There are many great landmarks in the US state of Ohio, from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the city of Cleveland to Cincinnati’s historic observatory. But, for those with an interest in Welsh history, one newly reopened monument surely tops them all.
The Welsh-American Heritage Museum in the village of Oak Hill spotlights the lesser-known historical ties between the state of Ohio and Wales.
During the 1800s, groups of Welsh people began crossing the Atlantic Ocean and settling in Ohio, fleeing religious persecution back home and seeking good, cheap farmland where they could make a better life for themselves and their families. It wasn’t long before word spread to Wales about the joys of life in these fledgling communities, enticing thousands of Welsh people to ultimately make the journey stateside and start over in Ohio.
Housed in a beautiful red-brick church built by Welsh settlers in 1868, the The Welsh-American Heritage Museum has recently reopened to the public after undergoing a $500,000 renovation. The funds, supplied by one of the founders of the museum, Evan E. Davis, and the Ohio Department of Development’s Appalachian Community Grant Program, were used to modernise the museum, as well as carry out vital structural repairs, including to the historic belltower and steeple, safeguarding the building for years to come.
Inside the newly reopened museum, visitors will be able to glimpse artefacts and records pertaining to over 200 years of Welsh presence in Ohio. These items range from traditional Welsh quilts, such as the one gifted to one of the village’s early reverends (which he took with him back to Wales!), and memorabilia from past eisteddfodau held in the region. Additional exhibits focus on the country of Wales itself, and spotlight the Welsh Scenic Byway, a 64 mile (103km) stretch of road that runs from the Ohio River into downtown Jackson – a region where early Welsh settlers established their first communities that remains dotted with heritage sites.
The museum, which is staffed by volunteers, is also supported by the University of Rio Grande, which is home to the Madog Center for Welsh Studies, the only center for Welsh studies in North America, with a mission to promote Welsh language and culture.
Speaking about the museum’s reopening, Dan Rowbotham, Secretary of the Welsh-American Heritage Museum and Director of the Madog Center for Welsh Studies, said, ‘The museum means a lot to the people of southeast Ohio, whether they are Welsh or not. The Welsh heritage runs deep, and seeing an investment like this from the state, and in the form of a gift by the Davis family, allows the story of the Welsh people in this area to continue to be shared with the next generation.’
‘I’m excited that through the Madog Center for Welsh Studies and our community outreach activities, we can welcome people to the museum for another 150 years,’ he added.
The museum is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 11am-3pm, or by appointment. You can learn more about visiting the museum on the Welsh-American Heritage Museum’s official website.