Southern Lorain County’s rich history occupies more than three full floors in historic downtown Wellington.
The Spirit of ’76 Museum, operated by the South Lorain County Historical Society, is open on weekends through the end of October at 201 N. Main St.
The centerpiece of the museum is the work of local painter Archibald McNeil Willard.
Willard’s famous “Spirit of ‘76” painting has been copied millions of times in the past century.
One of Willard’s originals is owned by the museum and documentation suggests the piece originally was intended for President U.S. Grant, said Museum Secretary Barb Leiby.
Willard’s other work has been donated to and restored by the museum more than once.
Currently, the museum owns 23 Willard paintings with another 22 loaned for display.
Another is slated for restoration, Leiby said.
The museum is raising funds to restore “Two Men in a Roadside Conversation” oil on canvas received from a local estate last spring.
The Historical Society’s annual dinner is set for Oct. 12 and will feature speaker Scott Markel, who will talk about the Forgotten Figures of Lorain County.
Other portions of the museum honor other residents and an offsite warehouse is “jam packed,” Leiby said.
“We try to rotate merchandise,” she said. “There’s just no way you can put everything out.”
The museum was founded in 1968 by Ernst Henes, who provided space in his building which also housed the Wellington Enterprise.
Henes and his fellow founders sought to share the colorful history of the area and to do so freely.
“When Ernst Henes created it, he wanted people let in at no charge,” Leiby said. “To this day, we abide by that.”
Other museum highlights include a genealogy library stocked with high school yearbooks, a full gallery of area military, police, fire and emergency medical services history.
The first two televisions in Wellington are on display along with a variety of history housewares and toys.
Most items date at least as far back as the American Civil War.
Leiby said the museum is not the quick stop it may appear to be.
“I get a lot of people that come back a second and third time because there’s just so much to see,” she added.
Collections from Wellingtonians who traveled are also part of the museum.
Ruth Hege brought back a number of items from her missionary work in the Congo.
Alex Justice was known for walking cross country multiple times collecting arrowhead and cannonballs.
His buckskin suit and gun are part of the museum displays.
The museum also was a stop on the recent Ghost Walk tour where a cast iron casket was displayed while historic tales were told.
The Spirit of ’76 Museum is open from 1-3:30 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, from April to.
Admission is free, but donations are accepted.
Private tours also can be arranged and the museum is a popular field trip destination.
Donations toward museum operations or the restoration of “Two Men in a Roadside Conversation” can be mailed to the Southern Lorain County Historical Society at P.O. Box 76, Wellington, Ohio 44090.
