, OH
Theodore Dreiser wrote in 1900 his famous novel, Sister Carrie, in this house. It was built in 1835 and altered to Greek Revival Style in 1844. Dreiser acquired it in 1899. The house possesses most of the features typical of the American “classic temple” including four Doric columns rising the full length of the structure. In 1967 the house is owned by the William M. Hankins family.
, OH
House of the Lord, Joseph Smith Jr. called this building in his dedicatory prayer March 27, 1836. The solemn, massive weather stained structure stands today as a memorial to Smith’s followers who sacrificed their worldly goods to build of local materials this impressive Gothic Revival and Classic style temple.
, OH
The Temple of Rumley Church is of one of two remaining buildings in what once was Rumley, a thriving African American community in Shelby County. On May 19, 1837, the village was surveyed for Amos Evans, who built his hewed log dwelling and store. Brothers Joel and George Goings (aka. Goens), freed black men from Monongalia County, Virginia, purchased 80 acres of land that same year. They settled with their families near Rumley in Van Buren Township along with other free men and women of color, including former slaves. Joel Goings erected the first brick house in 1841, using bricks from his own brickyard. By 1846, the Rumley community stretched over 7,000 acres and included the Collins, Redman, Williams, Davis, Lett, and Brown families. (Continued on other side)
, OH
The Jain Center of Central Ohio was established on May 12, 1991. The foundation stone of the Jain temple, the first of its kind in Central Ohio, was laid down on October 15-16, 2011. The temple was dedicated on July 19-23, 2012. More than 1,000 people from all across Ohio, many other states and India particpated in holy rituals to install deities of Jina (translated as “spirital victors” and God). Following the rituals, the temple was opened for regular worship. The Jain Center is a place for the teaching on non-violence, reverence for life and compassion for all beings. The Jain principle of karma states, “As you sow, so shall you reap.”
, OH
Worthington was the center of Masonry for the central Ohio area in the early years of the nineteenth century. New England Lodge, with its original charter from the Grand Lodge of Connecticut dated 1803, is the oldest lodge in continuous existence in Ohio. This building, erected in 1820, is the oldest Masonic Temple west of the Allegheny Mountains. [Masonic Emblem]
, OH
The commercial building that stood at 305 Main Street for over a century was built by Justus S. Law in 1897. On April 1, 1897, Law leased the Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias joint-use of the third floor, rent-free, for 99 years after they completed its construction and added a slate roof to the building. Although the Pythians purchased the remainder of the building in 1921, they continued to share their “Castle Hall” with the Odd Fellows until 1965. In July 1974, the Pythians assigned their Pleasant City property to the Ohio Knights of Pythias Home in Springfield. From 1974 to 2012 the property exchanged private ownership multiple times until forfeited to the state in 2020. After the dilapidated Victorian building was demolished in 2021 the land was donated to the Village of Pleasant City.
, OH
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), a world-wide fraternal organization, was introduced to the United States from England in 1819 and was established in Ohio in 1830. Mahoning Lodge #29 in Warren, Ohio, received its jurisdictional charter on May 21, 1844, and is currently the oldest active lodge in northeast Ohio. The lodge was originally located at the southwest corner of Park Avenue and Market Street, but was subsequently moved several times within the city. The present Odd Fellows Temple was dedicated in 1925. Friendship, Love, and Truth. Erected May 21, 1994, in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Mahoning Lodge #29 in Warren, Ohio
, OH
Established in 1823, the pioneer settlement of St. Marys became a thriving 19th century milling center following completion of the Miami & Erie Canal in 1845. The Reservoir Mill, built by Scott, Linzee & Co. in 1847, led this period of industrial growth as the first mill in St. Marys powered by the canal’s water. Robert B. Gordon purchased it in 1855 and in 1896 the mill passed to his son, Robert B. Gordon Jr., who formed the firm Gordon, Hauss & Folk. Producing “Purity” and “Pride of St. Marys” flour, Gordon, Hauss & Folk owned the mill until 1955. The mill was used as a grain elevator until 1972, then as a storage facility for the next 40 years. (Continued on other side)