WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE — The grand reopening of the Fayette County Historical Museum/Morris Sharp House — coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the local Historical Society — will be held Saturday, July 1 and Sunday, July 2.

“Great work was done within these 148-year-old doors that allows the interior to shine as bright and beautiful as the exterior,” said Bob Russell, the treasurer of the Fayette County Historical Society. “It really does look amazing.”

The Society received $100,000 from the Ohio Capital Improvements grant for restoration of the inside of the museum. Typically, the museum is open from April 1-Sept. 30, but due to the substantial amount of work, this year it will be open from July 1 until at least Sept. 30.

“The outside looks fantastic, and inside, there is all new carpet, wallpaper and paint,” said Russell.

The Historical Society also received a $5,000 grant from Fayette County Travel & Tourism for 2022 and 2023.

This will be the museum’s 58th season.

On opening weekend, the museum will be open to the public from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. There is no charge, but donations are welcome.

The House

The home now used as a historical museum, at 517 Washington Ave., was originally built by Morris Sharp, the owner of a local bank and farmer. The Fayette County Historical Society, founded in 1948, bought the home for $15,000 in 1958 and opened it to the public in October, 1965.

There are local museums all over Ohio, however, the uniqueness of this museum is that all the artifacts inside have something to do with Fayette County. From the people who lived here or visited here and their Victorian homes and cabins; to our three court houses; the courts; the inventors from our County and the items they invented that helped make life easier or safer all across our nation; to the artifacts we are collecting still today.

The Historical Society is a non-profit, charitable community entity. Income derived from memberships and donations go toward maintenance of the building and educational events.

The Historical Museum also offers a free tour of 14 rooms to explore, including the tower which gives visitors a birds-eye view of downtown Washington Court House.

The Board of Trustees

The Museum is solely owned and operated by the Fayette County Historical Society. The 14-member Board of Trustees meets monthly to discuss maintenance issues and to determine appropriate exhibits. The all-volunteer members also act as docents, providing tours while imparting knowledge of the Museum’s contents and Fayette County. Each November, the Trustees host an annual meeting for the membership. A recap of the year’s finances and exhibits are discussed. The Historical Society is a non-profit, charitable community entity, dedicated to historical maintenance and education.

The Maintenance

In recent years, the Trustees have taken on environmental control of the building. Grant monies were obtained from the Fayette County Commissioners, Fayette County Travel and Tourism and Convention Bureau, Ohio History Connection, the Dayton Power & Light Foundation, and the Ohio General Assembly and used restore the structure to its original glory.

Through another grant, the Trustees were able to have air conditioning installed in the house. This means not only air tight, but balanced humidity which is better for the clothes, paper and wood items in the house, and the structure itself. The air conditioning also creates more comfort for visitors and docents.

The Exhibits

There is always an attempt to introduce new exhibits as well as the many popular ones you may have seen before. Usually, a yearly theme is developed. This year with the restorations, the exhibits have been changed with additions as well as paring down some of the displays in order to make them more viewable and enjoyable. Some were placed into storage, while others have been brought out for visitors to enjoy. Additionally, the carriage house located on the property was remodeled to create an area to store old bound local newspapers in a climate-controlled area to help preserve the newspapers and make your research visits more enjoyable as well.

The History Trail

In the spring of 2015, the Museum was asked to take over the task of maintaining the GEO Cache History Trail. It has been a huge success for the Museum and for those intrepid hikers looking to solve a puzzle while gaining information on historic places in Fayette County.

Those who have been on the Trail have come from all over our country, which means the Museum has been visited by people from all over our country and a couple from other countries as well. Whatever the reason behind your visit: historic interest, looking for information regarding a family member, exposing children to what it was like “back then,” looking for photos of old classmates, GEO tracking, looking for a speaker for your club, wanting to become a docent, introducing your out-of-town guests to your local history, the Museum can assist you.

Hours of operation are every Saturday and Sunday from 1-4 p.m. during the museum season. However, the Museum is open when you need it to be open. No admission is charged, with donations appreciated. If you need to visit through the week, please call 740-335-2953, leave a message and a trustee will return your call.

The Fayette County Historical Society provided information for this article.