When you pay a visit to the Orange Johnson House Museum in Worthington, you may travel back in time to the nineteenth century and explore one of the oldest homes still remaining in its original position in central Ohio.
The vista from this property is truly one of a kind since it encompasses both the pioneer and Federal eras in Worthington. Arora Buttles constructed the earliest part of the structure in 1811. The home had six rooms and was situated on thirty-five acres, which were a portion of a desirable farm lot close to the village. The low ceilinged keeping room with its substantial walnut wainscoting and steep dogleg staircase leading to the second level is an excellent example of the pioneer architecture of the home.
The open fireplace from the original structure may be found in the kitchen, along with a massive iron crane and bread oven. The home is decorated with antiques from the time period, many of which have some sort of historical significance related to early Worthington families or events.
In 1816, Orange Johnson, a hornsmith who had developed expertise in the production of combs, purchased the property. He constructed a majestic addition in the Federal style, and the highlight of this addition is the graceful entryway. This entryway features a curving fanlight, sidelights, and delicately reeded pilasters, and it leads to a center hall. A fireplace and a magnificent mantel can be found in each of the four primary rooms that have been added in the federal-style expansion. The extension had a front door that faced west, toward the road that was eventually going to become the primary roadway (today known as High St.) between Columbus, the future capital of the state, and Lake Erie.
There are frequently changing displays of pieces from the Society’s collection on display in the exhibition rooms on the lower floor of the building. The activities that early Worthington settlers engaged in on a daily basis are brought to life by guides dressed in period garb and arranged inside an authentic historical environment. The craft of producing combs will be explained to guests, and they will be able to peruse a collection of hair combs and tools used to make combs that date back to the 19th century.
Dendrochronology was employed by the Wooster Tree Ring Lab in the Geology Department at the College of Wooster in May of 2011 to establish a calendar date for the felling of timber that was used to build the Orange Johnson House in Worthington, which is located in the state of Ohio. According to the findings, the trees that were used to construct the main house were cut down in 1810 and 1811, and the beams that were used in the back half of the house date to 1818.