I’ve driven hither and thither across Ohio for my social distancing day trips. But this week I felt it was time to revisit a couple historical locations in my hometown of Lancaster. I had visited the Sherman House museum and the Georgian for field trips in elementary school, but I hadn’t been back since. (Which is a darn shame, truth be told.)

Every town has a story. That story can be easy to forget when it’s your hometown because it’s so normal, so everyday. You passed those historical sites all the time growing up. Your schools are named after influential leaders. Even your local winery has a label paying tribute.

The names, places, and stories are so common to you that you easily forget how fascinating some of that history is and instead prefer to go gallivanting off to places unknown.

Thanks to COVID, many of us are a bit limited in our, um, gallivanting. On the bright side, we’ve had the opportunity to look at our hometowns and familiar cities with fresh eyes, seeking activities we can safely do close to home.

The Sherman House Museum

Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman may have used controversial tactics. But there’s no denying his brilliance in the military and his influence in the war.

The Sherman House was constructed in 1811 for Sherman’s parents, who had moved to Lancaster from Connecticut. Sherman was born in this house and lived there for nine years until his father unexpectedly passed. After that, “Cump,” as his family called him, was sent to live with neighbor and close family friend, Senator Thomas Ewing. This was because Cump’s widowed mother couldn’t care for all 11 of her children on her own. (And who could blame her?!)

Tours of the Sherman house museum include details of daily life in that time period and items owned by the Sherman family and Senator Ewing. There are also a couple rooms with information about Sherman’s early life and role in the war. It’s a whole lot of information to absorb in the 45-minute tour! If able, I also recommend watching The History Channel miniseries “Grant” before you visit. General Grant, also from Ohio, often worked with General Sherman during the war. This miniseries helps set the stage for some of the information you’ll learn on the tour.

The dining room of the Sherman House. By the way, that picture above the mantel? It’s needlepoint of silk thread on silk fabric done by General Sherman’s mother…The detail is incredible!!

The Georgian

The Georgian house is an iconic house in Lancaster. It’s a large, beautiful brick structure with a double-curved wall and Ionic columns. The house was built in 1832 for Samuel and Sarah Maccracken. Samuel was one of the wealthiest businessmen in the area. He played a lead role in extending an arm of the Ohio-Erie Canal into Lancaster to further improve business in the area.

In fact, twin parlors are on the first floor of that double-curved wall. Samuel could open a latch under the window in the parlor, lead his guests onto the veranda, and look down the hill to see how traffic was on the canal that day. By the way, the fireplaces in those twin parlors are a gorgeous blue marble!

A lot of the furniture and items weren’t owned by the Maccrackens. But these items are period-appropriate to give an idea what life in that time was like. And because the items come from several owners, there are tons of interesting stories and history in that house! There’s also a beautiful staircase with a wide spiral! Blushing brides could descend for a grand entrance at their wedding and a picture-perfect moment.

A couple rooms of the house hold other informational collections. One room holds a dollhouse collection and unique, antique miniatures. There is a dollhouse with wood carvings from famous artist Elijah Pierce. Mr. Pierce is also featured at the Columbus Museum of Art and the Smithsonian. A large room in the basement has become a rotating exhibit, currently featuring information about the suffragettes and the female vote in honor of the 19^th Amendment passing 100 years ago. (This display will be open till December 20^th, 2020.)

Tickets and Tours

If you’re looking for an affordable outing for the family, definitely look into this one! For each house, students are $2, adults are $6, and seniors are $4. They offer discounts for AAA, active military, and South Central Power customers. As an adult doing both houses and no claimed discounts, my tickets cost $10 plus $1 for fees.

Due to COVID, guided tours are at specified times of day. Be sure to order your tickets online before you go. Generally tickets don’t sell out. So you’re typically safe ordering them the day before or morning of if you’re making plans last minute.

Regarding the Sherman House Museum Tour…

The tours are scheduled to be 45 minutes for each house, and the guides try to stick to that for social distancing purposes. You are, however, able to linger longer in the last couple rooms of the Sherman House museum. There’s a lot to read in these couple rooms. And you can visit the gift shops! I did the tours back to back, which was sufficient time. But if you wanted to read more of the info at Sherman House museum, you could schedule an hour in between tours.

If you’re left with a chunk of time between the tours, I recommend walking to the downtown square where there’s a large fountain (installed in 1890), as well as a statue of General Sherman and memorials to our local war veterans.

How Was the Social Distancing?

The social distancing was easy with this trip! Tours are limited to 8 people at a time to ensure proper distancing, and masks are required within the houses. Because these attractions don’t tend to be busy, I doubt you’d often have a full tour unless a large family goes. I’m sure it’s partly because I went on a weekday, but I was the only guest on each of my tours.

The Sherman House has smaller rooms, so if you’re with others who aren’t from your household, you may be in closer proximity to them. If that’s a concern, you could still do the Georgian, which has larger rooms so you can spread out a bit as you listen to the tour guide.

Double Edge Brewery in downtown Lancaster

Double Edge Brewery

Y’all know I had to visit a brewery or winery afterwards! The benefit of these two houses being downtown means there are plenty of restaurants and bars nearby. Double Edge is included in the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA). So you can drink inside, outside at the picnic tables, or stroll downtown with your open container within the boundaries of DORA. Double Edge has recently expanded its outdoor seating area. This is especially convenient with COVID if you’d rather not sit indoors.

Double Edge carries a variety of beer styles, as well as a couple hard ciders and local wines. I had three beers during my visit, all of which were fantastic: Heritage Oktoberfest (Märzen), Eagle Owl (barrel-aged stout), and Electric Halo (NEIPA).

Final Thoughts

There are certainly more historic sites to explore in Lancaster, like the Ohio Glass Museum and Decorative Arts Center of Ohio, both of which are also downtown.

Lancaster itself plays a large role in American history, too. General Sherman’s brother, Senator John Sherman, authored the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, which prevents against monopolies. The Lancaster Lens Company produced a hand-blown glass reflector for the torch in the Statue of Liberty for her 50^th anniversary in 1934. And Lancaster-native Robert Heft designed the current United States flag as part of a high school assignment. (His teacher gave him a B-, but that was changed to an A after Heft’s flag design was sent to Washington D.C. and chosen as the new national flag by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.)

If you’re coming in from out-of-town, be sure to check into some of the other historic sites in Lancaster, like Mount Pleasant or the other museums I mentioned. There are also plenty of restaurants, and an 8-mile bike trail, should those strike your fancy.

We’re a cute little city, if I do say so myself.

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