Dublin Historical Society will host a special event as part of Ohio History Connections’ “Ohio Open Doors.” Coffman Homestead typifies American farm life of the 1800s. The Civil War era brick house and adjoining farm buildings are a testimonial to the hard working people who constituted the second generation of Ohio pioneer families. Take a guided tour of the restored 1867 Coffman house. Visit the barn and the adjacent small barn which has a one-room school replica.

The 1920’s barn containing vintage implements will have an interactive “History in Your Hands” experience – a space to see, handle, discover and investigate historic items. Planned activities include gravestone rubbing, grass mowing with a rotary mower, shelling corn, weighing with a feed scale, blade sharpening with a grinding wheel, rug beating, and washing clothes with a washboard. Visitors can see an heirloom vegetable garden on the Homestead currently tended by volunteers from the City of Dublin. Along the gate to this garden stand two apple trees that were sprigs cut from the last remaining apple tree in Ohio that was planted by Johnny Appleseed.

Also on the property is a one-room schoolroom where visitors can sit on benches and write on slate with chalk, view textbooks and toys of the 1800s and early 1900s, and see a map where locations of one-room schools once stood (and still stand) in Washington Township.

The Homestead is part of Dublin’s Coffman Park complex and is located next to the Dublin Municipal Building (City Hall), 5200 Emerald Parkway. Parking is available in the Municipal Building parking lot or adjacent spaces for Coffman Park.

Dublin Historical Society:

The Dublin Historical Society is organized for the purpose to discover, collect and preserve documents and materials relevant to the history of Dublin and the surrounding area. Many archives are displayed at the Fletcher Coffman Homestead, adjacent to Coffman Park, serving as Dublin’s museum. Further, the Society plays a role to identify, mark and encourage preservation of historic sites and buildings in and around Dublin. Additionally, the Society encourages study of and an appreciation for Dublin history.

For more information about the event and about Dublin Historical Society visit: http://dublinohiohistory.org/ohio-open-doors/

Information about Ohio History Connection’s Ohio Open Doors events, which take place Sept. 7 through 16, 2018, can be found at www.ohiohistory.org. The open houses are being held as part of Ohio History Connection’s Ohio Open Doors initiative, created in 2016 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act. During 10 days of Ohio Open Doors events, Ohio historic buildings and landmark sites are opened to encourage Ohioans to discover community heritage.