| Welcome to... The Licking County Historical Society |
| How We Began... |
| Way back in May of 1867... "Licking County Pioneer, Historical, and Antiquarian Society" began as the first historical society in our community. This forerunner of our current organization exsisted until at least 1887. The group met in the basement of the courthouse, where they kept records, written in a secretary's book, as well as a natural history collection. Much of what we know of early Licking County history comes from these records, including The Centennial History, written in 1876, and "Hill's History of Licking County", written in 1888. |
Disbanded Group... No one is exactly sure when this first society disbanded, but it would not be until September 2, 1947 that another group would emerge with the purpose of preserving our local heritage. That first meeting was held in Trinity Parrish--& a motion was made to transfer the $6 in funds from the inactive original Pioneer Society to the newly established group! So it was on Oct. 2, 1947 that Articles of Incorporation were signed by some of the first trustees of the LCHS, including Clarence Jones, Corrine Metz, Isaac Smucker, Shirley Webb & Frank Woolson. And witnessed by-- Laura Beggs, Roderic Jones, & Robbins Hunter Jr. A Constitutional Code was written, requiring membership. |
By December 1947... Plans were put in motion to move Licking County's most architecturally prominent residence, the Davidson House, to Veterans' Park to become a museum. Mr. Fred Lazarus not only donated the house, but also gave $500 towards moving the structure to the 6th St. Park. Enough money was raised, and the house officially opened as a museum in 1952 during Licking County's Sesquicentennial. By 1954... To be saved from demolition, the historic Buckingham Meeting House was also moved to the park. Abandoned for many years, the LCHS was eventually able to purchase it for only $1, then raised funds to restore it, opening it as a meeting house in 1967. In 1976... One of the current society's founding members, Shirley Webb, willed her Granville St. home and its contents to the society to be used a a museum- -The Webb House. And in 1981...Historian and LCHS supporter Robbins Hunter bequeathed his Granville residence to the society also to be utilized as a museum. And finally, in 1991... We even gained jurisdiction over a prehistoric Indian mound, The Alligator Mound, located in Granville. |
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Where the Past meets the Present...
| Original LCHS Trustee Isaac Smucker |
| The Sherwood-Davidson House Museum |
| The Buckingham Meeting House |
| The Webb Family House Museum |
| The Robbins-Hunter Museum |
| The Alligator Mound |
The Sherwood-Davidson House being moved from its original location in downtown Newark (where Park National Bank now stands) beside the John J. Carroll building to its present location in Veterans Park. |
The Sherwood-Davidson House in its original state in the mid 1800's. |