to you.
Your gift will sustain our legacy.
Education is our Heartbeat…
The Delaware County Historical Society teaches local history to more than 6,600 school children and adults each year through tours, exhibits and programs:
- Cemetery Walk with reenactors of notable people buried in in the historic Oak Grove Cemetery.
- Underground Railroad Program for fifth graders which includes a tour of the Meeker House – one of the stops for runaway slaves.
- Award-winning History Tote Bag Program which complements state curriculum for third graders.
- Artifact Cart which travels to the schools to ensure that students learn about our local history through implements used in by-gone days.
- Monthly free programs for the public have included how to preserve old family photos, the Blizzard of ’78, American Indians, and Delaware’s railroads.
- Native American and Early Settlers Exhibit in the Meeker Homestead Museum, hosting a model of Pluggy’s Town created by local students.
- Notable Women of Delaware Exhibit in the Meeker Homestead Museum, featuring six women from the past and present.
- Library resources and services which has cataloged more than 13,000 items including photographs, documents, maps, books and objects. The majority of our photos are on the web at DelawareOhio.PastPerfectOnline.com/Photos. Your donation will let us digitize newspapers and city directories.
Historic Preservation is our Responsibility
Delaware County is the second fastest-growing county in the state of Ohio. This kind of growth can endanger our historic buildings through ill-considered demolitions of irreplaceable buildings from our past. The Delaware County Historical Society has initiated a new Historic Preservation Committee which strives to identify historic buildings which may be endangered by neglect or careless development.
Even when historic buildings are safe and in good hands, they need preservation protection or restoration. The Society owns three irreplaceable historic buildings that need some work to ensure their preservation. These fine historic properties allow us to share Delaware’s history with thousands of visitors and school children every year through our programs and tours. Please help us to preserve them and keep them in good condition.
Your donation will support projects like these:
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- Garth Oberlander Barn – This iconic barn was built in 1848 and was used as an agricultural barn for its first hundred years. The limestone masonry end walls and the hand-hewn timber framing now require critical restoration work. Let’s help it survive for another 170 years by beginning these structurally necessary projects.
- Meeker House – This fine Federal style home dates back to 1823, Ohio’s pioneer era. Today it serves as our Meeker Homestead Museum. Climate control work has been completed in part of the house, but now we need to complete the work in the other museum gallery rooms.
- Nash House – This classic Victorian-era, typical middle-class residence was built in 1878 and provides an authentic educational tour through city life in Delaware’s nineteenth century growth heyday. Important needed improvements are roof repair, safety-related exterior walkways and stair railings.
Your gift sustains us!
Yes, I would like to make a donation to the Delaware County Historical Society in the following amount:
