View source for Museums and Parks

==Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries and Nature Preserve==

In 1933, L. H. Woddrop, owner of the Flint Ridge Mining and Manufacturing Company, donated a tract of 25-30 acres of land to the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society to use as a state park.  The land was within the [[Prehistory of Licking County | Flint Ridge]], a ten-mile long geological formation of flint running from eastern Licking County into western Muskingum County north of the National Road.  The Civilian Conservation Corp built two restrooms and a shelter house by 1935 and added parking space, trails and camp stoves over the next two years.  The park was called the Flint Ridge State Park.

Another 488 acres were donated to the park around 1950 by the Wehrle Foundation operated by Augustine Wehrle, owner of the Wehrle Stove Company.  Flint was made the official gem stone of Ohio in 1965.  Four more acres were donated that year, bringing the total acreage to 519.  Governor James Rhodes toured the area in September 1965 and arranged for a bond issue to cover expenses of building a museum at the park.  His idea included placing the building over an actual flint pit.
This became a reality on September 29, 1968 at the opening of the museum, called the Gilbert W. Dilley Museum due to that man’s efforts to make it happen.

The museum received a new roof, heating and cooling system and handicap accessibility in 1998.  Interactive displays were installed.  Then in 2003 a bronze marker was installed by the Ohio Bicentennial Commission.

Severe funding shortages with the State of Ohio  between 2001-2008 forced it to either close many of its historical sites or turn their management over to local groups.  The Licking Valley Heritage Society based in Hanover, Ohio took over management by contract as of May 15, 2009, and it has been open every weekend from May to October since then.  

Each year on Labor Day weekend, flint-knappers from all over the country and sometimes other countries flock to the park for the annual Knap-In, hosted at the park by the Flint Ridge Lithic Society.  Skilled knappers demonstrate how to chip the flint into spear and arrow points, thereby helping to preserve the ancient art of flint-knapping.  A wide variety of venders set up tents to make this a very popular local event.

In the summer of 2014 the name of the park changed to the Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries and Nature Preserve.  The Ohio Historical Society (now called the Ohio History Connection) renamed many of the state parks around Ohio that were managed by local groups.
<ref>Fleming, Dan.  “Taking Care of Business,” in the Licking Valley Ledger, July 2014.</ref><ref>Fleming, Dan.  “The Development of Flint Ridge Memorial State Park,” in the Licking
   Valley Ledger, April 2010.
</ref>

'''D.F.'''

==Granville Lifestyle Museum==

The Granville Lifestyle Museum was located at 121 S. Main St. in Granville, Ohio. Before it housed the museum, the home belonged to Hubert and Oese Robinson. The house was built around 1871 and had several owners before the Robinsons moved in between 1917 and 1918. The home was donated as a museum following Oese Robinson’s death in 1981, per a request that she made in her will. <ref>“Welcome to the Robinson house,” ''The Hubert and Oese Robinson Foundation'', December 4, 1983.</ref>  

As part of Oese’s will, the preservation of the home, landmarks, and memorabilia was to be set as a high priority. Oese Robinson and her friend [[Gloria Hoover]] worked on a project to preserve history and to add historical research to the community, some of which provides families with their lineage and an insight into the village’s past. <ref>“Will of Mrs. Robinson Asks That House Become Museum,” ''The Advocate'', April 15, 1983.</ref> 

Oese Robinson’s will also mentioned that she would like additional beautification efforts done to improve the appearance and quality of Granville. As part of this effort, the Robinson Foundation made renovations to the home’s garden, restoring it to former beauty. In past decades, the garden had been used for many of the Licking County garden clubs’ events.<ref>“Renovation of Gardens Starts,” ''The Advocate'', May 25, 1983.</ref>  

The former Granville Lifestyle Museum is once again a private residence.

'''M.J.'''



==Hillbilly Park==

From 1946 to 1965, there was an outside music park at the Licking and Muskingum County border about eleven miles east of Newark called Hillbilly Park.  It was nothing more than a wooden stage set up in the woods with wooden benches on tree stumps for seating.  There was a concession stand and an open field area where tractor and horse pulls were held.  Country and western singers and musicians came from all around the country to perform there on weekends, including Red Foley, Grandpa Jones, Bill Monroe, Faron Young, Tex Ritter, Flatt and Scruggs, Charlie Parker, Hank Williams, Jr., Homer and Jethro, Brenda Lee, Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash with June Carter.  

One of Newark’s favorite sons, Carson Wayne Newton, lived in Newark with his family for a total of about 18 months on two occasions.  In between, the family moved to Arizona due to young Wayne’s problem with asthma.  While here, though, he and his brother, Jerry, sang at Hillbilly Park under the name, the Newton Rascals.  Wayne was only about nine or ten years old at the time, but their performances are still etched into the memories of many local folks.

Hillbilly Park began with a dog act.  Mildred (Millie) and Edgar (Eddie) Ruton had a traveling dog act that performed across the country and was even on the Ed Sullivan show.  They decided to expand upon that by opening their music park.  When Eddie died in 1957, Millie kept it going until the end of the summer season in 1965.  The new State Route 16 was built right through the property, making it difficult to continue.

Today, there is nothing left of the park, and it remains a wooded area on private property.  A tunnel under the railroad on a grassy lane in a field off County Road 585 can still be seen, which was formerly the entrance into the park.

'''D.F.'''

==L. Eileen Sannan Fravel Museum==

Willis Fravel established the L. Eileen Sannan Fravel Museum in 1970, after the death of his late wife, Eileen. The museum, located in Croton, teaches the history of farming and agriculture. Willis always had a passion for teaching throughout his life. This passion continued after his death, as his surviving wife, Ellen Fravel, has chosen to continue his legacy and keep the museum open. The most beloved museum attractions are the newspaper clippings and mementos that hang upon the walls. A guestbook remains that dates completely back to the museum’s opening day.<ref>Anna Suder, “History of farming lives on,” Newark Advocate, August 7, 2011.</ref>

'''M.J.'''

==Licking County Historical Society==

The Licking County Historical Society was organized in 1947. The first such society to exist in Newark was the Licking County Pioneer Historical and Antiquarian Society, which existed for thirty years during the nineteenth century.<ref>Historical Society in County is Reorganized,” Newark Advocate, July 3, 1947.</ref>  The LCHS operates four museums as well as the Alligator Mound in Granville, Ohio. The Historical Society’s museums are the Buckingham House, Sherwood-Davidson House, Webb House, and Robbins Hunter Museum.

===The Sherwood-Davidson House===
The Sherwood-Davidson house is located in Veterans Park on N. 6th Street in Newark. The historic house museum is decorated with period furnishings and houses many artifacts from Newark and Licking County. The home was originally situated on the present site of Park National Bank, at the corner of Church and Third streets. The house was built by Albert Sherwood in approximately 1815, making it one of Newark’s oldest homes. In 1850, Colonel Robert Davidson purchased the home, where his family would reside for the next ninety-seven years.<ref>  Helen E. Yost, “Newark Once ‘Western’ Town,” The Advocate, October 16, 1983, 2D.</ref>  The home is one of the best examples of Federal architecture in the Ohio valley, and features a fan doorway and arched two-story side gallery.<ref>The Licking County Historical Society, “The Sherwood-Davidson House Museum,” Veterans Park.</ref>  

In 1947, the house was purchased by the F. & R. Lazarus Company and was set to be torn down and replaced with a parking lot. In order to preserve the historic structure, the Licking County Historical Society appealed to Fred Lazarus to help save the house. Mr. Lazarus generously donated the home to the society as well as a check to fund the expense of moving the building. The house was moved in 1948 to its present location in Veterans Park on 6th street between W. Main and W. Church streets. It opened for tours in 1952, in conjunction with Newark’s sesquicentennial celebration.<ref>Yost, “Newark Once ‘Western’ Town.”</ref>

The Sherwood-Davidson house was once again lifted from its foundation during a complete renovation done by the LCHS. On November 7, 2004, a ground-breaking ceremony commenced at the house to begin the renovation process. The building was lifted 18-20 inches so that a new foundation and crawl space could be built under the structure, as well as new plumbing, electrical, and heating systems.<ref>Aaron Keirns, “Groudbreaking at Historic Sherwood-Davidson House,” Our Town, November 4-10, 2004, 3.</ref>  After the extensive restoration, the museum was reopened for tours in April of 2008. The project cost over $600,000.<ref>Tiffany Edwards, “History Buffed,” The Advocate, April 16, 2008.</ref>

===The Buckingham House===

The Greek-Revival structure known as the Buckingham House dates back to 1835. The home was built by Daniel Duncan but is named after Jerome Buckingham, who was a well-known Newark resident who lived in the home. Many famous and distinguished guests have passed through its doors, including President Rutherford B. Hayes and President James A. Garfield, Civil War generals Sheridan and Sherman, and possibly General-turned-President Ulysses S. Grant.<ref>Licking County Historical Society, “The Buckingham House,” Veterans Park.</ref>  The Buckingham House, like its current neighbor the Sherwood-Davidson House, originally sat on N. Third St. in downtown Newark, next to the defunct John J. Carroll Department Store. In October of 1954, the house was moved in an effort to save it from destruction. The building was separated into two halves to allow the house to fit through the streets of Newark during its journey to what is now Veterans Park on Sixth St.<ref>“Scenes from Yesteryear,” The Advocate, January 30, 2002.</ref>  The historic home now serves as an event space and houses the Licking County Historical Society’s offices.

