Even small-town Ohio can have some fascinating history and historical characters! One such person is General William Tecumseh Sherman, who played a crucial role in the Union’s victory during the Civil War. (Sorry, Atlanta.) Today, you can visit The Sherman House, his childhood home, which has been turned into a museum. Nearby is The Georgian, another museum in Lancaster, Ohio, the home of one of wealthiest townspeople in the 1800s.

 

 

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 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.

 

 

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.

 

 

Final Thoughts on the Sherman House and the Georgian

 

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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