===The Webb House===

Located at 303 Granville St. in Newark, Ohio, The Webb House Museum was built in 1907 for Frank Camden Webb and Shirley Parke Pitser (Webb).  The couple enjoyed collecting antiques, heirlooms, and both American and Oriental Art.<ref> Licking County Historical Society, “The Webb House Museum,” Brochure, Newark, Ohio.</ref>  Although Frank died in 1943, his wife continued to live in the home and volunteer in many local organizations, including the Licking County Historical Society, which she helped found. Her sister, Ethel Mosteller, also lived in the home with her. After Shirley’s death in 1976, she bequeathed her home to the Licking County Historical Society to be used as a museum and provided a trust to support the home.<ref> Mindy Honey Nelson, “Webb House is family’s legacy,” This Week Licking County (Newark, OH), November 28, 2004.</ref>

The home was designed by Carl Howell and was unique during its time for being built with modern amenities such as electricity and forced air heating. It highlighted the beauty of natural wood—a nod to Mr. Webb’s career in the lumber business.<ref>Mindy Honey Nelson, “Webb House is family’s legacy,” This Week Licking County (Newark, OH), November 28, 2004.</ref>  The house, originally decorated by Mrs. Webb, is adorned with furniture, art, and antiques from the nineteenth and early twenties centuries, as well as beautiful gardens.<ref>Susan Ann Jones, “Lovely art, furniture trademark of Webb House,” The Advocate (Newark, OH), March 29, 1987. </ref>.  The house is still available to visit as a museum of the Licking County Historical Society.

===The Robbins Hunter Museum===

The Robbins Hunter Museum is located at 221 East Broadway, Granville, Ohio. The house is known as the Avery Downer House, although the museum is named after its last resident. The Greek Revival home was built in 1842 by Alfred Avery, who was one of the founders of Granville.<ref>“The Robbins Hunter Museum/Avery Downer House,” The Licking County Historical Society, 1999.</ref>  Additions to the house were added in 1875 and 1930, bringing the structure to a total of 27 rooms. Fourteen rooms in the house are open to the public. <ref>Licking County Historical Society, “The Robbins Hunter Museum/Avery Downer House,” Veterans Park.</ref>

In addition to the Avery family and Mr. Hunter, the house has been home to the Spelman family, the Downer family, the Cole family, the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, and the Kappa Sigma fraternity. Robbins Hunter lived in the home from 1956 until 1979 with hopes of preserving the home as a museum. He collected many antiques to furnish the numerous rooms. In accordance with his will, the home was bequeathed to the LCHS upon his death and opened as a museum in 1981. <ref>Licking County Historical Society, “The Robbins Hunter Museum/Avery Downer House.”</ref>

'''C.S.'''

==Moundbuilders State Park==

Moundbuilders State Park is the home of the famous Great Circle Mound.  It is situated at the border between Newark and Heath, but today mostly in Heath.  The mounds themselves are estimated by archaeologists to be about 2,000 years old, built by the Hopewell people, but their original purpose remains a matter of speculation.

In the spring of 1800 Isaac and John Stadden arrived in the Newark area from Pennsylvania and cleared some land for farming.  Isaac went hunting in October that year in the area known as Cherry Valley.  He went home to his wife in the evening and excitedly described his discovery of what he called “the Old Fort,” because that is what it looked like to him.  The name stuck for many decades, even after it also became known as “the fairgrounds” around 1853.

The first Licking County Fair was held on the grounds around the courthouse in 1833, but in late 1853 a group of citizens purchased “the Circular Fort” for $8,000 in order to hold fairs there.  Before 1853, the land was divided among private owners.  One of them was Nathan Holly Seymour who kept a cow pastured there.  He sold his portion for $2,998 with the condition that no trees could be cut down on the embankment or within 20 feet of it.  The new buyers were members of the Licking County Agricultural Society, which had formed in June 1833.

Seymour had turned down an earlier request from the Newark City Council to buy his property, because they wanted to use it as a city cemetery.  Instead, they purchased land along Cedar Street for the cemetery that was called [[Cemeteries#Cedar Hill Cemetery | Cedar Hill Cemetery]], opened in 1850.  

Since 1850, the Ohio State Fair had been held at various locations around the state.  It came to Newark in 1854, but had to be postponed for one month due to a cholera epidemic.  That Fair kept traveling each year until 1874 when it settled permanently in Columbus.  

When the 76th Regiment was raised in Licking County in 1861 to fight in the Civil War, it trained at the Great Circle, which they then called Camp Sherman, named after John Sherman who had served in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Between 600-700 men camped there from October until they set out for Fort Donelson west of Clarksville, Tennessee in February 1862. 

The Licking County Agricultural Society held its Centennial celebration at the Great Circle on July 4, 1876, and it was a grand event.  A small book was published by Isaac Smucker to commemorate it, urged by a resolution of Congress for communities throughout the country.  Smucker wrote it representing the Agricultural Society.

On September 13, 1877 a group of Civil War veterans from the Newark area met at the Great Circle for the purpose of organizing the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Society of Licking County.  They elected officers and, through a series of meetings, began plans for a major reunion of veterans in 1878.  The big day came on July 22, 1878.  The event was not just for the 76th O.V.I., but all living veterans, including those from the Mexican War.  Records showed that about 10,000 people arrived by railroad, plus most people from Licking County and surrounding counties.  Participating were President Hayes, General Garfield, General William T. Sherman, and General Willard Warner of Newark.  The Mt. Vernon Republican newspaper reported that 30,000 people attended, while the Newark American report that it was 40,000.

By the 1890s the Great Circle had become a public park.  [[Sports | Bicycle races]] were held on a track inside the mound.  A world record was placed there in 1895 for riding a bicycle backward for ½ mile in one minute and 43 seconds.  

In January 1898 James F. Lingafelter began to promote the park for amusement and recreation.  He held the grand opening of Idlewilde Park there in June 1898.  After the Lingafelter family was tried and sentenced for forgery and embezzlement, the park was called Rigel Park for a short while.  The interurban railroad then made it so easy for folks to travel to the new Buckeye Lake Park that Rigel Park went into decline and eventually closed.

In 1927 the Licking County Agricultural Society deeded the Great Circle Mound to Licking County, and in 1933 the Licking County Commissioners deeded it to the Ohio Historical Society, who owns it today.  

Moundbuilders State Park is now a peaceful and favorite spot for local people to hold picnics and walk their dogs.  A small museum focusing on Moundbuilders Indians is on the grounds.<ref>Coman, Martha Seymour.  Memories of Martha Seymour Coman.  Fort Hill Pr., 1913.
Davis, William I.  “History of the Circle Mound,” in William I. Davis Chronologies,
   Reflecting the History of Newark, Ohio 1800-1900; Assembled from the files of William
   I. Davis and Indexed by Dan Fleming.  Newark, OH:  Newark Public Library, 2007.
</ref><ref>Fleming, Dan.  “Civil War Veterans’ Reunions,” in Shall Licking County Raise a
   Regiment? edited, compiled  and partially written by Dan Fleming.  Newark, OH:
   Licking County Library, 2011.
</ref><ref>Fleming, Dan.  “Levi P. Coman and His Contributions to Hanover,” in the Licking Valley
   Ledger, Oct. 2015.
</ref><ref>Miller, Major Charles D.  Report of the Great Re-Union of the Veteran Soldiers and
   Sailors of Ohio Held at Newark, July 22, 1878.  Newark, OH:  Clark & Underwood,
   1879.
</ref><ref>Smucker, Isaac.  Centennial History of Licking County, Ohio, Read at the Centennial
   Celebration of the Licking Co. Agricultural Society at the “Old Fort,” July 4th, 1876.
    Newark, OH:  Clark & Underwood, 1876.
</ref><ref>Smucker, Isaac.  Centennial History of Licking County, Ohio, Read at the Centennial
   Celebration of the Licking Co. Agricultural Society at the “Old Fort,” July 4th, 1876.
    Newark, OH:  Clark & Underwood, 1876.</ref>
<ref>Smucker, Isaac.  Our Pioneers: being Biographical Sketches of Capt. Elias Hughes,
   John Ratliff, Benjamin Green, Richard Pitzer, John Van Buskirk, Isaac and John
   Stadden, and Capt. Samuel Elliott.  Newark, OH:  A. B. Clark, 1872.
</ref><ref>Stout, Doug.  “Camp Sherman,” in Shall Licking County Raise a Regiment? edited and
   compiled by Dan Fleming.  Newark, OH:  Licking County Library, 2011.
</ref>

'''D.F.'''

==References==